A Kansas native who was once one of the best-known black artists in the country is being honored with an exhibit of his work.

Aaron Douglas, a native of Topeka, was the first black artist to
portray racial themes in modernist art, and was revered in art
circles during the Harlem Renaissance.

But he was virtually unknown in the Midwest. Now, the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas has put together an exhibit called ``Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist.'' It opened Saturday, September 8th, and runs through December 2nd.

Before his death in 1979, Douglas was the foremost visual artist
of the Harlem Renaissance.

Douglas was born May 26th, 1899, in Topeka. He attended Topeka
High School and graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1922.
He taught art at a high school in Topeka.