# @mdhistory on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/BuZrZ6iApry
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/75984968-mdhistory-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/86889a7266.jpg
- **Posted:** 2019-02-27T22:00:40.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC) (@mdhistory) — https://gondola.cc/mdhistory

## Caption

Can a coal scuttle fly? The Maryland Historical Society thinks so! Visitors showered a 1996 recycled wonder with praise and paper hearts during our #HeartsForArts initiative. 
Baltimore-born Tom Miller (1945-2000)  hoped to combat racial stereotypes of his city's African-American communities through his art. For his sculptures, he re-purposed found objects and discarded furniture. These transformations often involved decorating his findings in line with an African-American aesthetic Miller developed and called "Afro-Deco." This particular sculpture inspired a series of illustrations used in a children's book: an autobiographical story of Miller's childhood and how the young artist re-imagined the old coal scuttle from his neighbor's garage as a colorful bird.

#marylandhistory #afrodeco #baltimore #arthistory #art #recycledart #blackartists #blackhistorymonth

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 27
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## Credits

No public credits are recorded here. This does not identify who made the post.

## Tags

recycledart, art, arthistory, marylandhistory, heartsforarts, blackartists, afrodeco, blackhistorymonth, baltimore

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