African American artists--Oregon--Portland

Taxonomy

Code

Scope note(s)

Source note(s)

Display note(s)

Hierarchical terms

African American artists--Oregon--Portland

Equivalent terms

African American artists--Oregon--Portland

Associated terms

African American artists--Oregon--Portland

14 Collections results for African American artists--Oregon--Portland

14 results directly related Exclude narrower terms

Oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din

This oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din was conducted by Milo Reed and P.C. Peri from December 7, 2018, to January 25, 2019. Isaka Shamsud-Din was nominated by Oregonians to be interviewed as part of a program by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library to enhance and expand the range of voices in the library's collections. Interviewees are selected from the pool of nominees by a staff committee appointed by the historical society's executive director. The interview was conducted in three sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on December 7, 2018, Shamsud-Din discusses his family background and early life on a farm in Atlanta, Texas. He talks about his life in Vanport, Oregon, from 1947 until the 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport. He shares his experiences studying art at the University of Kansas and at the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, while a teenager; and talks about the reasons he considered dropping out of high school, including racism he experienced and the focus of public school curriculum on white culture and history. He also shares his reasons for changing his name to Isaka Shamsud-Din. He talks about hitchhiking to San Francisco, California, after high school.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 18, 2019, Shamsud-Din discusses studying art at Portland State University and painting his first murals. He speaks at length about his involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Arkansas during the civil rights movement. He talks about living in San Francisco from 1966 to 1967 and about his involvement with the Black arts community there; about living in Anchorage, Alaska; and about returning to Portland to teach at PSU. He discusses serving as artist-in-residence at several educational institutions during the 1970s, including Reed College; talks about his work with the Albina Mural Project; and shares his experiences of not being paid adequately for his work. He talks about the status of the Black community in Portland.

In the third and final interview session, conducted on January 25, 2019, Shamsud-Din discusses his role in starting Black studies courses at San Francisco State University and at PSU, and shares his thoughts on the value of such programs. He talks about his involvement with the Nation of Islam, about his reasons for leaving the organization in 1976, and about his identity as a Black Muslim. He also speaks further about his reasons for changing his name. He discusses his painting process and his work as an editorial cartoonist, and talks about vandalism of some of his murals in Portland. He closes the interview by talking about the lives of his siblings, about the patronage of Arlene Schnitzer and Harold Schnitzer for his art, and about the many jobs he worked over his life.

Shamsud-Din, Isaka, 1940-

Oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din [Transcript]

Transcript. This oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din was conducted by Milo Reed and P.C. Peri from December 7, 2018, to January 25, 2019. Isaka Shamsud-Din was nominated by Oregonians to be interviewed as part of a program by the Oregon Historical Society Research Library to enhance and expand the range of voices in the library's collections. Interviewees are selected from the pool of nominees by a staff committee appointed by the historical society's executive director. The interview was conducted in three sessions.

In the first interview session, conducted on December 7, 2018, Shamsud-Din discusses his family background and early life on a farm in Atlanta, Texas. He talks about his life in Vanport, Oregon, from 1947 until the 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport. He shares his experiences studying art at the University of Kansas and at the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, while a teenager; and talks about the reasons he considered dropping out of high school, including racism he experienced and the focus of public school curriculum on white culture and history. He also shares his reasons for changing his name to Isaka Shamsud-Din. He talks about hitchhiking to San Francisco, California, after high school.

In the second interview session, conducted on January 18, 2019, Shamsud-Din discusses studying art at Portland State University and painting his first murals. He speaks at length about his involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Arkansas during the civil rights movement. He talks about living in San Francisco from 1966 to 1967 and about his involvement with the Black arts community there; about living in Anchorage, Alaska; and about returning to Portland to teach at PSU. He discusses serving as artist-in-residence at several educational institutions during the 1970s, including Reed College; talks about his work with the Albina Mural Project; and shares his experiences of not being paid adequately for his work. He talks about the status of the Black community in Portland.

In the third and final interview session, conducted on January 25, 2019, Shamsud-Din discusses his role in starting Black studies courses at San Francisco State University and at PSU, and shares his thoughts on the value of such programs. He talks about his involvement with the Nation of Islam, about his reasons for leaving the organization in 1976, and about his identity as a Black Muslim. He also speaks further about his reasons for changing his name. He discusses his painting process and his work as an editorial cartoonist, and talks about vandalism of some of his murals in Portland. He closes the interview by talking about the lives of his siblings, about the patronage of Arlene Schnitzer and Harold Schnitzer for his art, and about the many jobs he worked over his life.

Shamsud-Din, Isaka, 1940-

Oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din [Session 01]

In the first interview session, conducted on December 7, 2018, Shamsud-Din discusses his family background and early life on a farm in Atlanta, Texas. He talks about his life in Vanport, Oregon, from 1947 until the 1948 flood that destroyed Vanport. He shares his experiences studying art at the University of Kansas and at the Museum Art School in Portland, Oregon, while a teenager; and talks about the reasons he considered dropping out of high school, including racism he experienced and the focus of public school curriculum on white culture and history. He also shares his reasons for changing his name to Isaka Shamsud-Din. He talks about hitchhiking to San Francisco, California, after high school.

Shamsud-Din, Isaka, 1940-

Oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din [Session 02]

In the second interview session, conducted on January 18, 2019, Shamsud-Din discusses studying art at Portland State University and painting his first murals. He speaks at length about his involvement with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Arkansas during the civil rights movement. He talks about living in San Francisco from 1966 to 1967 and about his involvement with the Black arts community there; about living in Anchorage, Alaska; and about returning to Portland to teach at PSU. He discusses serving as artist-in-residence at several educational institutions during the 1970s, including Reed College; talks about his work with the Albina Mural Project; and shares his experiences of not being paid adequately for his work. He talks about the status of the Black community in Portland.

Shamsud-Din, Isaka, 1940-

Oral history interview with Isaka Shamsud-Din [Session 03]

In the third and final interview session, conducted on January 25, 2019, Shamsud-Din discusses his role in starting Black studies courses at San Francisco State University and at PSU, and shares his thoughts on the value of such programs. He talks about his involvement with the Nation of Islam, about his reasons for leaving the organization in 1976, and about his identity as a Black Muslim. He also speaks further about his reasons for changing his name. He discusses his painting process and his work as an editorial cartoonist, and talks about vandalism of some of his murals in Portland. He closes the interview by talking about the lives of his siblings, about the patronage of Arlene Schnitzer and Harold Schnitzer for his art, and about the many jobs he worked over his life.

Shamsud-Din, Isaka, 1940-

Video tour of Isaka Shamsud-Din's art studio

  • SR 1760
  • Collection
  • 2018-10-03

This video tour of Isaka Shamsud-Din's art studio in Portland, Oregon, was conducted on October 3, 2018. The tour was recorded by P. C. Peri, and Milo Reed was also present. Shamsud-Din shows some of his paintings, drawings, and murals, and talks about the inspiration for and meaning behind each work.

Shamsud-Din, Isaka, 1940-