Edward Loper, Sr. is one of Delaware's most celebrated cultural figures. Born on the east side of Wilmington on April 7, 1916, Loper lived in Delaware for his entire life.
From 1936-1941, Loper worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Art Project (a New Deal program designed to provide work for unemployed artists). Until 1947 he worked at the Allied Kid leather tanning factory, when he became a full-time art instructor and artist.
Today, his paintings are found in many of the nation's most prestigious art collections including the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., Howard University, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Clark-Atlanta University Collection of African-American Art. Locally, Loper's paintings are found in the collections of the Delaware Art Museum, the Biggs Museum, the University of Delaware's Paul R. Jones Collection of African-American Art, as well as in private collections.
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This film was made possible with funding provided by the Delaware Heritage Commission, Delaware Humanities Forum, Hagley Museum and Library, and the Longwood Foundation.
Edward Loper: African American Painter is made available by the Hagley Museum and Library without restrictions for educational and non-commercial purposes.