The Studio Journal

A 1920s scholar's desk with stacked books, an open anthology, a reading lamp and a fountain pen, warm intellectual mood, no people.

One Anthology, One Movement: Alain Locke's The New Negro at 100

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published January 29, 2026 • Updated July 18, 2026
In 1925, Alain Locke's anthology The New Negro gave the Harlem Renaissance its intellectual spine. A century later, its idea still shapes what we hang.
A bold Art Deco artwork of layered silhouetted Black figures with concentric rays and geometric bands, original composition in the spirit of the era, not a copy of any real work.

Aaron Douglas Painted Black History in Silhouette. You Can Still See It for Free.

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published January 26, 2026 • Updated July 19, 2026
Aaron Douglas turned Black history into flat, glowing silhouettes. Meet the Harlem Renaissance painter and the free NYPL mural you can visit today.
A sculptor's studio with a graceful bronze figure on a stand, modeling tools and warm patina light, no identifiable people.

Richmond Barthé: Turned Away From Art School, Collected by the Whitney

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published January 23, 2026 • Updated July 19, 2026
Richmond Barthé was barred from art school for being Black. Nine years later, the Whitney collected his sculpture first. Here's the story.
A 1920s-30s gallery wall of original paintings and sculptures by women artists of the era, dignified, painterly, no identifiable people.

The Women of the Harlem Renaissance Museums Took Longest to See

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published January 20, 2026 • Updated July 19, 2026
Meet the women artists of the Harlem Renaissance, from Meta Warrick Fuller to Loïs Mailou Jones, and why museums recognized them so late.
A sculptor's studio with a round bronze relief medallion in progress, calipers and modeling tools, warm light, no people.

Selma Burke and the Dime in Your Pocket

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published January 17, 2026 • Updated July 19, 2026
Selma Burke won a 1943 FDR commission and sketched Roosevelt live in 1944. Did her plaque shape the Roosevelt dime? The credit is still contested.
A 1920s Harlem Renaissance artists' studio and salon with easels and canvases, warm period light, jazz-age creative energy, no people.

The Harlem Renaissance Wasn't Just Writers. Meet the Artists.

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published January 14, 2026 • Updated July 19, 2026
The Harlem Renaissance had painters, sculptors, and photographers too. Meet Augusta Savage, Jacob Lawrence, Motley, and Van Der Zee.
An original 1920s Art Deco-style ink illustration of an elegant Black figure with sinuous flowing lines, Harlem Renaissance mood, not a copy of any real work.

Richard Bruce Nugent: The Man Who Wouldn't Be Closeted

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published December 30, 2025 • Updated July 19, 2026
Richard Bruce Nugent wrote "Smoke, Lilies and Jade" for Fire!! in 1926 and refused shame. The Harlem Renaissance writer who lived out loud.
A bold original artwork celebrating queer Black identity and joy, expressive and dignified, on a clean gallery wall.

Queer Black Art, From Fire!! to the Whitney

Written by Robert Lawrence | Published December 24, 2025 • Updated July 19, 2026
Trace queer Black art from Nugent's 1926 Fire!! to Glenn Ligon at the Whitney. Documented history, cited from the archive.