Artist

Charles Searles

born Philadelphia, PA 1937-died New York City 2004
Also known as
  • Charles R. Searles
Born
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died
NY, New York, United States
Biography

Charles Searles studied art in his hometown of Philadelphia. The mural Celebration was commissioned by the federal government's Art-in-Architecture program for the William J. Green, Jr. Federal Building in Philadelphia.

Paintings by African Americans from the collection of the National Museum of American Art: A Book of Postcards (Washington, D.C.: National Museum of American Art in cooperation with Pomegranate Artbooks, 1991)

Artist Biography

In Celebration [SAAM, 1977. 47.31] Charles Searles evokes joy. His interest in color, pattern, mask forms, and dance movement derives from his studies in Ghana, Nigeria, and Morocco. In his rhythmic lines and colors, you might deduce (correctly!) that Searles has played percussion instruments for many years.

Tiffany Farrell "Happy Kwanzaa," 1001 Days and Nights of American Art Web site, entry for December 26, 2002 (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2002).