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Q. Well, when you didn't exhibit in these shows, where did you show?

A. (Laugh) There were very few opportunities for showing.

Q. You started a series of annual exhibitions in Atlanta, didn't you?

A. Yes. That was in the early forties. We started that exhibit on a shoestring because there was a great need for black artists to have exhibitions. I felt that it would offer encouragement to young black artists by giving them public recognition and prizes for their efforts. We got some money from the university and the first year we had some 30 or 40 artists - some good, mostly bad. Some of the good ones [[strikethrough]] like [[/strikethrough]] came out like John Wilson of Boston, Calvin Burnett - some good artists showed there and it got wide publicity. The publicity caught the eye of a young Boston millionaire. He read about it, was interested and came down to Atlanta to [[strikethrough]] see me [[/strikethrough]] look me up. He indicated that he liked the idea and that he wanted to offer some prizes. They had purchase prizes up to $3000 and this of course attracted the attention of artists from everywhere. By that time I was leaving Atlanta - this would be around 1940 or 1941. I left in 1943. When I saw that the quality of work was deteriorating - that anyone who could paint on a shirtbox would be shown - I never went back to Atlanta University in an official capacity.

Q. You mean there was no Jury?

A. We had a jury, they they were all soft-hearted. It was patronizing. After that, and for the years since, I [[strikethrough]] argued with [[/strikethrough]] the President even after I had left Atlanta to open the show up to all artists - that would raise the level of the work - create a competitive atmosphere within which the negro artist should operate. Well, the artists were polled, and they voted against making it an interracial show. So the shows are still being run in the original way.