Faces and Places of the

Harlem Renaissance

"Harlem was not so much a place as it was a state of

mind, a cultural metaphor for black America itself."

– Dr. Henry Louis Gates

Introduction

You will study the art, music, literature, and dance from the 1920’s and 1930’s, the period known as the Harlem Renaissance, to develop a knowledge of the influential social, political, and economic factors of the day and to identify how events of the time period helped shape the nation’s future.

You will recognize the value of art as a medium for self-expression by using MMUVA (Movement through MUsic and Visual Arts), an innovative art creation program, to create unique artwork which reflects the political, social, and economic themes of your own generation.

Finally, you will reflect on the artwork you create to examine connections between the movement you use to create the art, the art itself, and the themes expressed in your art.

Your Objectives:

~ Explain the prominent political, social, and economic factors in the lives of African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance era.

~ Explore the art, music, literature, dance, and media of the Harlem Renaissance Era to identify how themes of the time period are reflected in the various mediums.

~ Recognize art as a valuable medium for self-expression by creating abstract visual art which reflects important themes of your own generation.

~ Reflect on your art to describe the relationship between the music and movement used to create it and the themes reflected in it.

1. Visit web sites to learn about famous artists, authors, musicians, and dancers from the Harlem Renaissance era.a) Identify the social, political, and economic themes of the

time period.b) Describe how the themes are reflected in the works you

review.

2. Create a unique piece of art, using the MMUVA program, which reflects the themes of your generation. a) Analyze how artists use their medium for self-expression and

apply that knowledge as you create your own work of art.b) Choose a piece of music from the Harlem Renaissance era

which reflects themes in your own generation.

3. Reflecta) Reflect on your artwork in a paper which describes the

correlation between the movement, music, and themes conveyed in the product.

Your Mission

Webquest Navigation

First-time visitors: Click to continue.

Returning visitors: Click on a link to the left to choose the topic you’d like to study during this visit.Literature

Art

Overview

Music

MMUVA

Dance

Reflections

Overview

The Harlem Renaissance was a period during which prominent African Americans in Harlem, New York led a movement towards social equality. It was a time of growth and success for aspiring artists, writers, musicians, dancers, and intellectuals that served to redefine African Americans at the end of an era of slavery. Its onset was preceded by the Great Migration, a period when nearly one-third of all African Americans migrated from the south to northern cities.

Click here to learn more about the Great Migration.

~ Complete the Great Migration puzzle to test your learning.

Watch this video for an overview of the Harlem Renaissance.

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Exploring MMUVA

o MMUVA stands for Movement with Music and Visual Art. Watch this video to see what it does and how it works.

o Who created MMUVA, and why? Watch this video to learn more about its inspiration.

o During your work time, you and your team members will have time to play with MMUVA for yourself.

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Art“If at times my productions do not express the conventionally beautiful, there is always an effort to express the universal beauty of man's continuous struggle to lift his social position and to add dimension to his spiritual being.”

-Jacob Lawrence

The political and social influences of the Harlem Renaissance inspired many artists to produce works which reflected the black identity. Music was often a major inspiration as well, and artists like Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, and Palmer Hayden found subjects for their artwork in the music venues around Harlem.

o Review the art of Aaron Douglas, Jacob Lawrence, or Palmer Hayden using one or more of the web sites below:

Drop Me Off in Harlem ArtcyclopediaArtlexHuntfor

o Use your Notes Page to reflect on your findings.Home

Literature"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken

winged bird that cannot fly."   -Langston Hughes 

The popularity of African American literature grew rapidly during the Harlem Renaissance. Writers contributed to the shift in perception from the inferior “Old Negro” to the independent and intellectual “New Negro.”

o Explore the work of popular authors of the Harlem Renaissance using the web sites listed below. Use your notes page to reflect on your findings.

Drop Me Off in HarlemHarlem LiteratureModern American Poetry

o Use your Notes Page to reflect on your findings.Home

Music“Put it this way. Jazz is a good barometer of freedom.”

-Duke Ellington

Music is able to transcend race and political preference while invoking the deepest of emotions sometimes without saying a word. Harlem was the center of a musical evolution which uncovered amazing talent and created a unique sound that has yet to be paralleled (John Carroll University Web Site).

o Explore the musicians of the Harlem Renaissance using the web sites listed below.

Drop Me Off in HarlemHarlem Singers and Musicians

o Use your Notes Page to reflect on your findings.

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Dance“Out on the dance floor, everyone, dickty and rat, rubbed joyous elbows, laughing, mingling, forgetting differences, but whenever the music stopped everyone immediately sought their own level.”

-Rudolf Fisher on the Savoy Ballroom

For many African Americans in Harlem, dance was not necessarily a form of entertainment but rather a way to temporarily escape from the realities and difficulties of the time. Many new dances, such as the Lindy Hop, the Jitterbug, and West Coast Swing evolved during the Harlem Renaissance.

o Explore the dancers and dances of the time period using the links below:

Drop Me Off in HarlemHoni Coles – A Class Act

o Use your Notes Page to reflect on your findingsHome

Moving to the Grooveo You will make abstract art with MMUVA, which

stands for Movement with MUsic and Visual Art. o Working in groups, discuss the themes you identified

from your research of the Harlem Renaissance. Next, brainstorm themes that are relevant to your own generation.

o Identify ways to express the themes of your generation through movement. Use what you learned about dance! For example, does slow movement represent oppression? How would you express discrimination?

o Decide on a piece of music to use as you choreograph your movement. The music should represent the same themes.

o Use the MMUVA program to generate artwork which illustrates the themes you identified.

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Reflectionso Review what you have learned about the Harlem

Renaissance and the plight of African Americans during the 1920s and 1930s.

o Identify any similarities and differences between the themes of the Harlem Renaissance and themes of modern society.

o Reflect on the MMUVA work you created. How do the themes you identified correlate to the movement you used to create the art, and how are those themes reflected in your final artwork?

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CreditsLesson Resource:http://www.soe.vt.edu/IDEAS/MMUVA-

harlemproject.html

Lesson developed by:o Teri Finno Phyllis Leary Newbillo Liesl Baum