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'It makes me want to go dance': Iconic painting on display in Charlotte highlights Black joy

Renowned Durham artist Ernie Barnes’ painting "The Sugar Shack," which depicts a lively night at a dance hall in the segregated South during the 1950s, is on display at The Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte.
Elvis Menayese
/
WFAE
Renowned Durham artist Ernie Barnes’ painting "The Sugar Shack," which depicts a lively night at a dance hall in the segregated South during the 1950s, is on display at The Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte.

An iconic painting by renowned Durham artist Ernie Barnes is on display at the Mint Museum Uptown. The artwork depicts a lively night at a Black dance hall in the segregated South of the early 1950s. It’s the first time Barnes’ “The Sugar Shack” is being showcased in a Charlotte museum, at the start of Black History Month.

Cicely Hill stood with her eyes fixed on "The Sugar Shack." She pointed out what grabbed her attention in the wildly energetic painting of about two dozen people leaping, twisting, singing and playing music.

“The way that light in the ceiling is cast over the people, and then you’ve got that faded background ... So, the play of light and color is just amazing,” Hill said. “Especially since he’s only using mostly primary colors. So, you’ve got that red, that yellow, and the rest of it’s like a brownish, red, warm tones.”

Barnes' piece was inspired by an experience he had in his childhood. In 1952, Barnes snuck inside the Durham Armory to catch a glimpse of the venue that hosted dances and live performances by Black musicians. Hill, who is African American, works at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina. She said she thinks Barnes created the piece to show another side of Black people’s experience during a time of segregation.

"I think it was a way to kind of give a slice of life for people that weren’t familiar with what was going on in the South, and that, you know, we can still enjoy ourselves even though we were having issues," Hill said. "So, I think it was just a commentary on that. That we can still live.”

Cicely Hill stands next to "The Sugar Shack" painting at The Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte.
Elvis Menayese
/
WFAE
Cicely Hill stands next to "The Sugar Shack" painting at The Mint Museum in uptown Charlotte.

A few details immediately stand out in the dazzling painting: The woman in a blue dress who has her groove on. A whirling man, arms outstretched in wild motion. Other details are easier to miss, like the person on the balcony taking a swig from a bottle.

In 1976, “The Sugar Shack” gained more public attention when Marvin Gaye used it for the cover art of his album “I Want You.”

Luz Rodriguez worked with Barnes for over two decades and oversees the artist's estate. She said Barnes grew up in the less-desirable, flood-prone part of Durham, and wanted to change perceptions of his community.

“In the '70s, he had done a traveling exhibition around the United States and it was called ‘The Beauty of the Ghetto’ and it was a series of paintings about how the Black environment was looked upon,” Rodriguez said. “He grew up in what was called the bottom of the city. It was literally called 'the bottom.' So that’s what his environment was, but he saw joy, he saw a type of warmth there.”

"The Sugar Shack" also featured on the credits of the show “Good Times,” a six-season sitcom that played in the 1970s and included celebrities such as Janet Jackson.

Barnes painted two versions of "The Sugar Shack." The one at the Mint Museum was purchased at an auction for over $15 million by a Houston couple three years ago, who lent it to the museum. The museum also has two other pieces by Barnes on display next to "The Sugar Shack."

Katie Chandler stood near them. She says she’s pleased to see a diverse collection of art on display.

“As a former art teacher, most of my student population were students of color, Black students, and Indigenous students, and they need to see representation,” Chandler said. “It's really important to see yourself in the art that you're looking at. And I just think it's important to make sure that we're not, like, whitewashing, you know, art and history.”

Katie Chandler, who oversees the visitor experience at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina, stands next to "The Sugar Shack" and two other paintings by Ernie Barnes.
Elvis Menayese
/
WFAE
Katie Chandler, who oversees the visitor experience at the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina, stands next to "The Sugar Shack" and two other paintings by Ernie Barnes.

As for how “The Sugar Shack” makes her feel: “It makes me want to go dance, and be in a community, and go to a show, go to something and experience life, and have fun and find joy,” Chandler said.

"The Sugar Shack" by Barnes is on display at the Mint Museum until the end of June.

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Elvis Menayese is a Report for America corps member covering issues involving race and equity for WFAE. He previously was a member of the Queens University News Service. Major support for WFAE's Race & Equity Team comes from Novant Health.