FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – With the help of the Cultural Resources team at the U.S. Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), the historic legacy of Black World War II era artists at Fort Huachuca, Arizona is being uncovered again.
The team from ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) prepared a report for the Environmental and Natural Resources Division at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The report, titled A History and Analysis of the WPA Exhibit of Black Art at the Fort Huachuca Mountain View Officers’ Club, 1943–1946, was written in advance of a possible venture to refurbish the former Mountain View Officers' Club (MVOC) at Fort Huachuca. The potential updates would renovate the MVOC's interior for military and exhibition use and reintroduce reproductions of art once displayed there during World War II (WWII).
Comprised of researchers Kayley R. Schacht, Deidre C. Gonçalves, Aaron R. Schmidt and Adam D. Smith, the team provided a brief history of Black art in the early 20th century, a history of the MVOC exhibit during WWII, biographies of the artists showcased and a list of repositories that have originals or reproductions of the art.
In 1943, the MVOC presented an ongoing art exhibition showcasing the talents of Black artists associated with the Work Projects Administration (WPA). The event's planners believed the exhibit would uplift the morale of Soldiers, especially since Fort Huachuca served as a primarily Black military base in WWII. Titled "Exhibition of the Work of 37 Negro Artists," the showcase featured a diverse collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures by some of the most esteemed Black artists in the country. According to the ERDC-CERL team, despite its relative obscurity in contemporary times, this exhibition marked an important milestone in the confluence of American art, military history, and racial segregation. The team made recommendations for the process of having the art replicated for display in the MVOC if the building is renovated.
"Each team member contributed a unique set of skills that made it possible to take on this project," said Schmidt, CERL social scientist. "I'm trained in historical research methods, so I helped create biographies on individual artists at the exhibit and evaluated the significance of Fort Huachuca’s exhibit in comparison with other historic Black art exhibits, especially those hosted by the WPA’s Federal Art Project."
"My favorite part about this project was creating biographies for some of the lesser-known artists who participated in the 1943 exhibit," Schmidt said. "While there were many well-known artists represented, there were also few artists with little or no secondary information. At times, we had to write biographies almost entirely based on primary sources we found ourselves, usually in the form of census records, draft cards, and newspaper articles."
Through their extensive research, the team uncovered more about the 1943 exhibit and the significance it may have held during the Army's pre-integration era.
"Fort Huachuca became a unique hub for Black art and music, and the 1943 exhibit in particular allowed Black soldiers from all socioeconomic backgrounds to enjoy works by nationally acclaimed Black artists," Schmidt said. "Because desegregation in the military did not occur until 1948, this exhibit represented an important moment in the Army’s pre-integration era."
Kayley R. Schacht, CERL student intern and lead author of report, received a bachelor’s degree in history and pre-health studies from Notre Dame University. Her thesis, “Swingin’ with the Sweethearts: Jazz, Race, and Gender in Wartime America,” examined the cultural and political circumstances that enabled the rise of the “International Sweethearts of Rhythm” in the late 1930s to the early 1940s. For this report, Schacht used her expertise to conduct primary research on historical art trends and create detailed biographies of artists at the 1943 exhibit.
Adam D. Smith, CERL research architect, has over 25 years of project management experience. For this report, Smith established a crucial contact with an author and professor of art history at Arizona State University. "Her guidance and peer review ensured that our CERL team completed the project accurately and with appropriate sensitivity," Smith said.
Deidre C. Gonçalves, CERL student intern, studied art history at Arizona State University. Gonçalves used her experience to craft an outline for the project report, spearhead research on the artists at the 1943 exhibit and investigate broad trends in Black American art history during the early 20th century.
This Black History Month, ERDC is highlighting "African Americans and the Arts." ERDC is sharing the projects that illuminate new perspectives and contribute to our Black History Month theme.
"This month brings to mind the many obstacles and accomplishments that have shaped the experience of Black Americans throughout our country’s history, not only in the civilian realm, but also in the military domain," Schmidt said. "Although this project reminds us that the military itself endorsed segregation during World War II, it also calls to mind the resilience and patriotism that Black Americans displayed in the face of this injustice."
The ERDC-CERL team hopes this technical report brings wider recognition to the 1943 exhibit and the artists who participated it and look forward for MVOC’s possible refurbishment.
"Another goal of this report was to track down the location of the artwork when it was removed after World War II," Schmidt said. "Since we were able to find repositories that contained many of the exhibit’s originals and prints, we hope that the report will aid Fort Huachuca in its goal to reproduce some of these pieces."
If the renovations take place, the team notes that the reproductions of these pieces will enhance the MVOC space and may be featured in future interpretive exhibits at Fort Huachuca.
Funding for this project originated from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, which granted The Dunbar Coalition funds to conduct MVOC exhibit research. The Dunbar Coalition gifted these funds to the Army in 2021, which subsequently transferred them to CERL.
To read the technical report, click here.