Romare Bearden (1911 – 1988) was an exceptionally gifted African-American collage artist who strove to universalize the African-American experience in a signature style derived from Cubism. Growing up in Harlem, Bearden was strongly influenced by its thriving jazz scene, and his works exuberantly echo the music’s improvisational form. Bearden’s artwork expressed themes of ritual, music and family, and his broad talents included writing, songwriting, book illustration, theater design and humanitarianism. Bearden created an astounding 2,000 works in his lifetime, and is regarded as one of the preeminent African-American artists of the 20th century.