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uarthe ? exhibition
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The other pieces are locally owned by friends and family of Barthe, along with paintings by Barthe that have never before been seen by the public.
Handwritten postcards i letters by Barthe, along numerous photos and newspaper clippings, will also be on display.
These items have been in the library's collection for some time, and some are personal correspondence from Barthe to local residents.
This display was recently presented as a poster session at the Mississippi Library Association's annual conference in Jackson.
Barthe was born in Bay St. Louis on January 28, 1901, to Richmond Barthe and Made Clementine Raboteau.
He attended St. Rose De Lima School and Valena C. Jones Public School only to drop out of school to work as an ice carrier with his stepfathr
He later went to work for a' New Orleans family, the Ponds, who owned a summer residence in Bay St. Louis.
Recognizing his talent for drawing and painting, the Ponds asked him to accompany them to New Orleans. His application for enrollment in
art school in New Orleans was rejected because he was black.
So, with the financial assistance of a local priest, Barthe enrolled in and attended the Art J "itute of Chicago, where he be-_me interested in sculpting.
From Chicago he went to New York, where he became known as one of the most significant black sculptors associated with	the	Harlem
Renaissance.
He completed many works that expressed his concern for the racial issues of the day, including The Tortured Negro and in monuments to Toussaint L'Oueverture and General Dessalines in Haiti.
During the 1940s, Barthe received many awards and sold pieces to prestigious museums, such as The Boxer, which was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In 1945, he was elected to the ?erican Academy of Arts and setters, the first black sculptor to achieve this honor.
In the 1950s, Barthe left New York and made his home in Jamaica. His work passed into relative obscurity in the United States during this time, but he continued to have a successful career in Europe and
Jamaica.
While away from the United States, he renewed his interest in painting and was given a solo show at the Institute of Jamaica, and exhibited works at the National Gallery of Jamaica.
When the social and political climate in Jamaica changed and unrest surfaced on the island during the 1970s, Barthe moved to Florence, Italy, and also lived for some time in Switzerland.
He eventually returned to the United States, settling in California, wh'ere he became a friend of the actor James Garner. His final works were created in California, including a bust of Garner.
Maintaining a solitary, but productive lifestyle, Barthe was occasionally visited by friends and family in California and kept up a close personal correspondence with the Bay St. Louis Labat family.
Barthe died March 6,1989. A memorial service was held for him at St. Rose de Lima Church.
More information on the upcoming exhibit can be obtained by calling the Bay St. Louis-Hancock County Library at 467-6836.