This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| The following was published in American Missionary 41(6):159, June 1887:
THE COLOR LINE IN ART.-The Art Students' League of New York recently admitted to its membership Mr. Geo. Alex. Bickles, a colored youth of nineteen years. He is the first colored student ever admitted to the League. A few of the students were inclined to be angry because he was admitted. They wanted to draw the color line. They tried to work up a feeling of antagonism against the management. They called a meeting of the students, introduced a series of resolutions against the admission of colored students, but they were ingloriously defeated. To add to their chagrin, they were informed that even had their resolutions passed, the management would have take no notice of them.
Mr. Bickles is a bright young man, who until recently was a stable boy at Islip, L.I. He has a remarkable talent for drawing and painting, and his sketches are to be found in many a home in that Long Island village. Several prominent Brooklyn gentlemen have summer residences at Islip, recognized the young man's ability and urged him to quit the stable and study art. This is the reason why he is now a student of the Art League, and there is this to his credit, that he has been admitted to its membership upon the merit of his work. In addition to being a good painter, he is also a fine musician.
Information provided by Coni Porter Uzelac |
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