Edward Mitchell Bannister was the first Black man to win a major art prize in the U.S. When the white judges realized New Brunswick-born Bannister was Black, they tried to withdraw their decision. It was just one of many obstacles Bannister faced due to systemic racism in the art world.
Since their inception in 2021, the Christiana Carteaux Bannister Awards have recognized individuals delivering change to all areas of Rhode Island life,
Bannister Gallery was established in 1978 in honor of Edward Mitchell Bannister, a notable 19th-century African American artist. Bannister was a prominent member of the Providence art community, founder of the Providence Art Club and a significant figure in the history of American landscape painting. Many of his paintings are on view at the National Museum of American Art.
The following is an excerpt from an exhibition titled Free Within Ourselves: African American Artists in the Collection of the National Museum of American Art:
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