James A. Porter
| James A. Porter | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
December 22, 1905 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Died | February 28, 1970 (aged 64) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Art Institute (New York City), Sorbonne University |
| Alma mater | Howard University |
| Known for | African-American art history |
James Amos Porter (December 22, 1905 – February 28, 1970 age: 65) was a pioneer in establishing the field of African-American art history. He was instrumental as the first scholar to provide a systematic, critical analysis of African-American artists and their works of art. An artist himself, he provided a unique and critical approach to the analysis of the work. Dedicated to educating and writing about African-American artists, Porter set the foundation for artists and art historians to probe and unearth the necessary skills essential to their artistic and scholarly endeavors. Porter’s determination to document and view African-American art in the context of American art created the canon.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Porter had a long career in the visual arts as an artist and historian. Under the direction of James V. Herring, head of the Art Department at Howard University, Porter studied painting, drawing, and art history. Porter was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Upon graduating with a bachelor of science in 1927, he accepted a position as instructor of painting and drawing at Howard. Throughout his academic professional career, Porter also painted, and continued to exhibit nationally and internationally.
After completing undergraduate work, Porter attended the Art Institute in New York City. He also studied in Paris at the Institute of Art and Archeology at the Sorbonne, where he received a Certificat de Présence in 1935. When Porter returned to the United States, he pursued an M.A. in art history at New York University, completing it in 1937. Porter’s thesis, later the foundation for his book, Modern Negro Art, focused on African-American artists and artisans.
During his studies, Porter met Dorothy Burnett, a librarian at the Harlem branch of the New York Public Library, where he did research. On December 27, 1929, Porter and Burnett were married. They had one daughter, Constance Porter. They became professional as well as personal partners. Dorothy worked with Porter, providing bibliographic information critical to his investigations. Both worked at Howard University. Dorothy Porter was the director of Moorland Foundation, later known as the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center. She developed and catalogued information about African-American artists.
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