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Fine Arts Festivals April 28, 1966 Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn. Holiday Inn, Capitol Hill
Lecture Thursday Afternoon at Van Vechten Gallery
Before the lecture- met Aaron Douglas for the first time. Had corresponded with him - from Howard Univ.
Learned of Mr. Douglas' impending retirement in June. Later learned that he, on the advice of Miss Mary Beattie Brady of the Harmon Foundation, had really invited me to Fisk to persuade me to consider coming to Fisk University to take his position in the Art Department. Douglas talked at length about the potential for things to happen at Fisk. He acknowledged that there really was little there to entice me by way of facilities. But he assured me that this was the right time to come and build a program beyond what he had done. He talked of his coming to Fisk in the early 1930's to create the murals in the Erastus Milo Cravath Library. He said he was
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South Image North East Entry Library at Fisk
The library reminded me of a small version of the tower of learning at the University of Pittsburgh. I visited that campus 10 years earlier when I attended my first Collage Art Assiona meeting in Pittsburg, PA. in 1956. Stayed at the " YMCA.
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Aided by Edwin Harleston, a painter from Charleston, SC. He said Harleston had studied at Howrd. He died rather early. Douglas had some limited student aid when he began to work on the murals. Charles S. Johnson, a social scientist whom he had known in New York in the days of the Harlem Renaissance was party responsible far Mr. Douglastalked about the "faded promises" of having a fine arts center at Fisk. He thought had Dr. Johnson lived, there would have been a center. Johnson came there in 1928. Mr. Douglas put forth a very strong argument as to why I should consider coming to Fisk. He spoke of Miss Brady's trust and admiration for me. I was not impressed with anything I saw at Fisk other than Mr. Douglas' muralsin the library. It was very difficult to see them as the lighting was very poor. But the murals were really beautiful. I had not seen any reporductions of them. Mr. Douglass took me into the North room of the library and showed me the beautiful ceiling of the 2nd floor seemed to have been painted over. The large beams were decorated.
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3. Fisk 4/66 with subtle browns, greens, blue, yellow and dark browns - some black designs to out line these simple but interesting decorations. Mr. Douglas spoke of the disregard someone had had for his art by painting over some work. He assumed me that I could come to Fisk and really make a difference. I was not impressed. Only about 10 people showed up for my lecture in a little back room next to the little library in Van Vechten. The books were locked up in glass cases along two walls. My visit was sponsored by the Arts Festival. These events had been going on for a number of years and Mr. Douglas showed me the designs he continued to make for these festvials. I later learned that few people came to my lecture because Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier were the main guests of the festival. No one knew me. so they all waited in long lines to get a glimpse of these two black stars. When I returned to the Holiday Inn, I was mistaken for Mr. Poitier. Really didn't think I looked like him - perhaps a little like Cassius Clay - but not Sidney Poitier. At breakfast the next morning, there was a long line waiting inside the little restaurant. I was ushered in past everyone and given a choice seat. I wondered why all
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of the attention on me. I then learned that the long line of people was there as they were waiting to get my autograph. I thought, gee -- I am more famous than I say I am. There was this long line of white women -- some with their little girls -- waiting to see me. Well -- this had never happened to me before -- certainly not in the North. I thought, Nashville is really a cool place. Just wait until I get back to Howard. I will tell everbody about my reception among white folks in Nashville. They treated me better than the Negroes there. I then had second thoughts about Fisk. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad place to work after all. Surprise! Surprise! Well was I not surprised when that mass of people in the line in the restaurant descended on me yelling in a real Southern accent -- "Mr. Poitier! Mr. Poitier! Will you please sign my program?" Some said, "I saw you in 'Lillies of the Field' and you were real good". I thought, O Shit, I still ain't nobody. After all -- you know, we all do look alike -- that is -- to THEM. Well, there went my bubble of fame. One lady insisted that I was "Mr Poytieria" in disguise. When I said no! no! no!, she said in disgust, "then who are you?" -- "Are you somebody famous?" I simply said -- No.
