<I>The Black Artists </I>
date: label: Date
content: ca. 1965
name: label: Produced by
content: Paul Hickman
label: Subject of
content: Samella Sanders Lewis, American, 1924 - 2022
label: Subject of
content: William Pajaud, American, 1925 - 2015
label: Subject of
content: John T. Riddle Jr., American, 1933 - 2002
label: Owned by
content: D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
notes: label: Caption
content: This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
label: Description
content: A documentary film with the title The Black Artists. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
label: Description
content: The film opens with artist Samella Sanders Lewis walking on a beach as her own voiceover narration plays in the background. In subsequent scenes, three artists create pieces as they describe their creative process: Samella Lewis opines as she paints an abstract piece in oil; William Pajaud describes finding inspiration in church choirs; John Riddle designs a metal sculpture with a flame torch and other instruments, before describing the process of making finishing touches to his works. The film closes with Riddle stating that whenever he completes a work, it "serves as a steppingstone for the next idea."
place: label: Place used
content: Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Documentary films
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Process films
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: DC Public Library Film Collection
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
label: Movement
content: BAM (Black Arts Movement 1965-1976)
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Transferred from the DC Public Library
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.55.18.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: color films (visual works)
label: Type
content: short subjects
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration: 28 Minutes
label: Dimensions
content: Length (Film): 1000 Feet