Artist
Daniel Pressley
born Wasamasaw, SC 1918-died New York City 1971
- Born
- Wasamasaw, South Carolina, United States
- Biography
Daniel Pressley was an African American whose family had a farm in South Carolina. When he was still quite young, his father was shot by a white neighbor. Shortly after, his mother also died and the brothers and sisters moved to Ohio. Pressley lived in New York City during the 1960s, where he started to carve and paint images that dealt with his experiences as a black man in Harlem. Even though he experienced firsthand the effects of racism, drug abuse, and poverty, his paintings often show spontaneous moments of joyous singing and dancing. (Shari Cavin, "Daniel Pressley, Sweet and Bitter Streets," 1999, Diggs Gallery, Winston Salem State University)
Related Posts
Education01/14/2022
While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was a pivotal moment in U.S. history, there’s more to his life and legacy than that single story. Smithsonian educators share approaches to expand classroom lessons and student understanding of this great civil rights leader.
