John Thomas Biggers (1924-2001) was an African American muralist who came to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance. Dr. Biggers was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and attended the Lincoln Academy, the Hampton Institute, and then Pennsylvania State University from which he was granted a doctorate in 1954.

His works can be found on the campus of Hampton University (formerly Institute), primarily in the campus library.

Dr. Biggers founded the art department at Texas State University for Negroes, now Texas Southern University, in 1949. Biggers received a fellowship from UNESCO, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, in 1957 allowing him to become one of the first African American artists to visit Africa.

John Biggers studied under Viktor Lowenfeld at Hampton Institute, who significantly influenced Biggers in his artistic development. Biggers later created works which reflected his perspective of the anguish that people have suffered merely because of their race or religious beliefs.

[edit] External links

• The Murals of John T. Biggers
• The Houston Murals of John Thomas Biggers
• John T. Biggers Collection at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin

This article about an artist from the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e