PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When artist Percy Ricks approached the Delaware Art Museum in 1971 with his idea for an exhibit of established and emerging African-American artists, he was met with silence.
So, he mounted the exhibit himself — significantly, in the Wilmington Armory, which had housed the National Guard when it occupied the city during protests following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fifty years later, the Delaware Art Museum is making amends: "Afro-American Images 1971: The Vision of Percy Ricks" is now on display.
"Ricks' show is thought of perhaps as a response to that time as well as an opportunity to make the public aware of the wealth of Black art in America," said Amelia Wiggins, the museum's current communications director.
She said the museum tried to recreate the exhibit as precisely as possible, though much of the original artwork is in museums or private collections, and some pieces have gone missing.
"We borrowed as many as possible, and where we couldn't find the original, we've been able to borrow very similar works by that artist," she explained.
The exhibit includes work by Romare Bearden, Sam Gilliam, Alma Thomas and Faith Ringgold, among others. It was mounted with help from the artist collective Aesthetic Dynamics that Ricks founded.
Percy Ricks with painting, c. 1970.Courtesy of JENN and Associates
Member Arnold Hurtt said this exhibit is a fitting tribute to Ricks.
"He was a true pioneer, like a godfather," he said, "because any way he could help an artist, he would do so."
The exhibit will be on display until Jan. 23. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday.
