Name/Title
UntitledContext
Richard Overton (1913-2010) was a visual and performing artist whose work elaborated key themes of the Black Arts Movement. The artist was a jazz musician and Ella Fitzgerald’s longtime musical director. Overton also worked at the Milwaukee Public Library. Overton’s long artistic career evidences the roots of the Black Arts Movement in Milwaukee before the 1960s, its persistence into the 21st century, and its national and international connections. The sense of "inner movement" which animates Overton's two abstract compositions reappears in Frankie B. Cole's "Red Tropical Circle (Milwaukee Conservatory)," and especially in the puzzle pieces of Edgar Jeter's "Girl Reading." Overton's artwork has not been widely shown, and evidences an unsung local luminary.Collection
Artwork Collection, Wisconsin Art CollectionAcquisition
Accession
1992.1Source or Donor
Richard T. OvertonAcquisition Method
GiftMade/Created
Date made
circa 1980 - circa 1992Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
SignatureLocation
Lower rightTranscription
"R.T. Overton"Material/Technique
PencilDimensions
Dimension Description
Framed SizeHeight
20-1/4 inWidth
20-1/4 inRelationships
Related Publications
Notes
This work and materials pertaining to the artist are available in the Milwaukee Black Arts Movement digital collection: https://content.mpl.org/digital/collection/MkeBAM/.