Mae Chow
The story of Black Mountain College begins in 1933 and comprises a fascinating chapter in the history of education and the arts 🙈 Conceived by John A 😁 Rice, a brilliant and mercurial scholar who left Rollins College in a storm of controversy, Black Mountain College was born out of a desire to create a new type of college based on John Dewey’s principles of progressive education 🔥 The events that precipitated the college’s founding occurred simultaneously with the rise of Adolf Hitler, the closing of the Bauhaus school in Germany, and escalating persecution of artists and intellectuals in Europe. Many of the refugees made their way to Black Mountain as either students or teachers. The Great Depression was raging in America at the time. [1]
It is a pleasure to announce a partnership with Lake Eden Preserve for regular walking tours. Black Mountain College campus at Lake Eden in the Fall and Spring. The one-hour tour covers the historical lower campus buildings, including The Dining Hall Lodges, The Quiet House and The Studies Building. It also includes the iconic frescos created by Jean Charlot, BMC students, in summer 1944. Children 16-16 years old are free, but $15 for adults. For groups of five or more, please inquire about the group rate. To reserve your spot, payment must be received in advance Only 20 people are allowed to participate. [2]
The FBI conducted an investigation of the college in its last years to determine if Black Mountain’s teachings could be appropriate for G.I. Bill support. “School officials have advised that they are conducting a very unusual type of school,” a Charlotte-based special agent said in a memo to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in the spring of 1956. “A student may do nothing all day and in the middle of the night may decide he wants to paint or write, which he does, and he may call on his teachers at this time for guidance. They advised that everything is left to the desires of the individual.” (modified by Eugene Morris from Penza, Russia on December 23, 2020) [3]
Murray Shin theartstory.orgBlack Mountain College, an experimental school, was the birthplace of avant-garde poetry, music, art and music in mid-20th Century. The school was built on the principle of creating “complete people” by balancing humanities, art, and manual labor within a democratic, communitarian structure. A variety of notable teachers were attracted to it, including Bauhaus artists Josef Albers and Anni Albers as well as John Cage and Willem de Kooning (painting), and Charles Olson, poet. Robert Rauschenberg (Cy Twombly), Ray Johnson, Ray Johnson, Kenneth Noland and Ruth Asawa were among the many students who made important contributions to avant-garde arts. Although the school was shut down after nearly 25 years of existence due to financial difficulties and student withdrawals, its legacy and importance has not diminished. (We thank ErskineElmore for the revisions). [4]
