“Felrath Hines, Jr.” State Historical Marker 
To Be Dedicated in Indianapolis, Indiana
 

A public dedication ceremony for an Indiana state historical marker commemorating artist and Crispus Attucks’ alumni Felrath Hines, Jr. is scheduled for Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Marion County. The program will begin at 11:30 am EST outside Crispus Attucks High School near the corner of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. St. and Oscar Robertson Blvd., Indianapolis 46202. Parking for the event is available at the school and on side streets in the neighborhood.

The text follows for the state marker entitled “Felrath Hines, Jr.:”

Black abstract painter Samuel Felrath Hines, Jr. was born in Indianapolis in 1913. He graduated from segregated Crispus Attucks High School in 1931. Trained at the Art Institute of Chicago, Hines moved to New York City, where he became immersed in the modernist movement of the 1950s. Major museums exhibited his pieces, which used geometric forms and radiant color. Hines participated in the 1963 March on Washington and joined Spiral, a group of Black artists advocating for racial equality. Though passionate about civil rights, he separated his activism from his artwork. Hines restored pieces for Georgia O’Keeffe and served as conservator of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, but prioritized painting until his 1993 death.

The public is invited to attend the dedication for this marker that examines Hines’s contributions as an abstract artist and as a conservator and his activism during the Civil Rights Movement. This marker is one of over 100 state markers that have been installed in Marion County. For a listing of all markers in the county, visit: https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/find-historical-markers-by-county/indiana-historical-markers-by-county/#marion.

State historical markers commemorate significant individuals, organizations, places, and events in Indiana history. These markers help communities throughout the state promote, preserve, and present their history for the education and enjoyment of residents and tourists of all ages. For over 100 years the Indiana Historical Bureau, a division of the Indiana State Library, has been marking Indiana history. Since 1946, the marker format has been the large roadside marker, which has the familiar dark blue background with gold lettering and the outline of the state of Indiana at the top. Approximately 750 of these markers have been installed over the years.

For more information about the Indiana Historical Marker Program, including details on this marker, a listing of other markers in the state, or other resources about Indiana, visit the Indiana Historical Bureau’s website at http://www.IN.gov/history or call (317) 232-2535. For more information on the dedication, contact Kisha Tandy, curator of social history for the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, at [email protected].