ernie barnes’ sugar shack has achieved a near-mythical status since he created the work in the 1970s. i did a deep dive into the history of the painting for my latest story.

latimes.com/entertainment-… barnes painted sugar shack from a childhood memory — sneaking into the durham armory, a north carolina venue that hosted segregated dances in the 50s and 60s. in one interview barnes said the experience was the “first time my innocence met with the sins of dance.”