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Edward Mitchell Bannister: A Leader in the Rhode Island Art World

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Edward Mitchell Bannister was a nineteenth-century African-American artist whose paintings focused on the landscapes of rural Rhode Island and the Narragansett Bay shore. One of the founders of the Providence Art Club, Bannister was a leader in the Rhode Island art world.

It has been said of Edward Bannister by his colleagues, "Mr. Bannister possesses genius... and he is daily gaining admirers of his talent and taste... It is indeed commendable in Mr. Bannister, that he has thus far overcome the many obstacles thrown in his way by his color, and made himself an honor to his race".

You can read about Providence Art Club's founder, his inspirations, and legacy more in depth here.

Edward M. Bannister: An American Artist

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Edward M. Bannister: An American Artist, is a documentary feature film in the making; combining extensive archival material, paintings, sketches, re-created scenes, still photos, and exterior scenes of Rhode Island today. The story is narrated by Edward Bannister's greatest believer, his wife, Christiana Carteaux Bannister. As of Fall 2009, project director Diane Heller has collected the field research needed on Christiana Bannister, which informs the entire screenplay through her role as narrator. This research came from input from RI historians, genealogists, archives and museums: all original research. The film has been accepted into the Fiscal Sponsorship Program of the International Documentary Association. This allows the filmmakers to seek grants and tax deductible donations that are available only in association with a nonprofit organization.

While the framework is in place, further research continues through Spring 2010, along with fund raising for the film, via the IDA Fiscal Sponsorship Program.

 

You can read more about the film and its progress here.