Black Artists Group
| Company type | Nonprofit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Arts collective |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis , United States |
Area served | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Products | Music, theater, dance, visual arts, literature |
The Black Artists Group (BAG) was an interdisciplinary arts collective located in St. Louis, Missouri active between 1968 and 1972, renowned for blending elements of free jazz with avant-garde theater.
Members
Prominent participants comprised saxophonists Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, J. D. Parran, Hamiet Bluiett, and Luther Thomas; trumpeters Baikida Carroll and Floyd LeFlore; trombonist Joseph Bowie; drummers Bensid Thigpen and Charles "Bobo" Shaw; bassist Bobby Reed; stage directors Malinke Robert Elliott, Vincent Terrell, and Muthal Naidoo; actor LeRoi S. Shelton; poets Ajule (Bruce) Rutlin and Shirley LeFlore; dancers Georgia Collins and Luisah Teish; as well as painters Emilio Cruz and Oliver Lee Jackson. Although not formally listed as a member, Jackson played a significant role and is frequently associated with BAG. Furthermore, Ronnie Burrage, who began collaborating with BAG artists around 1971–72 at the age of 11 or 12, was among the collective’s youngest contributors.
History
Oliver Lake, Lester Bowie, and Floyd LeFlore received their jazz education at Sumner High School before attending Lincoln University alongside Julius Hemphill. Despite some members being drafted into the military, they maintained active participation in St. Louis’s music community throughout the 1960s. Motivated by experiences of discrimination and constrained prospects, these musicians joined forces with marginalized African American actors to create collaborative works performed near locations such as LaClede Town, the Circle Coffee Shop, and Berea Church.
Drawing inspiration from Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), BAG distinguished itself by integrating dance, theater, visual arts, and literary creativity. The group incorporated as a nonprofit entity named "The Black Artists' Group, Inc" in 1968. They successfully obtained substantial grant support from both the Danforth Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. In July 1969, BAG secured a lease for a property at 2665 Washington Blvd for a nominal fee of $1 per year.
During the 1970s, numerous members moved to cultural hubs such as Paris and New York. Their 1973 performance in Paris was issued as the LP In Paris, Aries 1973, which remained the sole album released under the BAG title until For Peace And Liberty, In Paris Dec 1972 appeared in 2024.
Legacy
The Black Artists Group served as an inspiration for artistic ensembles across the United States and left a lasting impact on Chicago's AACM.
Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, and Hamiet Bluiett established the ensemble known as the African Continuum and produced the 1971 multimedia event "Images: Sons/Ancestors" held at Powell Symphony Hall, which was temporarily postponed due to a bomb threat. Subsequently, they created the influential World Saxophone Quartet and became key figures in New York's loft-jazz movement during the 1980s.
Discography
Albums
- In Paris, Aries 1973 (1973, self-released; reissued in 2011 and 2018)
- For Peace And Liberty, In Paris Dec 1972 (2024, Wewantsounds)
See also
External links
- BAG page hosted by Washington University in St. Louis
- Ben Looker, "A City Built to Music", The Commonspace, December 2004
- Benjamin Looker, "Poets of Action: The Saint Louis Black Artists' Group, 1968-1972", AllAboutJazz, December 19, 2004
- Jazz ensembles from Missouri
- Musical groups from St. Louis
- Musical collectives
- American artist groups and collectives
- Musical groups established in 1968
- Musical groups disestablished in 1972
- American art movements
- Organizations based in St. Louis
- Jazz organizations based in the United States
- Defunct African-American arts organizations