- Produced by
- Hickman, Paul
- Subject of
- Lewis, Samella Sanders, American, 1924 - 2022
- Pajaud, William, American, 1925 - 2015
- Riddle, John T. Jr., American, 1933 - 2002
- Owned by
- D.C. Public Library, American, founded 1896
- Date
- ca. 1965
- Medium
- acetate film
- Dimensions
- Duration: 28 Minutes
- Length (Film): 1000 Feet
- Caption
- This film was a part of the Washington D.C. Public Library's circulating 16mm film collection housed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Central Library. The collection is particularly noted for the wide variety of African American and African diaspora content.
- Description
- A documentary film with the title The Black Artists. It consists of a single reel of color 16mm acetate film with optical sound.
- The film opens with artist Samella Sanders Lewis walking on a beach as her own voiceover narration plays in the background. In subsequent scenes, three artists create pieces as they describe their creative process: Samella Lewis opines as she paints an abstract piece in oil; William Pajaud describes finding inspiration in church choirs; John Riddle designs a metal sculpture with a flame torch and other instruments, before describing the process of making finishing touches to his works. The film closes with Riddle stating that whenever he completes a work, it "serves as a steppingstone for the next idea."
- Place used
- Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
- Collection title
- DC Public Library Film Collection
- Classification
- Time-based Media - Moving Images
- Movement
- BAM (Black Arts Movement 1965-1976)
- Topic
- Art
- Documentary films
- Film
- Process films
- Credit Line
- Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Object number
- 2017.55.18.1a
- Restrictions & Rights
- Restrictions likely apply. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.




