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African American Paintings...
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The entire Northwest has an entire history forged out through the lives of African Americans. The African American Museum in Tacoma, Washington is dedicated to the research, collection and preservation of the African American heritage. Much of the heritage is displayed in African American paintings and artifacts.
The African American paintings are able to capture the essence of a moment in time. It’s to the great appreciation of the many painters like Dionne Bonner, who is able to utilize her God given talent to capture these precious moments.
When you visit the Tacoma area, the African American Museum is a sure place to explore. You’ll have the opportunity to see first hand, the African American paintings of those who helped forge the Northwest. Dionne has a permanent display portraying Washington’s African American Pioneers.
Contact Dionne at 253-468-2514, e-mail: bonner9049@msn.com regarding African American Paintings
- The Editorial Staff/Northwest Travel Tips
Reprinted from "The Bates Bulletin; September 7, 2004"
A VERY Talented Artisit Among Us...
Dionne Bonner recently transitioned to the Communications Office at Bates Technical College. She is utilizing her skills and artistic talents to assist staff in publication preparation and graphic design. Dionne is a true local; her family of artists and writers has deep roots in the Old Tacoma (Hilltop) area. Dionne, at the age of three, can remember watching her aunt draw and wanting to model that talent. Her great uncle Harry Thurman was an accomplished artist of cubism and abstracts with acrylics. His work was nationally exhibited and sold to private collectors.
Dionne took all available art classes while at Tacoma’s Wilson High and was determined to graduate from the Seattle Art Institute. After submitting samples of her work, Dionne was accepted into a two-year program and earned a merit scholarship as an SAI student.
Her program concentration at the Institute, Visual Communications, allowed her to study computer-generated design, illustration, photography, portraiture, managing an art business, and working with companies to design projects, from concept to completion.
After graduating, Dionne started her own business, "Vibrant Creations: Bringing Life to Design." She does paintings, drawings, portraits and illustrations; she designs brochures, business cards and book covers; she served as a Tacoma Arts Commissioner and has always been very involved in the community.
Dionne particularly enjoys portrait work. She derives the most enjoyment from meeting with a client one-on-one to explore the individual’s character.
"I want to know as much as I can about a person before I reproduce their face on canvass. The ‘exploration process’ helps me to discover the traits, the look I need, to help bring them to life."
In 1994, a client referred Dionne to Tacoma’s African American Museum at the time. The director commissioned Dionne to create a series of portraits to build awareness of the rich history of African American pioneers in Washington State.
Washington’s African American Pioneers, a 12-portrait exhibit, is now a permanent display at the African American Museum. Dionne began the project, by first researching the historial lives of the subjects who include Horace Cayton, Jr., the first African American Republican who founded Voice of the Black Community, a newspaper, in 1889; George W. Bush (yes, there was another), father to William O. Bush, the only African American in the 1st Legislative Assembly for Washington State in 1889. Others include John Rye, William Gross and George Wesley. www.aamuseumtacoma.org
