Albert “Yabo” John Stewart (1924-1992) was a painter, poet, playwright, and mask maker who exhibited his work throughout New England and won numerous awards and recognition during his lifetime. His paintings illustrate his stories of ancient people, Black broncobusters, Black buccaneers, and resisting slaves. The artist was quoted as saying, “In my mind I still dance with the elephant, I still dance with the rhinoceros.”
Yabo was born in Hope, Arkansas, and raised in Santa Monica, California. He studied art and literature at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and in 1983 he settled his family in Rhode Island where he founded the Arts and Letters League of the Bantu. Yabo was a member of the Black Heritage Society of Rhode Island and the Church of the Latter-Day Saints.
He was a prolific reader and writer, having written thousands of pages of poems and plays. His family now oversees over fifty visual art pieces created during the artist’s lifetime. Yabo’s art has been exhibited on university campuses including Brown University and Johnson & Wales College. Both the Mayor of Providence and Governor of Rhode Island have recognized Yabo's contributions to the arts community and have displayed his artwork in the state government buildings.
On exhibit at Windmill Library from July 8 through September 14, 2021
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Add a comment to: YABO: One More River to Cross