Art
Black History ➔ Drawing, Charcoal Study Sketch, "Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad"
Identifier:
1983.80.1Description:
This charcoal study sketch was used for Paul Collins painting, Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad (1995.74.1). It depicts Underground Railroad “conductor” Harriet Tubman, leading a group of enslaved people towards freedom in the north. Born with a slave status in eastern Maryland, Tubman fled to the north but returned many times, leading dozens of others to freedom. During daylight, they hid in barns or cellars (called stations) owned by free Blacks or White abolitionists. Station operators provided food, shelter, and safety. By night, conductors like Tubman, led enslaved people to the next station. Some routes of the Underground Railroad brought people through Michigan on their way to Canada, where slavery was illegal. The Underground Railroad operated from about 1830 until slavery was abolished in 1865.Paul Collins used live actors in historic costume as models for the study sketch. The actors were from Robeson Players, an African American theater company in Grand Rapids founded by Cedric Ward. From left to right the actors were Gladys Jean Long, Jay Jackson, Michael Mowrey-Long (the baby), Sandy Ward and Cedric Ward holding Joe Gofoe. Initially they worked in a studio, but Collins decided they seemed too comfortable so they agreed to pose outside in the cold and rain alongside Fisk Lake to recreate the pain and agony of the dramatic moment the artist wanted to capture.
It is marked: "Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad. 1850's 19 forays south rescuing about 300 slaves." Signed, lower corner "Paul Collins".
Date:
1978 – 1982Materials:
Charcoal, PaperDimensions:
48" h 8" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Frederik G. H. MeijerRelated Entities:
Paul Collins (creator)Paul Collins is a self-taught realist painter whose career spans more than six decades. Born in Muskegon, Michigan, he moved to Grand Rapids at a young age and started painting as a child. Experiencing the harsh reality of racism as a young, African American/Indian European child during these transformative years inspired him to draw attention to social injustices through his art.
Collins rose to prominence as an artist in the 1960s, with works inspired by his travels to Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. His paintings were exhibited nationally and internationally in institutions such as John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Key West Museum, National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana, Kawara Museum in Japan and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Significant works included creating the 1975 mural of President Gerald Ford for the airport in Grand Rapids and designing the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize Medal, the highest award given by the King Center that was commissioned by Coretta Scott King (the wife of Martin Luther King Jr.) Frederik Meijer (donor)
Fred Meijer was a pioneer of supercenter retailing and visionary philanthropist. He was a native of Greenville, MI, where his father, Hendrik, a Dutch immigrant barber, opened a grocery store in 1934. In 1946, he married Lena Rader, a cashier in that original store. They had three sons, Hank (Liesel) Meijer, Doug (Starr) Meijer and Mark (Mary Beth) Meijer; and seven grandchildren. Born December 7, 1919, Fred worked in the store from the start, helping his father build the tiny grocery into a chain of supermarkets. In 1962, under Fred's leadership, the chain opened its first "Thrifty Acres" store in Grand Rapids, a huge one-stop shopping discount emporium. As the company grew he was always an advocate of promoting people from within, an outspoken champion of civil rights, and a zealot for low prices. Fred was known for his competitive spirit and a keen sense of his own humble origins. In industry affairs, he was one of the longest serving directors of the Food Marketing Institute (formerly the Super Market Institute), and winner of its Sidney Raab award for outstanding service. In his adopted hometown of Grand Rapids he played a vital role in the early years of the local Urban League and Goodwill Industries, and helped lead downtown urban renewal efforts. In 1984 he worked with a group of civic leaders and friends of President Ford to build the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on the west bank of the Grand River. In those years he also served on the Cleveland District Board of the Federal Reserve. More recently, he was an active member of the Improvement Association. While the Meijer name became synonymous with many civic and charitable undertakings, Fred's most significant contribution lay with the creation in 1994 of the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. The conservatory and park reflect a blend of his passion for sculpture and Lena's for gardening. The collection of contemporary sculpture now ranks among the finest in the world, in a complex which has become one of the region's leading attractions. He served as chairman emeritus of the company until his death.
(Source: Fred Meijer Obituary, Mlive, Published by Grand Rapids Press from Nov. 27 to Nov. 28, 2011).
