In 1963, before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson, the Brooklyn

In 1963, before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson, the Brooklyn Museum hosted the Art Festival for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. From September 11–22, 1963, over 100 works of art were exhibited and sold. The Art Festival was organized by three female artists, professionals, and Brooklyn residents, Mrs. Virginia Cantarella, Mrs. Cynthia Dantzic, and Mrs. Jan Swan. Many well known New Yorkers  sponsored the Festival including author and activist, James Arthur Baldwin. This event featured works by 160 artists and raised $2,000 to train attorneys in civil rights law and for use in civil rights cases. The first contribution to the event included four oil paintings by Elaine De Kooning.In a letter to Mrs. Dantzic, Jack Greenberg, Director Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, stated “This is the first time in the history of the fund where artists have supported our work on an organized basis.” He continued, “At this period we serve as the legal arm of the entire civil rights movement. The proceeds of the Art Festival will help us tremendously in our massive attack on segregation and discrimination.”The Brooklyn Museum Libraries and Archives house curatorial files, an exhibition catalogue, and a collection of materials that were acquired by Mrs. Dantzic and donated to the Museum in 2014. Through these materials we are able to preserve a small, but significant, story of the history of the American Civil Rights Movement told through the Brooklyn Museum and its surrounding community.Posted by Jennifer NealPhotos Brooke Baldeschwiler -- source link
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