The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Black-ink print on white paper depicting seven people with medium to dark skin tones, wearing suits and gathered around a table, looking down as they work in what looks like pencil on paper. One person in a white suit stands on our left, watching over the others' progress while another sits in shadows on our right. Grainy strokes texture the print, particularly in the dark wall in the background on which stagger framed pictures.

Karamu House, No. 1

1938

Richard Beatty

(American, 1899–1961)
America, Ohio, Cleveland
lithograph
Image: 22.5 x 28.7 cm (8 7/8 x 11 5/16 in.); Sheet: 33 x 45.7 cm (13 x 18 in.)
Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1938.272
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Artist William E. Smith is visible in the background of this print wearing a white three-piece suit.

Description

Here, Karamu printmaking instructor Richard Beatty offered a view of the studio art program that was established in 1928. This image shows men, women, and children engaged in art making. Although more than 100 community art centers were founded throughout the United States in the Works Progress Administration era (1935–43), during which they received federal funding, Karamu’s program was distinctive in its nonhierarchical structure. Rather than being given formal instruction, adults and children learned by working alongside a practicing artist, such as William E. Smith.
  • Richard Beatty Entry Card to 1938 May Show. Cleveland Museum of Art May Show Records, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
    Salsbury, Britany, and Erin E. Benay. Karamu Artists Inc.: Printmaking, Race, and Community. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2025. Reproduced: p. 118, no. 54
  • Karamu Artists Inc.: Printmaking, Race, and Community. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 23-August 17, 2025).
    May Show Prints: Purchases for 1936-1938. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 9-December 4, 1938).
    The May Show: 20th Annual Exhibition of Works by Cleveland Artists and Craftsmen. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (May 4-June 12, 1938).
  • {{cite web|title=Karamu House, No. 1|url=false|author=Richard Beatty|year=1938|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1938.272