Gwendolyn Knight
Gwendolyn Knight is a Black-American artist who was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, in the West Indies. She moved to the US when she was seven years old, and five years later, she moved from St. Louis to Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance inspired her artwork, and most of her work was based on her experience or memory. Her artwork challenged the trends of her time, and she made figural composition art in oil paint.
In 1941, Knight married Jacob Lawrence, a famous painter who also served on the first Board of Directors for the NWS. Lawrence and Knight served on the NWS Advisory Board together as well. Knight has worked as an artist since she was in university, but her talent has been overlooked for a long time. Her first exhibit was in 1970, and at the time, she was almost 70 years old.
From her history, I learned that "follow your pleasure" is an essential piece to success in life. I am inspired by Knight because she went through her own life and did not let pressure from others influence her work. Also, she is known as an avid reader, and even received a competitive scholarship from Wadleigh High School, one of the few integrated schools in New York at the time. However, she couldn't finish her school year at university because of discrimination against women, and Black women specifically. Even though her art was overlooked and not acknowledged for a long time, she didn't give up, and finished her life as an artist. From Knight, I learned that continuing to put in effort and having a spirit of “never giving up” is one of the ways to fight unfair and discriminatory situations.
My Wayfinder has a colorful pattern on the front side, representing the liveliness of Harlem Renaissance art, and it is installed outside of Laurence-Knight's room. Also, I did a collage of Harlem on the backside to make it easy to understand the motif of my Wayfinder. The words "Follow Your Pleasure" also represents her life, and I chose these words to tell viewers to follow what they love. It is a really good way to make your life full of colors and what brings you joy.
In 1941, Knight married Jacob Lawrence, a famous painter who also served on the first Board of Directors for the NWS. Lawrence and Knight served on the NWS Advisory Board together as well. Knight has worked as an artist since she was in university, but her talent has been overlooked for a long time. Her first exhibit was in 1970, and at the time, she was almost 70 years old.
From her history, I learned that "follow your pleasure" is an essential piece to success in life. I am inspired by Knight because she went through her own life and did not let pressure from others influence her work. Also, she is known as an avid reader, and even received a competitive scholarship from Wadleigh High School, one of the few integrated schools in New York at the time. However, she couldn't finish her school year at university because of discrimination against women, and Black women specifically. Even though her art was overlooked and not acknowledged for a long time, she didn't give up, and finished her life as an artist. From Knight, I learned that continuing to put in effort and having a spirit of “never giving up” is one of the ways to fight unfair and discriminatory situations.
My Wayfinder has a colorful pattern on the front side, representing the liveliness of Harlem Renaissance art, and it is installed outside of Laurence-Knight's room. Also, I did a collage of Harlem on the backside to make it easy to understand the motif of my Wayfinder. The words "Follow Your Pleasure" also represents her life, and I chose these words to tell viewers to follow what they love. It is a really good way to make your life full of colors and what brings you joy.
