William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), Old Canton Road, 1943. watercolor on paper. 22 x 30 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.049.

M I S S I S S I P P I M U S E U M o f A R T

TO PAINT AND PRAY

The Ar t and L i fe o f

William R. Hollingsworth, Jr.

GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS

About To Paint and Pray

William Robert Hollingsworth, Jr., who lived from 1910 to 1944, remains one of Mississippi’s most significant artists. To Paint and Pray explores Hollingsworth’s life, from his school years at Jackson’s Davis Elementary and Central High School, through college at Ole Miss and the Art Institute of Chicago, to his adulthood in his hometown as an artist. William Hollingsworth was prolific in his work, capturing the landscapes and people of central Mississippi in watercolors and oil. During his lifetime, the artist received numerous national awards for his art and exhibited across the country, from San Diego to Chicago, New Orleans, Memphis, Atlanta, and New York, to name a few. Working at the time of the great regionalists Thomas Hart Benton, John Steuart Curry, and Grant Wood, Hollingsworth exhibited alongside those masters, and was building a name for himself nationally at the time of his death. Pulled primarily from the Museum’s extensive collection of his work, along with loans from other public and private collections, this is the first exhibition in more than twenty-five years to fully explore the life and work of this Mississippi master.

About the GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS This guide is intended to provide teachers of all disciplines with the information and resources necessary to facilitate thoughtful dialogue with their students about the work of William Hollingsworth. Our handbook contains cultural and historical information about the life of Hollingsworth; images meant to represent the range of his work; suggestions for ways to encourage closer looks at works of art; activities to reinforce themes and concepts; and suggestions for additional resources to support classroom learning. We hope that this guide will be used in conjunction with a visit to the Museum. If that is not a possibility, it is nonetheless a useful guide for learning in and through the arts in any classroom. As a resource, this guide can be used in its entirety or through the use of individual images.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS at THE MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART The Mississippi Museum of Art believes that visual art can launch extraordinary thinking among learners of all ages. In a world inundated with visual stimuli, the Museum believes that an essential component of a child’s education is to learn to process this imagery in a thoughtful and critical way. The Museum’s school programs, which encompass programs at the Museum, in the classroom, and in the greater Mississippi community, seek to encourage rich encounters in the visual arts through active participation, critical thinking, and cross-curricular connections.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Looking at Art…………………………………………………………………………………2

2. Background Information on Hollingsworth..……………………………………3

3. Images of Hollingsworth’s work.……………………………………………………12

4. Introduction to Sketching and Journaling……………………………………..17

5. Exploring Color and Mood……………………………………………………………..19

6. Additional Resources…………………………………………………………………….21

7. Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………….23

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LOOKING AT ART

The following is meant to assist educators with helping students respond thoughtfully and critically to works of art. When looking at works of art, the students’ experience is most rewarding if they are encouraged to respond imaginatively and if they understand that there are no wrong answers. Establish a protocol, or a thinking routine, to provide structure to the dialogue around a work of art. Research shows that thinking routines make students more comfortable to engage in unfamiliar dialogue and encourage active participation among all learners. Creating a “culture of thinking” 1 helps facilitators meet learning objectives and also assists in building students’ vocabulary so that they can become more conversant and descriptive with visual prompts. To read more about thinking routines, click here. If you do not currently use a protocol in your classroom, please use the Museum’s, which students encounter when visiting MMA. Use this routine with each work of art before incorporating the various discussion questions and additional activities you find in this guide. When confronting a new work of art, walk your students through the following:

SEE-CONNECT-THINK-WONDER

SEE: What is going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What else do you notice? As students identify what they see, we recommend that you point to what they are noticing in the work. Continue to ask these questions until all possible answers are exhausted.

CONNECT: What do you already know about this image? What does this image bring to mind? This is an opportunity for students to draw from their prior knowledge (other disciplinary content, personal experiences, etc.) and make connections to it. Students can collectively pool information during the “connect” portion.

THINK: What do you think about this image? What makes you say that? How does this work make you feel? Why? This is a chance for students to express an opinion about the image. Here, you might push them to support their claims through the elements of art—composition, shape, form, color, and texture.

WONDER: About what does this image make you wonder? What more do you wish to know about it? This encourages students to use their imaginations and to think about other factors that they would like to know about the work. This would also be an appropriate time to introduce other “contextual” factors about the life and work of the artists, historical events that were happening at the time this work was created, etc.

1 Ritchart Summer 2007

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To Paint and Pray: The Art and Life of

William R. Hollingsworth, Jr.—A Summary

“…to hope and hope and pray and paint and paint and paint and paint and pray.” –William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. William Robert Hollingsworth, Jr., was born on February 17, 1910, in his family's home at 754 North President Street in Jackson, Mississippi. Hollingsworth began school at Jefferson Davis Grammar School, which was in the same block as his home, and then attended Central High School on West Street, less than a mile from home. As early as his freshman year in high school, Hollingsworth wished to pursue his artistic gift. He convinced his father to cover the $25 fee for a correspondence course in cartooning. These focused studies spurred his interest in cartooning and commercial illustration, and he exhibited enough ambition that in his senior year his father arranged for him to meet with acclaimed Chicago Tribune cartoonist Carey Orr (1890–1967) with whom he shared his drawings. Orr was supportive of Hollingsworth's intended career path and encouraged him to study English and history to bolster his existing artistic talent. This advice influenced Hollingsworth's decision to attend college at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in Oxford, to acquire a general education.

In a bold move twenty-year-old William Hollingsworth, who had never lived outside of Mississippi, left Ole Miss after two years of study. He enrolled in the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1930, with the intent of ultimately becoming a commercial artist. In his first year, Hollingsworth lived outside of Chicago, and would take Chicago’s elevated trains, or the ‘L’, to Grant Park, where the Art Institute is located. He used travel time to sketch people on the ‘L,’ as is evidenced in the sketchbooks from the 1930s.

Hollingsworth met his future wife, Celia Jane Oakley (1912–1986), around the same time he discovered his passion for painting. Oakley was a fellow student at the Art Institute, who studied and excelled in fashion design. Oakley and Hollingsworth married in Chicago on September 20, 1932, and they remained there to finish their studies at the Art Institute. The very next year, the young couple welcomed their first and only child William Robert Hollingsworth III, “Billy,” who immediately became the center of attention and subject of many works of art by his father.

While at the Art Institute, Hollingsworth took several lithography classes. The classes introduced the artist to another of his favorite mediums and to a skill that would be useful to a commercial artist. Hollingsworth produced a number of lithographs, many of which illustrate daily activities in Chicago—a boxing match, people swimming, a blossoming courtship at a soda fountain, men congregating at a bar or playing pool, and many others. To his dismay, Hollingsworth was unable to continue lithography after returning to Mississippi in 1934. In 1934, William Hollingsworth completed his studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A career as an artist seemed unlikely, as the effects of the Great

William R. Hollingsworth, Jr., 1940.

Over the Black Hawk, 1933. lithograph. 10.25 x 15.25 in.

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Depression had swept the country and the commercial art market was left depleted. Despite the fact that the Hollingsworths wanted to stay in Chicago, they returned to Jackson to find work. Emerging Artist: Return to Jackson, Government Work, and Early Successes In Jackson, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) offered Hollingsworth and many others seeking employment, a small, but steady income that was greatly valued during the harsh economic times of the 1930s. The FERA office was located in the Tower Building (now known as the Standard Life Building). There

he kept a regular routine of office work and had enough spare time to continue pursuing an artistic career.

He was even able to use his artistic skills at work, designing and illustrating brochures and leaflets for the government. In addition, he occasionally sketched from his desk in the large office he shared with other FERA employees. One drawing captures four of the artist's coworkers seated at their desks, three typing and one writing, lamps hanging low overhead.

Hollingsworth continued to build his reputation as a fine artist during his tenure with the FERA, garnering acclaim in the local media for artwork shown at the Municipal Art Gallery (“Gallery”). The Gallery, located at 839 North State Street, was the center of Jackson's art world from the 1920s until the late 1970s. During that time period, it functioned as a clubhouse for several organizations, with the

Mississippi Art Association (“Association”) as its primary occupant. Having just returned to the comparatively small town of Jackson from Chicago, Hollingsworth naturally gravitated toward the gallery and the other artists who frequently showed their work there. His local contemporaries included artists such as Eudora Welty (1909–2001), Marie Hull (1890–1980), Mary Katherine Knoblock McCravey (1910–2009), Mildred Nungester Wolfe (1912–2009), and Karl Wolfe (1904–1984), who became Hollingsworth's closest friend.

The Great Depression was a worldwide period of economic loss lasting from 1929 until around 1939. Although there is much debate in defining the primary causes, historians recognize the stock market crash of 1929, bank failures, over production and reduced spending, American economic policies, and drought conditions in the Mississippi Valley as major contributing factors. More than 40,000 investors of war time industries became millionaires after World War I. The newly wealthy, soldiers returning from war, and Americans who made sacrifices on the home front were encouraged to spend exorbitantly on everything. These roaring years were marked with overindulgence and consumers buying on credit with installment plans.

In 1929, companies strategized for expected American economic growth by overproducing agricultural products and automobiles. Stock market prices were on a dangerous rise and the Federal Reserve responded by raising interest rates to try and curb the swift incline, with disastrous results. The higher rates halted construction and automobile spending, lowering values and creating overstock.

Next followed waves of bank panics where consumers demanded more cash for deposits than banks had available in reserves. The decline in money supply forced consumers to be more cautious with spending, exacerbating the deficits between supply and demand.

In 1931, grasslands in the Midwest and Southern Plains were destroyed by overgrazing livestock, severe drought, and over plowing. Poor land management had reduced the once fertile soil to dust. Images of this ‘Dust Bowl’ brought awareness to the desperation and a series of farmer relief programs followed. The government hoped to end this Great Depression by intervening in local economies. In 1933, President Roosevelt established federal programs to generate recovery as part of the New Deal. Programs created included the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to hire the unemployed to work on government building projects, the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide unemployment compensation and old age insurance, and the Civil Conservation Corp (CCC) employing men to work in national forests. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established to regulate stock market trading practices.

President Roosevelt’s initiatives were met with opposition. Some saw these programs as wasteful, socialist type government projects. He began regular ‘fireside chats’ as an informal way of connecting with the citizens and addressing their concerns. The Great Depression came to an end as America was drawn into World War II. Industries began functioning as wartime production factories, creating millions of jobs.

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While achieving great success locally, Hollingsworth was simultaneously pursuing artistic opportunities elsewhere. His first significant achievement as a professional artist outside his home state was the inclusion of his painting Black and White in the annual exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum of Art in June 1935. The same painting was shown in October 1935 in the All-American Show at the Art Institute of Chicago. Black and White, one of the earliest examples of his artwork featuring African Americans, displays the artist's mastery of light and color. The figures in the painting foreshadow the coming series of artwork portraying the black community, particularly those featuring the thriving Farish Street district. Hollingsworth uses the interior of "Pete's Place" to illuminate the colorful clothing and social interactions happening outside the diner, in which the viewer plays an active role. From there, the painting went on to the Second Annual Exhibition of American Art in New York City in July 1937, ultimately becoming a part of the Art Association's (Mississippi Museum of Art) permanent collection in 1944. Some of Hollingsworth's most iconic work is of the African American community of Jackson. Rick Gruber, in his essay," William Hollingsworth: An Artist’s Life in Mississippi, 1910–1944", says that, “…it was important for Hollingsworth to experience the way black and white cultures lived and mixed [in Chicago]. He gained a more northern perspective on relationships between blacks and whites…different than what he had encountered in Jackson and in segregated campus life at Ole Miss. When he returned to Jackson and connected with [Eudora] Welty, [Karl] Wolfe, [Helen Jay] Lotterhos, and others who had been to Chicago and New York, they all looked at black life in different ways. Hollingsworth developed a new appreciation for the Farish Street neighborhood and the black districts that became increasingly central to his creative life in his last years, from 1934 to 1944.” The artist enjoyed painting black figures in genre scenes, and these works included urban scenes from Farish Street, residential neighborhoods with dirt roads, people working in the fields outside of town, and an occasional formal portrait. His genre paintings can be interpreted as a relatively accurate depiction of life in the black neighborhoods of Jackson. There is little stylization or commentary contained in the compositions. Another group of work portrayed those in the black community as happy-go-lucky, most with exaggerated features, functioning as characters acting out a narrative. By far the most repeated composition in this category involves three or four black figures running along a street in the rain. The idea for this compositional arrangement came to the artist one summer about 1936, while he, Jane, and Billy were living at 763 Madison Street in Jackson. He looked out the window and saw "four little negroes, dressed finely, parading to church,"

The Great Migration names the period when African Americans in the Southern region of the United States moved North, fleeing oppression and searching for better opportunities. This exodus was a result of several factors; boll weevils destroyed cotton field of the south leaving many farm workers without opportunities for work, World War I halted the immigration of Europeans which once fueled the labor force, and the Southern states where they lived were slow to recover from the physical effects of the Civil War. Between the years 1916-1930, one tenth of the total African American population settled into new cities in search of better social and economic conditions.

Many laborers were called to join the military during World War One. Factory owners during this time and were desperate to fill the positions essential in keeping their companies in business. Labor agents were dispatched to lure African American workers, preferably young, strong men, from the bountiful labor supply of the south. Often, they would stand on street corners offering train passes and place job advertisements in African American newspapers. Loans for travel passes were repaid through future wages. African Americans were also encouraged to relocate through success stories published in newspapers and read at public gatherings. The journey north could have taken days, weeks, or years. Migrants financed the trip through any means necessary; savings, selling possessions, receiving help from family members and friends, or even stopping along the journey, working and earning wages to finance the remaining leg of the trip north.

During the Great Migration, cities in the Northern United States saw tremendous growth. Between the years 1910-1920, Chicago, where William Hollingsworth attended School for the Art Institute, saw an increase of 148% of its African American population. The influx of African American migrants in the north brought a fresh take on the arts as well. Jackson born writer Richard Wright, fellow School of the Arts Institute scholar Archibald John Motley, Jr., and New Orleans born trumpeter Louis Armstrong among many others helped to share the newly accepted perspective African Americans contributed to the arts.

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according to a newspaper reporter several years later. The artist was taken with the scene, sketched it, and did not think of it again until he installed the inexpensive watercolor in the art gallery’s Christmas sale, and it sold immediately. When gallery hostess Mrs. Ruth Roudebush White asked for more of the same, the artist delivered, and those sold quickly too.

Hollingsworth began to refer to these popular pieces as "pot-boilers," because of the almost guaranteed sale that contributed to the artist's income. While sketching and painting these pieces for entertainment value, the artist likely had no idea that they were insensitive or that they would appear racist in the coming decades. His interest was in the human figure, however, and not in capturing or caricaturing a particular race. Though Hollingsworth reiterates black stereotypes, he

also shows an openness to people of other races, both by mentioning his visits to black neighborhoods (where most whites of the time would not dare venture) and by underscoring that it is the human figure in general that he wishes to study.

Life as a Professional Artist

In 1939, Hollingsworth's government work was concluding and his art was becoming a commercial success, so he decided to leave work in the Tower Building and pursue his art career full time. By 1936, Hollingsworth had already moved his family into his childhood home, where his father still lived. There, he was able to focus on his passion for art while surrounded by family, who were often the subjects of his work. During the day, Hollingsworth sketched, painted, worked at the Gallery, and taught college and younger students. In the evenings he spent time with family and friends, listened to the radio, read, and recorded his thoughts in journals. Though only available to the public edited, the diaries offer an intimate look at the artist's daily life, including career successes and struggles.

Success on a National Scale

Soon after beginning his life as a professional artist, William Hollingsworth attained several significant achievements. His work was shown alongside American Regionalist painters in exhibitions across the country. Despite this, however, his accomplishments were not enough to satisfy his lofty goal of a one-man exhibition in New York. On December 21, 1940, he said, "I must get to the top—and feel that I am starting that long, long road at last. Confidence in self is better—eye surer—hand more facile—knowledge more thorough, and I hope and pray darkness will not fall until these seeds bring harvest." And the following day, "Got to thinking about 'One-Man' shows in New York. I cannot help but feel that ere long I will be ready…though I am thinking less and less of critics as time passes—particularly N. Y. critics...Many times I suspect they glim over something good (and by someone new) because of this very saturation of all that is good and bad that passes their review…I feel also that I am doing better things than so much of that that is in NY Galleries on and on and on!!"

He continued pursuing opportunities around the country in the early 1940s, experiencing certain successes but also major disappointments. Several disappointments came at once—he was rejected from a juried show at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, to which his reaction was grim, "…the day was dark, rainy,

High Farish, 1941. oil on canvas. 24 x 30 in.

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dejectionable." More disappointment came when he learned he did not receive a fellowship from the Guggenheim Foundation for which he applied in February 1942.

On February 24, 1944, Hollingsworth began work on a watercolor with a "'cute' theme: 'Mystery of Southern Night': moon, clouds, shacks, behind which, in foreground some Negroes play dice." Unhappy with the results, he began the theme again, "rearranging, unifying color, changing perspectives, etc. …" The next evening he writes, "Think it one of my best, sincerest water colors." Still considering the theme in March, on the first of the month he, "Began with pretty good start, the oil, 'M. of S. N.' Fun doing it, and the night light is a good problem. The biggest job though is the design and keeping the color from becoming blah!"

His work on the painting paid off when the oil Ah, the Mystery of a Southern Night received the Rhodes S. Baker Memorial Prize for the best work in any medium at the twenty-fourth annual exhibition of

the Southern States Art League.

Promoting Fine Art in the Community

Hollingsworth played an important role in promoting quality artwork to southern audiences. He had experienced world-class art during his time at the Art Institute, and he worked to present high-caliber art in Jackson, as well as to educate the public on fine art and artists through speaking engagements and newspaper articles. From the time he returned from Chicago, Hollingsworth was an important part of the Association as a participating artist. When he left his job at the FERA, however, he became more active in it, developing the exhibition schedule, handling the incoming and outgoing artwork, and even raising money for the organization. Hollingsworth spent many days dealing with the logistics of installing or shipping art. He also facilitated juried awards and exhibitions and met with art dealers interested in selling to the Association. One of Hollingsworth's most significant contributions to arts education came in September 1941 when he was tasked with initiating a department of art at Millsaps College in Jackson. The Jackson Daily News reported that Hollingsworth would, "endeavor to acquaint the student with the elements of good pictorial and applied design, and to outline the working theory of color in painting and in relation to the home and everyday life of the individual. The fundamentals of perspective drawing, together with free hand sketching, will be correlated to the course." It is clear that the new professor relied heavily on his classical training at the Art Institute for the courses he taught at Millsaps three days a week. As there was no degree offered in fine art, it was often difficult to attract students to the class, and even keep the number of students at an acceptable level. However, Hollingsworth had the support of the administration, with the president himself assuring the artist that they were "going to make the Art Department click!!"

Making Art

As much time as Hollingsworth invested in promoting the local art scene, his obsession remained making art. Throughout his diaries there are references to his study of other artists' work, ideas for various series of his

Ah, the Mystery of a Southern Night, 1941. oil on canvas. 24 x 30 in.

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own work, notes about outings to sketch and paint in the field, observations on color, and general thoughts on creating art.

Hollingsworth managed to find inspiration through various avenues, including prints and books. He ordered reproductions of work by great artists like Adolf Dehn, Charles Burchfield, John Whorf (1903–1959), Yasuo Kuniyoshi (1893–1953), and more. He also had a collection of books on artists that included Paul Cézanne (1839–1906), Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), and Henri Matisse (1869–1954). When he was able, he traveled to such museums as the Brooks Memorial Gallery in Memphis or the Delgado Museum of Art in New Orleans to see exhibitions, such as the Delgado's exhibition on Picasso in January 1941.

When schedule and weather allowed, the artist left his home to paint en plein air. Locations encompassed downtown and west Jackson, Old Canton Road northeast of the city, the Natchez Trace Parkway, Edwards, Flora, and areas just south of Jackson, among others. Hollingsworth expressed interest in visiting and painting the gulf coast, but there is no evidence that he did so.

William Hollingsworth was sensitive to light, color, and weather, and these elements were poetically noted in his journals and often emerge in his artwork. On December 3, 1940, he described a typical city scene, "Yesterday at dusk was breathtaking. Riding along the r.r. tracks on the west side, hill and houses silhouetted, lights shining brightly, clouds dark and featherly as smoke, and a very faint tinge of pink in the bottom of the sky. Absolutely wonderful." December 14, 1940, was declared a, "Swell day. Chilly wintery cloudy misty murky day." The following day, "…long, rainy, enjoyable." It seemed that the typical warm, sunny, Mississippi day was not desirable, and he longed for the snow he had exper ienced in Chicago, which he confirmed in his December 7, 1940, note about listening to a Chicago radio station, "…their repeated talk of snow and cold makes me homesick for Chicago with wind and snow and briskness and pep and good

stuff…" On January 26, 1943, "with trees and fields covered with ice, I took out to paint: did one wc which turned to ice as I painted, and it is plenty good." The surviving watercolor is called The Ice-covered Tree, and it betrays the frigid temperatures in the pattern created by the settling of pigment as the ice crystals thawed.

On days he stayed in his studio, Hollingsworth focused on works such as still lifes, portraits, and completing sketches and loose paintings made elsewhere. Still life paintings included pitchers, bottles, and decorative items like floral arrangements. At the end of 1940 Hollingsworth was quite focused on portraiture, even working in good friend Karl Wolfe's studio in the afternoon because it had better light at that time of day. Many of his portraits focused on his immediate family, including himself. Several self-portraits of the artist survive, including graphite sketches and large and small oils. One meaningful self-portrait includes depictions of two framed portraits in the background—of the artist's father and son—over each of his shoulders. His wife Jane appears in a few sketches and paintings, and near the end of his father's life and even after, Hollingsworth lovingly captured Mr. H.'s likeness. The most numerous by far, however, are the sketches and finished pieces that depict the artist's only son, William Robert Hollingsworth III, known as Billy during his early childhood. The first eleven years of the child's life are chronicled, from the one-month old in a blanket to the boy holding a Charlie McCarthy doll, playing the organ, reading, and in the formal portraits at nearly every stage of his life.

The Ice-covered Tree, January 26, 1943. watercolor on paper. 16 x 22.75 in.

Self-Portrait, April 1943. oil on canvas. 24 x 18 in.

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Life with the Family

In the early 1940s, William, Jane, Billy, and Mr. H. all lived together at 754 North President Street. Hollingsworth adored his father, as indicated by his journals, artwork, and people who knew the family. His sole parent growing up, Mr. H.'s role in Hollie's life was immense. He provided his son the funds to study art and was supportive of his artistic career. Jane, too, was supportive of Hollie's career, playing hostess at numerous Art Gallery events and helping her husband install student art at Millsaps on occasion. She herself designed and made clothing for the public, which helped to support the family financially. She had a studio inside the home on President Street and she fashioned attire for the public that included wedding trousseaux and costumes for the symphony. Likewise, she excelled in interior design.

The family enjoyed entertainment like radio programs, records, and playing musical instruments. Hollingsworth recorded in his diaries the music he listened to as he painted: Beethoven's First Symphony in C Major, Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations, and opera on occasion.

“Boy,” the family terrier, was also an important part of the family, and he made it into numerous family photographs, sketches, and paintings. He is even mentioned in the published diaries several times, including a

trip to the veterinarian for vaccinations, and a humorous note on November 27, 1943, about returning from playing chess to, "bathe the dog, who got mixed up in my oil paints today and was one blue dog." One snowy morning the family enjoyed playing outside together, "The snow was light, barely covering the ground and by noon was gone but not before we all had tingling fun ('Boy,' too!) with snowballs, etc." Harrowing Times William Hollingsworth experienced his share of love and happiness in his life, but as O. C. McDavid stated, "[his] sensitivity was his burden." The horror of World War II weighed heavily on Hollingsworth. On the first of January 1941, Hollingsworth wrote, "Over there—the bombs still fall, ships still go down, men fight, men die—and no-one is yet wise enough to stop it. …How many died in Europe today?????" On Christmas Day of the same year, he recorded that he had secretly sent

At the end of World War I, Japan, Germany, Russia and Italy were embittered by the conditions of the Versailles Treaty. World War II began in 1939 as a result of this instability. Italy began invading countries in the Horn of Africa and Japan ravaged China, without much oppositional action from other countries. By the end of the war in 1945, an estimated 45-60 million people had been killed worldwide.

Germany saw the rise of Adolf Hitler and his National Socialists (Nazi Party) in 1934. Hitler believed the ‘pure’ German race, which he called Aryan, was superior to all others. He devised campaigns to provide space (Lebensraum) for his growing master race by taking over the Soviet Union and cleansing Germany by exterminating all Jewish people. Under his authority an estimated six million Jewish people were killed in Polish death camps. Adolf Hitler’s troops occupied Austria in 1938 without opposition. In 1939, the German-Soviet Nonaggression pact gave Hitler freedom to invade Poland. France and Britain responded by declaring war, and Germany fought back with the sinking of British merchant ships. Germany went forth to invade Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Benito Mussolini of Italy declared war on France and Britain and created a Pact of Steel with Hitler. Germany invaded France and, fearing defeat, a new government ruling part of France sought armistice. The United States provided aid for Britain and supported Chinese efforts against Japan. The U.S. declared war on Japan in 1941 after the bombing of a U. S. naval base in Pearl Harbor.

The war had varying effects on the American home front. Posters distributed encouraged the hiring of women and persuaded Americans to conserve food and supplies. Ration cards were issued to limit the purchase of groceries and gasoline. African Americans were accepted into most branches of the military, yet trained and fought in segregated units. After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, many Japanese Americans on the Pacific Coast were forced into detention centers.

Mussolini’s government lost power in 1943. On June 6, 1944, D-Day, Allies sent troops through France to invade Europe. Hitler took his own life and Germany surrendered in May, 1945. Allies attacked Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the unimaginable atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan surrendered in August, 1945.The radiation from the atomic bomb detonations would affect the environment and people for generations to come.

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his qualifications as an artist to the naval commandment in New Orleans. They replied that there was not a need for his services yet. It was difficult to hear the news of the war from afar. On December 31, "I sometimes wish I was, or could, or would, go into the forces and fight and kill and get killed or not killed but get it over with." In August 1942, Hollingsworth finally had his chance to join active duty. The newspaper reported, "Business as usual will go on at William Hollingsworth's studio as his wife, Jane, continues to offer his work for sale altho' our artist pal has joined the U. S. Navy and is now in San Diego. Hollie has won much fame for himself and we're betting on him collecting some more as one of Uncle Sam's boys." However by September 28 he was back in Jackson after being dismissed due to poor eyesight, "And so I have had my hitch in Uncle Sam's Navy. …I was given a medical discharge and sent home." A dejected Hollingsworth began to note the war's headlines each day in his journal, and he increasingly addressed the theme of war in his artwork. On June 20, 1943, Hollingsworth suffered the death of his father, friend, and "Rock." It was a loss from which he would never truly recover. He often visited the cemetery and regularly dreamt of his father. He was reminded of Mr. H. in Bible verses and even marked the days since his departure in his diary. Hollingsworth, despite his artistic achievements, was deeply depressed. This was exacerbated by not only the loss of his father, but the trying economic times and the war. Only a few weeks after the family's return from a family trip to Illinois, William Robert Hollingsworth, Jr., ended the relentless turmoil that he experienced. The Clarion-Ledger reported that he shot himself at his home early Tuesday morning, August 1, 1944, leaving a note in which he claimed sole responsibility. He was buried the following morning at Cedarlawn Cemetery in Jackson. The Legacy of William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. William R. Hollingsworth, Jr., has left a lasting artistic legacy in his home state and beyond through hundreds, if not thousands, of works he produced in his brief lifetime. The continued explorations of his artwork and now, a thorough examination of his life, demonstrate the enduring nature of his creations. Current audiences—people who weren't born until decades after the artist's death—develop emotional connections with the images. His paintings, particularly the landscapes and genre scenes, are able to transcend time like other masterworks in art, literature, or music. His sensitivity was his burden, but that ability to deeply feel both good and bad surely contributed to the success of his compositions. Hollingsworth was a master at his craft; there is no doubt. However, his highly sensitive and observant nature, and his ability to translate local scenes into visual poetry, is that indefinable, invisible quality with which viewers connect so strongly nearly one hundred years later. William "Billy" Robert Hollingsworth III grew up in Jackson, attending the same schools as his father, though his middle school years were spent at the newly-constructed Bailey Junior High. There he formed a fifteen-piece band that performed at school dances and later, "The Bill Hollingsworth Orchestra" played at hotels in the Jackson area. After graduating from Central High School, Hollingsworth III worked for a radio station and then Blue Cross Blue Shield for five years before he left Jackson for St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict, Louisiana,

The Alert, December 1942. oil on canvas. 32 x 26 in.

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in 1959. He made his first vows as a brother there in 1960 and his life vows in 1963. In 2010, Brother Anselm (as he is now known) celebrated the golden anniversary of his vows. For forty-nine years at the monastery, Brother Anselm logged the high and low temperatures and the precipitation each day, which he reported to the National Weather Service, resigning from this duty in 2009. He was organist at the abbey church for about thirty-five years, and while no longer holding that position, he still plays blues or jazz on the keyboard in his room. In 2011 he received a harmonica as a gift, which he plays on strolls through the abbey's woods. *** This summary is based on an essay by Robin C. Dietrick that appears in the book To Paint and Pray: The Art and Life of William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (Jackson: Mississippi Museum of Art, 2012).

William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), Billy and Boy, May 22, 1942. oil on canvas. 20 x 24 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.025.

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William

R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), The Suitor, Sept. 16, 1943. oil on canvas. 30 x 22 in.

Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsw

orth. 1987.044.

William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), Black and White, 1935. oil on fabric. 20 x 24 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Gift of Mrs. William Hollingsworth. 1944.001.

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William

R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), The Suitor, Sept. 16, 1943. oil on canvas. 30 x 22 in.

Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsw

orth. 1987.044.

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William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), The New Capitol, Nov. 1, 1943. watercolor on paper. 15 x 22 in. (sight). Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.067.

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William R. Hollingsworth, Jr. (1910-1944), Old Canton Road, 1943. watercolor on paper. 22 x 30 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.049.

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JOURNALING AND SKETCHING William Hollingsworth wrote and sketched in journals frequently. He would often sit outside and observe people and places, including Old Canton Road and Farish Street in Jackson. Some of his journal entries and sketches have been compiled into Hollingsworth; The Man, The Artist, and His Work. William often wrote about his emotions and the piece he was working on with notations of color tones and the weather.

There is much research to show that journaling can be an invaluable tool for the classroom. Students can improve their self confidence, communication, and observation skills with consistent journal keeping and modeling. Over time, students will find safety to express themselves, experiment with creative writing and drawing, and informally gather ideas. Although they might need prompts in the beginning, students will soon enjoy writing and drawing in journals daily.

MATERIALS

• Journals for each student - Spiral bound and composition books work great for tracking and evaluating writing over time. Alternative books include instant books as well as Printable templates for journaling.

• Writing utensils of varying shapes, colors, and sizes.

• Adequate space for students to write and sketch individually, without distractions.

INTRO TO EFFECTIVE JOURNALING

i. Model effective journal writing. Define expectations for journal entry length, quality, and appropriate content. Encourage students to experiment with different writing styles and themes. Designate times for journal writing and explain the importance of writing without distractions.

ii. Model effective sketching for students. Instruct them to initially focus on small spaces. Practice contour drawing of small objects using one continual line. Allow students to experiment with placement, proportion, and depth in their drawings. Suggest adding more detail to the sketches as students become more comfortable with journaling.

iii. Instruct students on proper journal-keeping. Journals should be kept in a convenient, secure location. These tablets are only used for journal entries and should be dated. Students should be encouraged to write in their journals during their free time if they have ideas to record.

iv. Allow students to work comfortably. Some may wish to sit on the floor or even move to another part of the classroom.

v. Provide ample time for students to record. Give students a five minute warning before the allotted time is over.

vi. Encourage students to share some of their journaling. Sharing can be done with partner pairs, one-on-one with the teacher, or whole group. Remind classmates of how to be respectful listeners and encourage constructive criticism.

vii. Review student’s journaling periodically and offer ideas to improve their writing. Frame each comment positively, using phrases such as ‘I like your ideas about’, ‘tell me more about’, and ‘have you considered’.

SUGGESTED WRITING TOPICS

- A Place in Nature - Ask students to find a place at home or at school where they can sit outside and observe. After spending time absorbing their surroundings, challenge students to write and sketch about their observations.

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Students should include information on the colors and textures they notice as well as weather, time of day, and sounds they observe.

- A Special Place for Me - Ask students to visualize about a place they enjoy. Challenge them to think about what makes this place special. Journal entries should include the location, what happens there, and how they feel about this special place.

- Current Events - Provide articles and websites to connect students with current events in their community, state, and in the world. Challenge them to write about how they are affected by these events. As an extension, students should consider how it would feel to be directly involved in the event.

- Reflections on Emotions - Students write about times in their lives when they have experienced extreme emotions including being excited, scared, angry, or sad. Journal entries should include how these emotions affect their work and interactions with others.

- Journaling in other Subjects - Journals can be used to record new ideas and make connections to prior knowledge in many subject areas.

RESOURCES FOR JOURNALING Capacchione, Lucia. The Creative Journal for Children; A Guide for Parents, Teachers, and Counselors. Boston: Shambhala

Publications, 1989. Hollingsworth, William. Hollingsworth; The Man, The Artist, and His Work. Edited by Jane Hollingsworth. Jackson: University

of Mississippi Press, 1981. More information on the benefits of journaling and how to implement it effectively in your classroom can be found at the following websites: “Journaling.” TeacherVision. http://www.teachervision.fen.com/writing/letters-and-

journals/48533.html?page=2&detoured=1. Kelly, Melissa. “Journals in the Classroom.” About.com Secondary Education.

http://712educators.about.com/cs/writingresources/a/journals.htm.

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EXPLORING MOOD AND COLOR IN HOLLINGSWORTH’S WORK

An aspect of William Hollingsworth’s work that strikes so many is his ability to capture mood in a painting. Mood in art, as in literature, refers to the overall feel or atmosphere of the work. Mood is the emotion that you, the reader or the viewer, feel when looking at a work of art. Hollingsworth also kept daily journals which detailed his own mood, or emotional state. He used descriptive words to portray how he was feeling and the kind of mood he was in that day, which often corresponded with the mood noticed by a viewer in his paintings. In the following, students will explore color, mood, and descriptive writing to better understand the work of William Hollingsworth. OBJECT DESCRIPTION (20 minutes) This lesson is an exercise in learning to choose very specific words and language to describe an object. It will help when exploring journaling as a means of self-expression. Supplies:

- Interesting objects you collect from your home, classroom, and outside - Paper - Pencil

(1) Ask students to sit quietly and listen as you describe an object to them. Choose something that is fairly familiar to

them, as the objective is to guess what the object is when prompted.

(2) Now, place the interesting objects throughout the classroom so that every student can see the items on display. Ask the students to choose one object and to spend 5-10 minutes quietly writing in their journals describing the object without ever naming the object. As a group, ask a few students to share their responses (it’s especially interesting if two or three students with the same object share). As a group discuss which words really helped indicate which object was being described.

(3) As the final exercise, now ask your students to think of an object in their mind. Or, if they struggle to come up with

something, ask them to look around the room and choose something to describe. Give them 10 minutes to write a vivid description of the object they are thinking about it. At the end of the 10 minutes, they should trade papers and see if their partner can guess what object they chose to describe. With the papers still traded, ask the student to circle which words helped them know which object was being described. Share these words—and possibly a few students’ descriptions—with the group.

COLOR DESCRIPTION When Hollingsworth would travel around Jackson, MS, he would often sketch what he saw. Many times, he would sketch and then take his sketchbook back to his studio to create a finished painting. In order to capture what he saw outdoors, he would create a color key and specifically describe each color he would see. View a Hollingsworth Sketch

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This lesson is an exercise in describing color. Rather than saying something is simply “blue” for instance, this exercise will help students more accurately describe the types of blue they are seeing. This exercise is intended to help students in their creative writing and to become more keen observers of the world around them. Supplies:

- Three or Four blocks of color (paint samples work well) to discuss together as a class - Color Worksheet - Pencils

(1) Using the color swatches of a single color (different shades of the same color), begin with a group discussion naming

the different colors. What do the different shades remind you of? If you’re dealing with shades of green, for instance, one shade might be electric green while another might be seafoam green.

(2) Next, let the students work independently to complete the Color Worksheet.

CREATING MOOD THROUGH COOL AND WARM COLOR

After exploring descriptive writing and naming colors, take a moment to introduce cool and warm colors. One way mood in painting is created is through the artist’s choice of color. This is certainly the case with William Hollingsworth, whose blues and grays often give his paintings a more somber feeling.

Begin with the color wheel and ask the students which colors they think would be considered warm and which would be considered cool. (Red, orange, and yellow are warm; Blue, Green, Purple are cool). If you have time, you might want to have the students paint their color wheel to explore mixing the colors and the coolness of colors. Next, ask them what seasons of the year make them think of warm colors and which ones of cool colors. Now, ask them to close their eyes. Tell them to walk through their bedrooms—or any room—at home and decide whether their things have more cool or warm colors in them. Lastly, in thinking about warm and cool colors, ask the students to put on paper what color they are feeling today. Are they feeling yellow—bright and happy like the sun? Or are they feeling more blue—tired or even a little gloomy?

Next, you are going to do an exercise with the students that will begin to consider mood in writing. Using Hollingsworth’s journals, students will read journal excerpts and paint in a color in the adjacent box that the student thinks corresponds with Hollingsworth’s mood that day. Exploring Mood Worksheet In a group, have students discuss why they chose to use the color that they did. Next, have students write their own journal entry about their mood and feelings that day and ask them to paint a color that corresponds with that mood next to their writing. This is something that can continue for several days. See the following for suggestions on journaling with your students.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Helpful Websites for exploring the Great Depression Nelson, Cary. The Great Depression, http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/depression/depression.htm Mintz, S. Digital History. 2012. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu “A New Deal for the Arts,” National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/new_deal_for_the_arts/index.html “The Great Depression and the Arts; A Unit of Study for Grades 8-12,” National Center for History in the Schools, http://newdeal.feri.org/nchs/teach.htm “American Cultural History; 1930 – 1939,” Lone Star College, http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade30.html Images from the Great Depression http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/timeline/dustbowl/ http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/goldstein/10.jpg) http://www.britannica.com/media/full/72269 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/11214/Unemployed-men-vying-for-jobs-at-the-American-Legion-Employment http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/71902/New-members-of-the-Civilian-Conservation-Corps-waiting-to-be

Helpful Websites for the Great Migration “In Motion: The African American Migration Experience,” Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, http://www.inmotionaame.org/migrations/landing.cfm?migration=8 “The African American Mosaic; A Resource Guide for the Study of Black History & Culture,” Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam008.html “Life in the "Promised Land":African-American Migrants in Northern Cities, 1916-1940,” Smithsonian Education, http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/migrants/ATZ_Migrants_Dec1990.pdf “The Great Migration; A Story In Paintings By Jacob Lawrence,” Columbia University, http://www.columbia.edu/itc/history/odonnell/w1010/edit/migration/migration.html

Helpful Websites for World War II “Deadly Medicine,” The National World War II Museum, New Orleans, http://www.nationalww2museum.org/visit/exhibits/deadly-medicine.html “World War II,” The History Channel, http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii

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“America on the Homefront: Selected World War II Records of Federal Agencies in New England,” National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/northeast/boston/exhibits/homefront/ “World War II Records,” National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/ “African Americans in World War II,” The History Place, http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/aframerwar/index.html “Teaching With Documents: Documents and Photographs Related to Japanese Relocation During World War II,” The National Archives, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/japanese-relocation/ The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/ Holocaust Museum Houston, http://www.hmh.org/ed_just%20educators.shtml Images of World War II http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/21/martin-roemers-_n_1683742.html#slide=1242348 http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm http://www.ww2incolor.com/

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Encyclopedia Britannica. Great Depression. 2012. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/243118/Great-Depression (accessed July 19, 2012). Kennedy, D.M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999. Jeffers, H.P. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Great Depression. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha Books, 2002. Marks, C. (University of Delaware). The Great Migration: African Americans Searching for the Promised Land, 1916-1930. http://www.inmotionaame.org/texts/viewer.cfm?id=8_000T&page=1 (accessed July 19, 2012). The History Channel. World War I. 2012. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i (accessed Jul 19, 2012). National Archives. Teaching with Documents: Sow the Seeds of Victory! Posters from the Food Administration During World War I.2012. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/sow-seeds/#documents (accessed July 24, 2012). Jeffries, J. and Others. World War Two and the American Homefront: A National Historic Landmark Theme Study. M. Harper, (Ed.). 2007. http://www.nps.gov/nhl/themes/homefrontstudy.pdf. (accessed July 25, 2012). The History Channel. World War II. 2012. http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii. (accessed July 25, 2012). Kennedy, D.M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1999. Smithsonian Institution. World War II on the Home Front: Civic Responsibility. 2007. http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/civic_responsibility/smithsonian_siyc_fall07.pdf (accessed July 26, 2012). U.S. Army Center for Military History. China Defensive: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II. 2012. http://www.history.army.mil/brochures/72-38/72-38.HTM (accessed July 27, 2012).

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IMAGE CREDITS

William Robert Hollingsworth, Jr., 1940. Over the Black Hawk, 1933. lithograph. 10.25 x 15.25 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.005. High Farish, 1941. oil on canvas. 24 x 30 in. Collection of BancorpSouth, Jackson, Mississippi. Ah, the Mystery of a Southern Night, 1941. oil on canvas. 24 x 30 in. Private Collection, Princeton, New Jersey. The Ice-covered Tree, January 26, 1943. watercolor on paper. 16 x 22.75 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.34. Self-Portrait, April 1943. oil on canvas. 24 x 18 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.040. The Alert, December 1942. oil on canvas. 32 x 26 in. Collection of Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson. Bequest of Jane Oakley Hollingsworth. 1987.030.

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CALLING ON COLOR What color do you see below? BLUE! But, as you can see, there are many shades of blue.

Using descriptive adjectives, name the different types of blue you see. Then, write a

sentence about why you named it the color that you did.

EXPLORING MOOD IN

HOLLINGSWORTH’S JOURNALS An aspect of William Hollingsworth’s work that strikes so many people is his ability to capture mood in a painting.

Mood in art, as in literature, refers to the overall feel or atmosphere of the work. Mood is the emotion that you,

the reader or the viewer, feel when looking at a work of art. Below, are excerpts from William Hollingsworth’s journal. Read the entries below and fill in the adjacent box with

the color that best depicts his mood that day.

Wednesday, November 20 1940

A gallant two days—seeing some good water color painting

done—true November fields and one study of some children

playing in front of their houses. Have really enjoyed this

painting—was keenly in tune and the work came freely, lucidly

and very full of spontaneity. Have been going over in my mind a

new notion for an oil, and think that perhaps that will be the next

job. The weather has been just too, too—so I had to paint out-of-

doors, but think I will begin the oil in the studio next week.

Friday, December 26, 1941

And Christmas died, gently and quietly. Today saw a transition

back to what is called “normalcy.” Work-a-day habits, thoughts of

little things, with gone that glow in one’s insides that nothing but

Yuletide manages to arouse. Listening to Beethoven’s First in C

major—a marvel, and wondering how men can war on one another

in a world that has music like that. Somehow it makes us all seem

so mean, so little, so cheap. Surely if life is ever sweet and decent

it is at peak in music like this. My biggest word used to be How?—

Now I add to that: Why? Plan to do a bit of landscape sketching

tomorrow.

Wednesday, December 31, 1941

A day of rain, despoiling a projected all-day painting trip for

Jack and me. And this afternoon came, once and all together

the man to fix the Frigidaire, who chatted wisely about the

war—the man to see about re-upholstering a chair who wanted

to see “that prize winning picture” so I regretted telling him it

was sold—and Jack! The latter and I then to a friend’s to gaze

on her new pictures, painted in Mexico. So two days have gone

with no painting. Did hang a show at the Gallery yesterday.

My work is better than it ever was, so look forward to 1942

with a curious mixture of hope, fear, certainty, and dread!

Goodbye 1941; you were not unkind—nor were you overly kind.

Sunday, June 13, 1943

And made a very enjoyable day of this one: carving on an old,

earlier-begun-and-never-finished figure. And tonight spotted a

nocturne-bus stop, with soldiers, which I shall attempt in wc

come day. May this herald a good week’s work! Sho’ need it. All

is well.

Wednesday, April 19, 1944

A really wonderful painting day—grey, steady light, and all

work went brilliantly. The two year old completely won my

heart—the sweetest child I’ve seen, and so inspired that I

believe the portrait is going to be a pip. Got a very good

statement of it today. Later, put a lot of strength and

refinement of color in the “church” job. Am very well pleased.

It is days such as this that make the painter the happiest of

men.