[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 297 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 297

 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

                            October 8, 2003

  Mr. Rangel submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on 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;
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), 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 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
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that the internationally renowned 
artist Romare Bearden should be honored for his contributions to the 
collective American aesthetic anthology which reflect the complexity 
and richness of African American life in the United States.
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