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Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
JAMES MCKISSIC (1972 - ) Jimmy's Blues.
Oil on cotton canvas, circa 1987. 508x406 mm; 20x16 inches. Signed and inscribed "To Maya Angelou: Thanks for the inspiration" in ink, upper right.
Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, given to Dr. Maya Angelou on behalf of McKissic by author Clarence Nero (2004); the estate of Dr. Maya Angelou.
A portrait of the late writer James Baldwin, Jimmy's Blues, gets its title from the author's 1985 book of poetry. The painting hung in Dr. Angelou's house until her death, to honor her dear friend.
James McKissic has had a long career as an artist and exhibits his paintings widely. He studied art at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Cleveland State Community College and the Creative Arts Workshop in New Haven, CT. He is also a passionate arts advocate and collector of African-American art. McKissic lives in Chattanooga, TN and is the city's Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Biography courtesy of the artist's website.
