Relationships with Black Artists
Alain Locke
Richard Long and Alain First meet during Richard Long's time at Temple University in the mid to late 1940s. As a premier black scholar and fellow Philadelpha Native, Locke served as an early mentee for a young Richard Long who was inmanmured by the Harlem Renaissance and Black Scholarship. With Locke being considered the "Dean" of the Harlem Renaissance for who was the first editor of the "New Negro" which is considered a foundational literacy publication highlighting the Harlem Renaissance. Until the time of Alain Locke's death Long and Locke remained in communcation. As an honor to his late mentor and friend, Locke remained a source of inspiration for Long's work surrounding Black Scholar and the Harlem Renaissance.
Beauford Delaney
Richard Long's Friendship with Beauford Delaney began in Paris in 1957. During that Time Long was Studying as fullbright at the University of Paris. Like Many other American Expatries, Richard Long saw Paris as a city endless expression for the black mind and spirit and made frequent trips to the city for remander of his life. But, from the mid 1950s until the early 1970s, Dr. Long spent time with Delaney and James Baldwin anytime he found himself in Paris( which was every summer) . Dr. Long and Delaney connected through art, literature and a more accepthing the 20th century Europe (in comparison to the United States). In 1965, Delaney comissioned "Portrait of Richard Long" as gift of their friendship. As Beauford Delaney's mental health deteriorated in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s , Long and others close to Delaney, began to collect pieces of his art collection to be exhibited arcoss the United States in effort to support Delaney and highlight his work. Delaney Died in 1979, but he reminded central to Dr. Long's work in the following decades producing various lectures and papers on his late friend. In 2000, Dr. Long donoated the "Potrait of Richard Long" to The High Museum of Art in Atlanta Georgia, where it is still on display.
Romare Bearden
Richard Long met Romare Bearden met during his time at Hampton University when Long was the Curator of the Hampton Museum of Fine Art in 1966. The two bonded over art, music and the condition of black people. Thoughtout their time as friends, Long would spend holidays with Romare and His wife Nanette in both their New York and St. Marteen home. Long considerd Bearden to be a bridge between Jazz, Blues and art. Much of Long's work on Bearden centers Bearden as giving the Harlem Renaissance a type of "look" or "view" For Long, Bearden's work with college and consistent thematic focus on music and black people align with the freeform spirit of the Jazz/Blues tradition of life and spirit. Because of this, Bearden's work with the visual arts is essential for fully understing the Harlem Renassiance in Long's view. Over the years of their friendship, Bearden gifted a number of his paintings to Long which he kept in his home until the time of his death.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou and Richard Long met sometime in the 1970s, where their lifelong friendship based in curiousity and scholarhip related to the black experience emerged. Angelou and Long remained close throughout the decades often inviting one another to guest lectuer at their respected universitites (Wake Forest and Emory University). Angelou became Long's closet friend of note, and was often seen together sharing various holidays, birthhdays and vacations. As stated by Angelou "Known to reference say, Chaucer, Javanese Dancer and a Billy Strayhorn Lyric in a single conversation he was that rarity, the polymath that knows a great deal about everything" Althought their intial connection began through their mutual respect of their work, Angelou and Long's relationship sooned blossmed to one of the more meaningful connections in the second half of Long's life.
