Prints from the Karamu House

In 1915, the Neighborhood Association was founded in the Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio, where people could meet and exchange ideas peacefully, regardless of skin color or religion. The guiding principle of the institution was a quote from the constitution: »All men are created equal«. It soon became clear that art was the decisive binding agent. At first it was plays, later a workshop was set up in which artists and members with no artistic experience could experiment with various printmaking processes. The participating artists, including Elmer W. Brown, Hughie Lee-Smith, Charles Sallée and William E. Smith, came together to form Karamu Artists Inc. Their works in the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance are among the most important prints by Black artists of the 1930s and 1940s. The Cleveland Museum of Art is now honoring their work in the exhibition Karamu Artists Inc: Printmaking, Race and Community. It runs from March 23 to August 17 and presents over 50 exhibits.

The word Karamu comes from the Swahili language and means »place of joyful gathering«. In 1982, Karamu House was added to the US National Register of Historic Places. Today, the institution continues to focus on professional theater productions and arts education for all.