Add Bates, the 306 Studio, and Interlocking Modernisms in Mid-Twentieth-Century Harlem

Abstract

This article traces the career of Addison “Add” Bates, a furniture maker, dancer, and sometime-gallerist who was active in Harlem art circles from the 1930s through the 1960s. It highlights his connections to painters Jacob Lawrence—who may have painted him in his workshop—and Romare Bearden—for whom he staged the artist’s first solo show; as well as commissions for Richard Wright and a working relationship with Ralph Ellison. His artistic philosophy encompassed formal rigor—a belief in the expressive power of simple, bold forms in compelling composition—and social justice—an abiding commitment to the dignity of the human body and equal opportunity for African American artists. His career demonstrates the centrality of artist networks in supporting and nurturing artistic experimentation and growth, in particular the multimedia connections that sustained African American artists in the twentieth century in the face of institutionalized racism.