Background
He was born in Wetumka, Hughes County, Oklahoma on July 17, 1910.
He was born in Wetumka, Hughes County, Oklahoma on July 17, 1910.
He studied at the Minneapolis School of Arts (now known as the Minneapolis College of Art and Design).
When he was still a child, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota where he discovered his talent for art He was intimately associated with the "Harlem Renaissance" of the 1930s, being considered as one of the movements preeminent contributors. Although he is primarily known for his work in sculpture, he was equally skilled as a figurist and character artist in the various paint mediums, conte crayon, pastel, free form sketch, et cetera
He died on September 20, 1965 in Brooklyn, New New York
Very few Bannarn works exist in private hands. At a May 18, 2008 auction conducted by the Rose Hill Auction Gallery, Englewood, New Jersey, an oil on board painting by Bannarn entitled "Seagulls" sold for $5,750, Almost twenty times its pre-auction estimate of $200–$300.
Minnesota State Fair 1928 (Award), Minneapolis Institute of Art 1932 (prize), Harmon Foundation 1933, PAFA 1934/36, American Negro Exhibition 1940, Minnesota Artists Association Annual 1940 (Award), Minnesota State Fair 1941 (Award), Atlanta University 1943 (Award), Hanley Gallery Saint Paul, Minnesota 1945, Newton Gallery, 1945.