Faith Ringgold was born Faith Will Jonesith Ringgold was born on October 8, 1930, in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. She was the youngest of three children born to Andrew and Willi Jones, who raised their children during the Harlem Renaissance and exposed them to all of its cultural offerings
Education: City College of New York
Birth Date: October 8, 1930 (age 89)
Occupation: Painter, Civil Rights Activist, Author
Faith Ringgold is an American artist and author who became famous for innovative, quilted narrations like Tar Beach that communicate her political beliefs.
THE ARTIST: Students were introduced to the artworks of Faith Ringgold because of her very popular book Tar Beach. Faith Ringgold was a teacher and a lot of her work centers on social justice, fighting racism and telling the stories of African-American individuals, families, and communities. She has written almost 20 children’s books.
THE ART: In addition to looking at her famous picture books, Ringgold made a wide variety of art including paintings, costumes, performance, sculptures and quilts, and she is still making art today. Her influences include German quilt-making, her mother’s dressmaking, and African American Literature, and are as diverse as her artwork.
Please enjoy the personal art stories of the CMMS art students.