The Major Scale is proud to present a three-part special for Cornell Fine Arts Museum’s exhibit African American Art in the 20th Century, on loan from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. It’s a bounty of bold and brilliant masterworks that showcases paintings and sculptures from 32 African American artists. In our special series, we delve into the stories that tie together the exhibit’s themes, including jazz and civil rights, as well as the music with the show’s curator, Virginia Mecklenburg.
Part 2: In the post WW II era the pace of the Civil Rights Movement picks up at a rapid pace. African-American life is flux, the demand for change and equality is everywhere. There is tragedy concurrent with hope as leaders and legislation move forward. The music moves right along with it. The art’s come into their own, uncompromising talents like Bo Diddley, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Ornette Colman, Amiri Baraka, and countless others begin to make their voices heard, and we’ll hear them in this episode.Continue Reading …