[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 133 (Wednesday, September 29, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 LOIS MAILOU JONES--HONORING AN INNOVATIVE TRAILBLAZER FROM THE HARLEM 
                              RENAISSANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I stand before you today to recognize the 
late Lois Mailou Jones, a renowned American artist and educator who 
died in 1993 at the age of 93. One of the longest living painters of 
the Harlem Renaissance, she influenced many emerging African-American 
artists during and since that historic period.
  Her work will be on exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the 
Arts, in Washington, D.C., October 9, 2010 to January 9, 2011.
  Lois Mailou Jones (1905-1998) explored multiple themes and styles, 
poetically portraying African-American struggles in her work which 
included paintings, drawings and textile designs. For over fifty years, 
she consistently experimented with new techniques and inspired others 
to innovate. This led to many collaborations with her Harlem 
Renaissance contemporaries, from drawing illustrations for Langston 
Hughes to working alongside Carter G. Woodson, her significance during 
this period has been acknowledged.
  As a long-time professor at Howard University, she shaped generations 
of students and upcoming artists. She enhanced their learning 
experience with painting tours outside of the classroom, convinced the 
exposure would help them become better artists. This included travels 
as near as the local park to as far away as Paris and Africa.
  Born in Boston, MA, but traveling frequently throughout her career, 
her artwork consistently captured what was relevant in her life. After 
marrying Haitian artist Louis Vergniaud Pierre-Noel in 1953, Jones 
traveled and lived in Haiti and in those pieces one can see the 
influence of the Haitian culture, with its African influences and more 
colorful creations.
  Her race and gender contributed to a long and challenging path before 
receiving recognition for her work, but eventually the accolades came. 
President Jimmy Carter honored Jones for her outstanding achievements 
in the arts in 1980, and in the last ten years of her life both 
President Bill Clinton and French President Jacques Chirac met the 
artist and collected her work. Lois Mailou Jones continued to create 
her vibrant paintings until her death in 1998.
  A unique synthesis of African, Haitian, Parisian, and American 
iconography, Jones' work remains a remarkable contribution to the world 
of art. Her paintings grace the permanent collections of the 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Museum of American Art, Hirshhorn 
Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Portrait Gallery, Boston Museum 
of Fine Arts, the National Palace in Haiti, the National Museum of 
Afro-American Artists and private collections around the world.
  At this time, I would like to also honor the current Trustees of the 
Lois Mailou Jones Pierre Noel Trust: Robert W. Jones, Chris Chapman, 
MD, and Larry Frazier, Esq.
  Madam Speaker, we recognize this distinguished artist and offer 
recognition of her contributions made to this genre.

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