Dindga McCannon, born July 31, 1947, is an African-American artist, fiber artist, muralist, teacher author and illustrator.
Early life and education
McCannon was born and raised in Harlem and inspired to become an artist at the age of 10. She is self-taught and works intuitively. Calling herself a mixed-media, multimedia artist she works at "fusing my fine art "training" with the traditional women's needlework taught to me by my mother, Lottie K. Porter and grandmother Hattie Kilgo-sewing", beading, embroidery and quilting into what is now known as ArtQuilts.
Career
Dindga McCannon has been an artist for 55 years. In addition to her work as a quilter author, and illustrator, Dindga considers herself a costume designer and muralist and a print maker. Her work is a celebration of women's lives, portraits. Her art is a window into herstory- women's history. In response to sexism and racism in the artworld, artists in the 1960s and 1970s created collectives as a way fight oppression. In the 1960s McCannon was a member of Weusi Artist Collective. This is how McCannon became interested in the Black Arts movement. The Weusi Collective was interested in creating art that evoked African themes and symbols, as well as highlighting contemporary black pride. In 1971, she hosted the first meeting of the Where We At group of black women artists in her apartment, which grew into one of the first group show of professional black women artists in New York City. McCannon's interest in black arts and women's work met in her creation of Dashikis, which then led her to create wearables and quilts. She recently presented at the Art of Justice: Articulating an Ethos and Aesthetic of the Movement conference at New York University presented by the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in Collaboration with the Department of Art and Public Policy, New York University; Institute of African American Affairs, New York University; and Institute for Research in African American Studies, Columbia University.
Artworks
McCannon has a quilt in the permanent collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. In January of 2020 McCannon's oil painting, "The Last Farewell" was auctioned for $161,000 as part of Johnson Publishing Co.'s bankruptcy proceedings. This work was part of their private collection which also included works by Henry Ossawa Tanner and Carrie Mae Weems. "Revolutionary Sister", a mixed media work created in 1971, was created in response to a lack of revolutionary women warriors. The work depicts a powerful and colorful sister, created in part with items from the hardware store. McCannon speaks about this piece as. Statue of Liberty figure. It is now in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum.
Exhibitions
One-woman shows
In 2009, McCannon had a one-woman exhibition titled " Woman's Work is Never Done-Celebrating 44 years of Art Making," It was featured at the Hamilton Landmark Galleries, 467 West 144th Street in Harlem. McCannon's work has appeared in many group shows since 1971.
Selected group shows
2001: “Spirits of the Cloth,” Contemporary Quilts by African American Artists, American Craft Museum, NY
2002: “Spirits of the Cloth,” Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC.
Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture, Harlem NY, Arts in Embassies Program, Washington, DC
Brooklyn Museum Collection
Awards
2005 – N. Y. F. A. Fellowship – Crafts
2007 – Urban Artists Initiative, Harlem Arts Alliance
2008 – Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance – Individual Artists Grant 2009 – Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance – Individual Artist Grant
Books
McCannon has written and illustrated two books. Peaches, published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard in 1974 and by Dell in 1977, tells the story of a young black girl growing up in Harlem, her life with her family and her ambition to be an artist. Wilhemina Jones, Future Star, published by Delacorte in 1980, has a similar theme, with a young black girl growing up in Harlem in the mid-1960s who dreams of pursuing an art career and leaving the oppressive atmosphere of her home. McCannon has also illustrated books for others: Omar at X-mas by Edgar White, Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, and Speak to the Winds, African Proverbs, written by K. O. Opuku, published by Lothrop, Lee & Shepard in 1972. In 2018 McCannon published an illustrated cookbook called Celebrations. The opening reception was held at Art For the Soul Gallery in Springfield, MA.
Memberships
McCannon is a member of two artist's collectives, Weusi and Where We At.
