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The Anacostia Community Museum’s indoor gallery will be closed March 2 through May 18 as we bring our next exhibition to life. Even though our gallery is closed, join us at any of the dynamic upcoming events planned during this time. More information about our events is available at: anacostia.si.edu/events. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Leaves

Object Details

Artist
William N. Buckner
Date
1909
Medium
oil stick on paper
Dimensions
Frame: 22 1/4 × 12 5/16 × 7/8 in. (56.5 × 31.3 × 2.3 cm)
Caption
In autumnal yellows and reds, William N. Buckner, Jr. (1888-1984) created this expressionist-style portrait of oak leaves on a branch in 1909, a year before he began teaching woodworking at Lincoln Elementary School in Washington, DC. Buckner had developed a passion for art and honed his woodworking expertise at the city’s renowned M Street High School, a public school for African Americans under the District’s segregated system. After graduating in 1907, he studied at Miner Normal School, which trained teachers for the city’s African American schools. He later earned bachelor and master’s degrees, respectively, from Howard and Columbia universities. Buckner served as an educator at Howard and, for forty-seven years, in the District’s public schools, retiring as principal of Armstrong Vocational High School in 1957. Throughout his life, he remained actively involved in the city’s art community and pursued a range of artistic expression, including silversmithing, photography, and puppetry. This painting, created with oil stick on paper, attests to Buckner’s affinity for art and his love of working with his hands.
Accession Number
2002.1012.0001
Type
painting
See more items in
Anacostia Community Museum Collection
Data Source
Anacostia Community Museum
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/dl82664f973-bede-4ecd-8c2c-30c8f9a95f08
Record ID
acm_2002.1012.0001
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