Jordan Casteel was born in 1989 in Denver, Colorado. She now lives and works in New York. Since graduating with an MFA from Yale University in 2014, Casteel has received acclaim for her painted portraits depicting black men. Long committed to social justice, Casteel was working as a teacher in Colorado and painting in the evenings when she realized that she needed to devote herself … Continue reading Profile: Jordan Casteel (1989-)
Ruby Dee was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter, activist, poet and journalist, perhaps best known for starring in the 1961 film A Raisin in the Sun. She’s also known for her civic work with husband Ossie Davis. Continue reading Profile: Ruby Dee (1922-2014)
Synopsis Dinah Washington sang in and played the piano for her church choir and in 1939 began to sing and play piano in various Chicago nightclubs. From 1943 to 1946 she sang with the Lionel Hampton band and in 1946 began a successful solo career. During the period from 1949 to 1955, her recordings were consistently among the top 10 hits of the rhythm-and-blues charts. Continue reading Profile: Dinah Washington
Black Art Story 