Bert Gallery

1876 Philadelphia Centennial

The Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia marked the 100th anniversary of the founding of the United States and Rhode Island was the fifth highest state contributor to the event. Local painters Edward Bannister, Thomas Robinson were juried into the competitive art tent, along with RI women artists – Rosa Peckham, Emily Selinger and Clara Maxfield Arnold.

By the 1876 Centennial celebration, yet another layer of artists was added to the Providence cultural contingency. This group more sophisticated, more pro-active, well read in the arts and better trained with European instruction in Paris or Munich. Some benefited from instruction at the Lowell Institute, which was running Saturday classes in Providence on Benefit Street. George Whitaker, Rosa Peckham, Charles Stetson, Marie Chapin, Sydney Burleigh, Stacy Tolman and Edward Bannister added to the numbers of professional artists.

At the Centennial Exhibition, not only were Rhode Island artists selected to exhibit but also the triumph for the hard working local artist was sweetened when fellow Rhode Islander Edward Bannister received the bronze painting medal. He became the first African-American artist to receive a national award in 19th century America and he promptly sold his painting Under the Oaks for $1,500 to an enthusiastic Boston buyer. A selected sampling of artists from the Centennial exhibit currently on view in Divine “Providence” includes Edward Bannister, Thomas Robinson and Emily Selinger.