ABC LESSON 3: THE JOURNEY
“…ALL OF US, from the time we begin to think, are on an ODYSSEY ” -Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden, Home
to Ithaca, Collage, 1977,
Courtesy Mount
Holyoke College Art
Museum, South
Hadley,
Massachusetts.Gift of
the estate of Eileen
Paradis Barber (Class of
1929)
Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey
On view February 2-April 28, 2013 at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art
Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling
Exhibition Service in cooperation with the Romare Bearden Foundation and Estate and DC
Moore Gallery. The exhibition and its related educational resources are supported by a grant
from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Art © Romare Bearden Foundation/ Licensed by VAGA,
New York.
Overview
In 1977, Romare Bearden (1911-1988) created a series of collages and watercolors based on
Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Rich in symbolism and allegorical content, Bearden’s
Odyssey series created an artistic bridge between classical mythology and African American
culture. Born in Charlotte, N.C., Bearden moved with his family to Harlem as a young child,
part of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to greater opportunity in the
North. Throughout his career, Bearden created images of the lives of travelers on their way to
and from home, a theme no more powerfully explored than in Black Odyssey.
Additional Teacher Resources:
To learn more about Bearden’s A Black Odyssey, visit: http://www.sites.si.edu/romarebearden/
Books
Look for children’s versions of the Odyssey such as The Odyssey by Gillian Cross
Look for children’s books about journeys such as: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules
Verne or Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins, or the Magic
School Bus series
Look for children’s books about life experiences such as The Diary of Anne Frank or books by
Judy Blume.
Vocabulary
Odyssey
A long and eventful journey.
Journey
The act of “traveling” from one place to another or growing in some way. An
example of a physical journey: traveling to the Brooks Museum of Art. An
example of a personal journey: learning how to read.
Myth
A traditional story that retells events in early history -also known as a legend or
fable. A myth may or may not be true.
The Odyssey An epic tale composed by Homer between 750-650 B.C.E. The Odyssey begins
with the fall of the city of Troy and crafts a new epic around the, the hero
Odysseus. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca in
northwest Greece during a ten year period. It’s a tale of wandering that takes
place on fantastic islands and foreign lands.
Odysseus
Collage
The protagonist of the Odyssey by Homer . Odysseus fought among the other
Greek heroes at Troy and now struggles to return to his kingdom in Ithaca.
A type of art created by gluing pieces of paper on top of each other. In a
collage, paper overlaps.
Pre-Visit Activities:
1. Review parts of speech: noun, verb ending in –ing, and adjective.
*Many students are still struggling to write their diamante poem.
2. Introduce the idea of journey. Compare physical journeys to personal journeys. Talk about
life experiences that could be seen as a journey.
3. IDEA: Jump-start this conversation by reading your class a story about a journey.*see
Teacher Resources.
Please put your students and their desks into 5-6 small groups before your ABC instructor
arrives. The materials will be organized for group work. If you have a smaller class, 2
groups of 3-5 students will be fine.
ABC visit:
THEME: Journey
1. Discuss Home to Ithaca by Romare Bearden as a group.
2. Work on a Diamante that expresses ideas about a personal journey. Students will complete
the upper half of the poem.
3. Create a collage that depicts a personal journey using paper, glue, and scissors.
Post-Visit Activities
1. Allow students time to complete the bottom half of their diamante poem. Students can look
at their artwork to find words for their poem.
2. Email [email protected] with feedback about this lesson.
About the artist, Romare Bearden: