Ulysses Tayes (1885-1972)

Ulysses Tayes was an African American artist and educator born in St. Louis and active in the area of Jefferson City, Missouri, known as the “Foot.” This area was located below Lincoln University at the foot of Lafayette Street, which served as the historic heart of the African American community during the late nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries. This neighborhood inspired his artwork for many years to come.

Tayes graduated from Lincoln University in 1936 with a B.S. in education. For a number of years, he was a reporter for the St. Louis Argus, an African American newspaper founded in 1912. He was also a pianist and a barber.

Tayes exhibited at the Harmon ...