African American theater -- Massachusetts -- Boston

Overview

Founded by Elma Lewis in 1950, the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts was established to meet the social, cultural, and artistic needs of Boston's African American community. Lewis's goal was to foster the arts, not only in the local Roxbury-Dorchester community, but also in the African American community at large. The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts offered education in art, dance, drama, music, and costuming to pre-school children, school-aged children and adults.

Overview John Andrew Ross was an accomplished African-American composer, organist, choral conductor, and jazz musician. Born in Boston on December 15, 1940, Ross became the music director at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts in 1970. Working with the school and its parent organization, the National Center of Afro-American Artists, he lead two widely recognized music ensembles, the Voices of Black Persuasion and the Contra-Band. Starting in 1970, Ross became the musical director of the highly...

Overview

Larry Blumsack received his BS in Business Administration from Northeastern University in 1960, and his MS in Communications/Theatre from Emerson College in 1965. A founding member of the Theatre Department at Northeastern, Blumsack went on to serve as co-director of the drama department at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts before embarking on a twenty-plus year career as a theater critic for a number of Boston area publications.

Overview

The National Center of Afro-American Artists was founded by Elma Ina Lewis in Dorchester, Massachusetts in 1968. The Center's founding was a response to concerns over a lack of a comprehensive, national institutional center for African American artists.