Leslie Garland Bolling
| Leslie Bolling | |
|---|---|
Leslie Bolling preparing a rough block of wood for carving
|
|
| Born |
Leslie Garland Bolling September 16, 1898 Surry County, Virginia |
| Died | September 27, 1955 (aged 57) New York City |
| Resting place | Woodland Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia |
| Education |
Hampton Agricultural and Normal Institute (1916–1918) Virginia Union University (?–1924) |
| Alma mater | Virginia Union University |
| Occupation | Sculptor |
| Years active | 1928–1950 |
| Known for | Wood carving |
| Notable work |
Days of the Week Red Cap |
| Spouse(s) |
Julia V. Lightner (m. 1928) Ethelyn M. Bailey (m. 1948) |
| Notes | |
The sculptor Leslie Garland Bolling (September 16, 1898 – September 27, 1955) was born in Surry County, Virginia, United States on September 16, 1898, the son of Clinton C. Bolling, a blacksmith, and his wife Mary. His carvings reflected everyday themes and shared values of the Black culture in the segregated South in the early 20th century. Bolling was associated with the Harlem Renaissance and is notable as one of a few African-Americans whose sculpture had lasting acclaim.
Leslie Bolling's parents were Clinton C. and Mary Bolling. He was born in Dendron, Virginia, a small community in Surry County. His father was a blacksmith.
Bolling spent two years from 1916 to 1918 attending Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute, which is now Hampton University and was an institution for upward mobility of African-American youth. Bolling did not have any formal training in art or sculpture although Hampton did have a small arts museum.
In 1919 during the Red Summer of race riots, he enrolled in the Academic Department at Virginia Union University, a historically black university in Richmond. In addition to normal academic courses, he also took Manual Training, a course which included both freehand drawing and mechanical drawing. This course involved working with tools using both wood and iron as well as blacksmithing.
After graduating from VUU in June 1924 Bolling began working as a porter at the Everett Waddey Company stationery store. Four years after graduation from VUU, in 1928, Bolling married Julia V. Lightner, his first wife. They did not have any children.
...
Wikipedia