Hunting for Hunster: A Portrait of Thomas Watson Hunster, Art Education Pioneer in the District of Columbia

Abstract

Published histories of American art education seldom include the stories and accomplishments of Black art educators. There is a need to research, teach, and publish these histories to provide a more inclusive and equitable picture of American art education and to encourage more people of color to consider careers in the field. Using primary and secondary sources analyzed and interpreted through the portraiture method paired with Critical Race Theory as a conceptual lens, this article examines the professional life of Thomas Watson Hunster (1851-1929), founder of art education programs for Black K-16 learners in Washington, DC.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author expresses her appreciation to colleagues Ami Kantawala and Ryan Patton for their feedback on this article and the Sumner School Museum and Archives for assistance in locating primary and secondary sources.

Notes

¹ The papers mentioned here were accessed from this Library of Congress site: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov