Simpson Library: African American Studies: Art and Music

Finding books to check out

The books in the catalog are tagged with phrases called "subject headings" that describe what each book is about. When you know the correct subject heading for your topic, you can search on that subject heading to find every book that the library has on the topic.

Here are some subject headings to help you find books about African American art and music:

African American aesthetics.
African American art.
African American arts.
African American artists.
African American dance.
African American musicians.
African American theater.
African Americans in art.
African Americans -- Music.

Databases -- Art and Music

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Enormous database covering all fields of study. Includes over 12,000 periodicals, of which almost 8,000 are in full text.
Art Full Text This link opens in a new window
Art Index Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Artstor This link opens in a new window
More than one million images of artworks, including architecture, paintings, photographs, sculptures, decorative arts and design, as well as archeological and anthropological objects. For African American topics, click “Advanced Search” and check the box next to United States, then search for “African” or “African-American.”
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Covers all fields of study. All articles are full-text. Recent articles (less than about five years old) are not included. To limit your search by subject, click “Advanced Search,” scroll down to “Narrow by discipline and/or publication title” and check the box for "Art & Art History" or "Music."
Oxford Music Online This link opens in a new window
Electronic reference books on the topic of music.
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature This link opens in a new window
Journal articles about music, published from 1967 to the present.

Reference Books -- Art and Music

Reference books are shelved on the first floor of Simpson Library, to the left of the Research Desk.

African Americans in the Performing Arts
Call Number: REFB PN 2286 .O88 2003
Publication Date: 2003
Short biographical articles about African American performing artists, including actors, dancers, comedians, musicians, and more. Part of the series "A to Z of African Americans." 2010 edition available as an e-book.
African Americans in the Visual Arts
Call Number: REFB N 6538 .N5 O86 2003
Publication Date: 2003
Short biographical articles about African American visual artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, and more. Part of the series "A to Z of African Americans." 2011 edition available as an e-book.
Afro-American Artists: A Bio-Bibliographical Directory
Call Number: REFB N 6538 .N5 C42
Publication Date: 1973
A directory of over one thousand black artists. Lists each artist's notable works, exhibitions, and awards, and sources for further reading. Published in 1973, so does not cover contemporary artists.
Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians
Call Number: REFB ML 105 .S67 1982
ISBN: 0313213399
Publication Date: 1982
Biographical information about more than 1500 African American musicians.
Dictionary of Afro-American Performers
Call Number: REFB ML 106 .U3 T87 1990
Publication Date: 1990
Biographical articles about African American musicians active between 1900 and 1949. Includes both bibliographies and discographies.
International Dictionary of Black Composers
Call Number: REFB ML 105 .I5 1999
ISBN: 1884964273
Publication Date: 1999
Biographical information about black composers from all parts of the world and all genres of music. Each article includes an overview of the composer's life, a list of his or her works, analyses of notable works, and a list of references for further reading.

Websites -- Art and Music

African-American Sheet Music
Full-page scans of African American sheet music, complete with original illustrations. Provided by Brown University.
The Center for Black Music Research
Resources for the study of black music around the world, including bibliographies and short reference articles. The CBMR is a unit of Columbia College Chicago.
National Jukebox
Digital reproductions of more than 10,000 records (music and spoken word) issued by the Victor Talking Machine Company between 1900 and 1925. Provided by the Library of Congress.