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Henry Wilmer Bannarn

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Henry Wilmer Bannarn (1910 - 1965) was active/lived in New York, Oklahoma.  Henry Bannarn is known for Modernist-leaning landscape, figure, sculptor.

The following biography is based on information provided to AskART.com by Hassie Bannarn Betz, daughter of the artist:

Henry W. Bannarn was born in Wetumpka, Hughes County, Oklahoma on July 17, 1910. When he was still a very young child, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died on September 20, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York. His favorite subjects were related to the American negro and the struggle for equality and justice. Some of his subjects were Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Richard B. Harrison, Matthew Henson - heroes of his time and before.

He also chose to sculpt lynch victims and midwives. His art was strongly rooted in his social conscience throughout his life.

He was well known for his work with wood, stone, oil and water color. His  watercolors were brilliant and powerful.  Much of his work can be described as falling into the modern/abstract area.  At the same time he was a strong draftsman and could draw and sculpt realistic su   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 3179 characters.]  Artist bio

Artist auction records

.  askART's database currently holds 17 auction lots for Henry Wilmer Bannarn (of which 10 auction records sold and 0 are upcoming at auction.)

Artist artworks for sale and wanted

.  There are 0 artworks for sale on our website by galleries and art dealers . There are 1 galleries and art dealers listing works of art by Henry Wilmer Bannarn as either "Wanted" or "For Sale" .

Research resources

.  askART lists Henry Wilmer Bannarn in 1 of its research Essays. Henry Wilmer Bannarn has 4 artist signature examples available in our database.

Similar artists

.  There are 20 similar (related) artists for Henry Wilmer Bannarn available:    Allan Rohan Crite,  Augusta Christine Fells (Moore) Savage,  Calvin Waller Burnett,  Frederick Douglas Jones Jr,  Hughie Lee-Smith,  Charles Henry Alston,  Alvin Carl Hollingsworth,  Lois Mailou Jones,  Edward Mitchell Bannister,  Beauford Delaney,  Benny Andrews,  Sam Gilliam Jr,  Harry Leslie Hoffman,  Robert Charles Gruppe,  John Folinsbee,  Anthony Thieme,  Frederick Judd Waugh,  Jane Peterson,  Charles Warren Eaton,  George Loftus Noyes



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Facts about Henry Wilmer Bannarn

   Henry Wilmer Bannarn  Born:  1910 - Wetumpka, Hughes County, Oklahoma
Died:   1965 - Ellsworth, Maine
Known for:  Modernist-leaning landscape, figure, sculptor

Biography from the Archives of askART

The following biography is based on information provided to AskART.com by Hassie Bannarn Betz, daughter of the artist:

Henry W. Bannarn was born in Wetumpka, Hughes County, Oklahoma on July 17, 1910. When he was still a very young child, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died on September 20, 1965 in Brooklyn, New York. His favorite subjects were related to the American negro and the struggle for equality and justice. Some of his subjects were Frederick Douglass, John Brown, Richard B. Harrison, Matthew Henson - heroes of his time and before.

He also chose to sculpt lynch victims and midwives. His art was strongly rooted in his social conscience throughout his life.

He was well known for his work with wood, stone, oil and water color. His  watercolors were brilliant and powerful.  Much of his work can be described as falling into the modern/abstract area.  At the same time he was a strong draftsman and could draw and sculpt realistic subjects easily.

He spent most of his professional time in New York and Minneapolis. Over the years he exhibited at Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, The Schomburg, Harmon Foundation, Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.  He was the first negro since Henry Tanner to exhibit at the Pennsylvania Academy.

In his early career, he sculpted animals such as deer, buffalo and cats.  He was overlooked for an art scholarship to study in Paris because of his race. James Ford Bell, the president of General Mills felt that was unfair and offered him a scholarship to study in Paris or wherever he chose.

He chose to study in Harlem.  He studied sculpting with Aron Ben Schmuel. He also founded the Harlem Workshop with Charles Alston. The workshop became a meeting place for young aspiring artists, writers and intellectuals during the 1930's.

Henry Bannarn felt strongly about the racial problems facing black people and much of his work reflects that passion.  He sculpted negro heroes and at one point, intending to do an entire series of these figures. He also sculpted lynch victims, and the faces of ordinary people whose stories are expressed in his work.

Bannarn never stopped creating art. He used whatever material was available to create, often making his own frames for paintings, or using and stone he found. When he was ill in the hospital, his room overlooked the east river and he drew the tugboats he saw from that window.  He liked their sturdiness and endurance.

He was also a teacher. As much as he loved art and his own ability to create it, he also loved to share it and inspire younger artists to reach for their dreams. After his death, many of the condolences my mother received mentioned that generous spirit of his which was cherished and admired by those who knew him.

In the 1950's and early '60's he continued to paint and sculpt.  He painted a Black Jesus Christ for a local church. The deal was never completed so it was never sold. He painted numerous watercolors and oils for various shows, many of which are in Atlanta.


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