Birthplace of "The Saints"

Biographer David Leeming reports in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney that when they lived in NYC, Beauford and his brother, Joseph, saw each other at Cloyd Boykin's Primitive African Art Center.

He says that "Joe and Beauford eventually modeled and taught drawing classes there and met two painters, Ellis Wilson and [Palmer] Hayden, who became their lifelong close friends, forming with them a group they all referred to as "The Saints."

Palmer C. Hayden and Beauford Delaney at Washington Square, NYC (1930s)
Photo from the National Archives, Harmon Collection

Joseph Delaney at the first annual Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibition (1931)
Photo from the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Knoxville, TN
Fair Use Claim

Click HERE to see images of Ellis Wilson.

I have not been able to find images of Cloyd Boykin.

I decided to research the school to see if I could find out more about it, beginning with where it was located.

I found an image of a letter written by Boykin to W.E.B. DuBois whose letterhead presents "The Primitive Art Center" and "Afro-American Museum" as subheaders under the words "Boykins' School of Art and Adjuncts." The letter is dated October 11, 1930 and indicates the address of the center as 43-45, Grove Street, New York City. Note the sign in the window in the image below.

45 Grove Street, Manhattan
Berenice Abbott
October 1935
Public domain

From another source, I learned that Boykin ran an arts and crafts shop on Grove Street in 1928 and 1929 (exact address not mentioned) and that he opened the school in 1929/1930. This means that the school would have been fairly new when Beauford and Joseph frequented it, given that Beauford moved to NYC in November 1929 and Joseph moved there in 1930.

The building was known as the Old Governor's Mansion and the Whittemore Mansion. It has an incredible history that indirectly links it with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. It is still standing, and it looks pretty much the same now as it did in the 1930s.

Click HERE to read the story about the assassination and see a recent image of the property.

Boykin opened a second location for the school and the Primitive African Art Center at the New York Urban League, 202–206 West 136th Street in Harlem in July 1932.

Partial view of façade of NY Urban League
Screenshot from YouTube video
National Urban League and NYC Tenants (1911)
Fair Use Claim

The Grove Street address remained functional until at least November 1932, when a problem with space at the NY Urban League facility caused the Center's autumm exhibition as well as some art classes to be held at this address.

New Edition of Amazing Grace to Be Released

The original edition of the Beauford Delaney "bible" - Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney - has been out of print for some time.

Published by Oxford University Press in 1998, it is the sole comprehensive exploration of Beauford's life in book form.

Author David A. Leeming spoke about Beauford and James Baldwin at the Stonington Free Library in Stonington, CT in May 2024 as a prelude to the release of a new, second edition of the book.

Finally, the release date has been announced.

Karma Books of NYC will make the second edition of Amazing Grace available on December 17, 2024!

Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
2024 book cover

A major addition to this new edition is an introduction by curator, writer, theater critic, and Pulitzer Prize winner Hilton Als. Als has referenced Beauford's relationship with James Baldwin in numerous writings about Baldwin, so it will be interesting to see what he has penned for the biography.

The cover for the Karma Publishing edition uses a black background and the same self-portrait of Beauford as did the Oxford University Press edition.

Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
1998 book cover

It is 292 pages long, compared to 221 pages for the Oxford University Press edition.

This is due, at least in part, to the increased emphasis that photographs and images of Beauford's work are given in the book. Several images are now displayed solo on individual numbered pages instead of in a color plate insert bound into the center of the book.

Sample page view from Amazon.com

To pre-order the new edition of Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney from Amazon.com, click HERE.

Mike Berry and Beauford - Part 3

Mike C. Berry is Gallery Manager at the University of Tennessee (UT) Downtown Gallery and Artist/Owner of Mike C. Berry Studio in Knoxville, TN. He has developed a unique and fascinating "relationship" with Beauford through his framing of Beauford's art for UT. He graciously provided Les Amis with an interview in which he "tells all," including how Beauford's work influences his artistic practice.

Because Berry was so generous with his responses, this interview is presented in three parts.* Find Part 3 below.

Les Amis: Talk about your visit to Beauford’s grave at Thiais Cemetery during your recent visit to Paris.

MCB: On Oct 12, 2023, I took the Paris Metro south out of the city center arriving at the Cimetiere Parisian de Thiais on a overcast drizzly morning. I knew I was looking for “Avenue M, Division No. 86,” and I began to walk in the quiet expanse of this rather large cemetery. I walked for some time finally arriving at Square 86. I walked in between the hedges thinking "Ok, this should be easy to spot because it’s a new piece of marble within a section of old broken headstones overgrown with weeds."

Division 86
Image courtesy of Mike Berry

I walked around the square which is literally a approx. 50-60 foot square of plots with hedges on each side and not seeing anything I began to wonder if I were in the wrong section. At this point I haven’t seen a soul and it's quiet, all I hear are the rustling of trees and occasionally airplanes above because of its close proximity to Orly airport. Just then, a cemetery attendant approached me from behind. He actually startled me to be honest. I’m standing among graves and I hear “Bonjour!” I probably jumped a little. He smiled and asked me if I spoke French, which I do not, and he told me that he did not speak English.

So, with various hand gestures I communicated my search to him. He somehow was convinced that I was not in the right section and he motioned for me to follow him. I thought this odd as I had just walked past the sign marking Section No.86. We took several steps around a large piles of broken tombstones and I saw it. I exclaimed, "Oui oui, Monsieur, this is it" as I pointed. He smiled and excused himself as I thanked him.

I stood in the drizzling rain and a flood of emotions and thoughts filled my mind. Mainly how short life can be. Mostly just thoughts of respect and honor for an artist that did what he loved and tried to express himself and figure it all out through a mountain of obstacles and hardships ... very much like will all do. I thought about the passage of time and its swiftness. I thought about art, life, his life, light, color....

Amazing Grace on Beauford's tombstone
Image courtesy of Mike Berry

I thought about sense of place and belonging and Beauford’s love of Paris. I thought about eternity and Heaven. The last line on Beauford’s tombstone reads: "I am Home." I interpreted this as his eternal rest in heaven or his love for Paris. I think both would be appropriate interpretations. But thinking about home, especially Knoxville, which has been my home for over half of my life and Beauford’s birthplace and family home, I decided to make a sketch to leave on the tombstone as an expression of love and gratitude from Knoxville.

Mike Berry's artwork on Beauford's tombstone
Image courtesy of Mike Berry

Once the sketch was completed, I slipped it into a Ziploc bag and placed it under the ceramic flowers. I also made a few rubbings of the tombstone inscription to take home for remembrance. I gathered my backpack and stood in silence, said a short prayer of thanks and exited through the hedges and began my quiet walk back to the Metro station.

This memory will stay with me forever ... me alone in a Paris cemetery paying respects to a great artist.

Very special, such a honor.

Les Amis: Any final thoughts?

MCB: I am really blessed to have an active role with the Delaney Estate in helping to raise the profile and honoring a great artist by promoting and preserving his works. Each day I am grateful to use my talents to help and benefit Beauford’s great legacy. A special thanks to Derek Spratley whose kindness and generosity has overflowed onto me.

Thank you, Derek.

Derek L. Spratley and Mike C. Berry

*Read Part 1 of the interview HERE.

*Read Part 2 of the interview HERE.

Mike Berry and Beauford - Part 2

Mike C. Berry is Gallery Manager at the University of Tennessee (UT) Downtown Gallery and Artist/Owner of Mike C. Berry Studio in Knoxville, TN. He has developed a unique and fascinating "relationship" with Beauford through his framing of Beauford's art for UT. He graciously provided Les Amis with an interview in which he "tells all," including how Beauford's work influences his artistic practice.

Because Berry was so generous with his responses, this interview will be presented in three parts).* Find Part 2 below.

Note that all photos and content have been approved for posting by Derek Spratley, Esq., Court appointed administrator of the Beauford Delaney Estate.

Les Amis: As a painter, you bring a unique perspective to the act of framing. How has this influenced the way you frame Beauford’s work?

MCB: I try to think how to best highlight the work with a clean and simple presentation and not attempt to “jazz” it up with stylized mouldings that are unnecessary. I always think “less is more” with Beauford’s work and what will allow the work to be the main star on the stage.

Mike Berry framing a Beauford Delaney work

Les Amis: Among all the Beauford Delaney works that you’ve framed, which is your favorite?

MCB: I have two, for different reasons.

First is the Henry Miller ballpoint pen sketch piece. This piece is very intriguing to me because it’s basically a rough draft for a 1944 oil portrait. The sketch of Miller is on the back of a catalogue page with a print narrative about Miller on the opposite side. There is a photo of Mr. Miller standing beside the 1944 portrait posted on this blog (Jan 7, 2017).

As I understand it, the 1944 portrait is no longer available to the public or it has been completely lost, which leaves this blue ball point pen rough sketch of Miller the only remaining work from this series. I framed it in a way that either side (portrait side or printed side) can be viewed within the frame.

Sketch of Henry Miller

My other favorite piece is a blue abstract from Madrid 1955. I just love this piece because of the color, and the composition reminds me of my time spent in Madrid a few years ago. I felt very connected to this piece as I shared a strong sense of place to it, and I love the color blue.

Blue abstract from Madrid

Les Amis: As a cityscape artist, please comment on the similarities and differences in the way Beauford and Joseph interpret and portray cityscapes.

MCB: Their similarities are their use of pure color and simplication of form. Of course, Beauford pushes this much farther than Joseph does.

The biggest difference is I see Joseph as the reporter or illustrator of the cityscapes while I tend to view Beauford as the interpreter or the emotional translator of his subjects. Beauford’s work strikes me has highly infused with emotions (through use of color and line) to connect the viewer with their own narrative and emotional response the imagery he presents.

Les Amis: Joseph Delaney’s work inspired you early on. Has Beauford’s work begun to inspire you in some way?

MCB: Working closely with Joseph work definitely inspired me to look the cityscape as a subject matter. My piece, Gay Street Rainy Night, was greatly influenced by Joseph’s work.

Gay Street Rainy Night
Mike C. Berry

Today, I am still inspired by Joseph’s work and continue to look to the city for interesting compositions.

Currently I do find myself in the presence of a lot of Beauford’s work and it has pushed me to simplify form and push my palette towards bright saturated colors.

Recently I experimented with a composition using single color notes inspired by Beauford where I attempted to simplify a downtown scene in Knoxville.

Downtown Knoxville
Mike C. Berry

Les Amis: Do you also do framing for or have some other professional relationship with the Joseph Delaney estate?

MCB: The Ewing Gallery of Art & Architecture at the University of Tennessee was bequeathed a third of Joseph’s estate as stated in his will upon his death in 1991. Because of this gift, the Ewing Gallery has a large collection of Joseph’s works which I have had the privilege of framing, cataloguing and exhibiting.

The 2004 exhibition Joseph Delaney, Life in the City was the first professional gallery exhibition I worked on when I started at the UT Downtown Gallery. It was the gallery’s inaugural exhibit. In 2018 I worked on the exhibit Face to Face – Joseph Delaney, which focused on Joseph’s many portraits, mainly those created during his years of working in Washington Square in NYC.

*Read Part 1 of the interview HERE.