b. 1909 d. 2000
Site Affiliation: Dr. James W Washington Jr & Mrs. Janie Rogella Washington Foundation
Visionary artist James Winston Washington, Jr. is one of the most celebrated sculptors from the Northwest. He received much acclaim for his sculptures during his long life and now his early paintings are being rediscovered after his death. Washington’s close friends remember him as an orator, an educator, a poet, and an artist who tried to make visible the connection between spirituality and creativity.
Primary Medium: Sculpture, Painting, Poetry
Primary Stylistic Term: Black Folk Art
Fun Fact: Friends of Washington said that he was a great person to be with; loved to engage others in conversation; was humorous and always had a twinkle in his eyes.
Recommended Publications: Spirit in the Stone: The Visionary Art of James W. Washington Jr by Paul J. Karlstrom (1989); Poems of Stone & Bone by Carletta Carrington Wilson