IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 212 

Expressing the sense of Congress that Romare Howard Bearden should be 

recognized as one of the preeminent artists of the 20th century for 

his artistic genius and visual creativity in the depiction of the complexity 

and richness of African American life in the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 

Mr. RANGEL submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that Romare Howard 

Bearden should be recognized as one of the preeminent 

artists of the 20th century for his artistic genius and 

visual creativity in the depiction of the complexity and 

richness of African American life in the United States. 

Whereas Romare Bearden was born in Charlotte, North 

Carolina, on September 2, 1911, and migrated with his 

family to New York City around 1914 during the Great 

Migration north; 

Whereas Romare Bearden graduated from New York University, studied at the Art Students League, and joined the 

Harlem Artists Guild, continuing his lifelong study of 

art; 


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Whereas Romare Bearden became a prolific artist whose oeuvre of approximately 2,000 known works employed various mediums including paintings, drawings, watercolors, 

monotypes, edition prints, photographs, wood sculpture, 

designs for record albums, costumes, stage sets, book illustrations, and most notably collage; 

Whereas Romare Bearden spent much of his life in New 

York, in which he was fascinated by the intricacies of 

street life, especially in Harlem, which he mirrored in 

many of his works including ‘‘The Street’’ (1964), ‘‘The 

Block II’’ (1972), and ‘‘Profile/Part II, the Thirties: Artist with Painting and Model’’ (1981); 

Whereas Romare Bearden’s extraordinary success as an artist was recognized with his first solo exhibit in 1940 in 

Harlem and was succeeded by numerous exhibits 

throughout the United States and Europe; 

Whereas Romare Bearden enlisted in the United States Army 

in 1942 and was assigned to the First Headquarters, Fifteenth Regiment, the all-black 372d Infantry Division 

and was later honorably discharged whereupon he returned to New York to join the prestigious Samuel Kootz 

Gallery in Manhattan; 

Whereas beginning in 1952 Romare Bearden maintained a 

full-time position with the Department of Social Services 

for 14 years during which he continued to pursue his artistic passion in his spare time until he was able to sustain himself and his family through the sale of his artwork; 

Whereas Romare Bearden was appointed in 1964 as the first 

Art Director of the newly established Harlem Cultural 


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Council, a prominent African American advocacy group 

with several hundred members; 

Whereas Romare Bearden documented the history of African 

American artists whereby he coorganized ‘‘The Evolution 

of Afro-American Artists: 1800–1950’’ exhibit in 1967 at 

the City College of New York which included 150 works 

by 55 black artists providing a retrospective of African 

American work; 

Whereas Romare Bearden was an educator, historian, theorist, and a benefactor who helped young African American artists establish their careers whereby in 1969 he cofounded the Cinque Gallery in New York City to provide 

a space for young minority painters and curators to display their work and gain experience in the art world; 

Whereas Romare Bearden indulged his musical and literary 

inclinations by coauthoring 4 books and cofounding the 

Bluebird Music Company in which he went on to compose 

the lyrics for 20 songs; 

Whereas Romare Bearden was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Institute of Arts 

and Letters, and received numerous awards and honors 

including the prestigious Mayor’s Award of Honor for art 

and culture and the President’s National Medal of Arts 

from President Ronald Reagan in 1987; and 

Whereas Romare Bearden died in 1988 leaving an artistic 

legacy which includes 130 works currently on exhibit at 

the National Gallery of Arts: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the 

3 internationally renowned artist Romare Bearden should be 


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1 honored for his contributions to the collective American 

2 aesthetic anthology which reflect the complexity and rich3 ness of African American life in the United States. 

Æ 


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