Charles White Print Folios

During the course of his working lifetime, White produced six folios of prints of his work, attesting to his determination to see his work brought within reach of those who could ill afford gallery prices and may well have been somewhat alienated from the world of art galleries and museums. In producing these folios, Charles White may well have been influenced by the publication, in 1949, of NEGRO: U.S.A: A Graphic History of the Negro People in America, a set of 26 prints issued by The Workshop of Graphic Art, 106 East 14th Street, New York City.

In his brief introduction to the NEGRO: U.S.A. folio, Charles Keller, President, Graphic Workshop made mention of the intention “to remove art from the category of “collectors’ items for the well-to-do” and restore it to the people at prices they can afford. The Graphic Workshop welcomes both the participation of artists and the support of an audience which believes with us that art belongs to the people.”