Lois Mailou Jones, a pioneer for African American women, made a path for women  and African Americans alike so that they would be accepted in the art world, changing the art scene forever and making signature styles that still influence the modern day artist. Many would consider her one of the first influential characters in the Harlem Renaissance by becoming known throughout the world for her art pieces. In this paper it will explore the important events throughout her childhood, early adult life, and career that helped her become the artist she was. Her parents encouraged her follow her passion leading her continue in art , which lead to art school learning the techniques and skills she needed to be an artist, her husband , and the many travels she took throughout the world changing the way she made art over time by the exploration of her heritage and cultures that she became surrounded with. The things that Jones came into contact over her travels and the people she met influenced the style of her work making her one of the most successful artist of her time.

Jones was born in 1905 she lived in Boston Massachusetts with her two parents Thomas Vreeland Jones, and Carolyn Jones. At a young age, her parents realized that she had a passion for art and encouraged her to continue and follow her dreams. Even though during this time period women ,along with African Americans, faced a lot of racism and sexism her parents still continued encouraging her to paint. Her family’s summers were spent on Martha’s Vineyard where she spent a lot of her childhood painting. "Every summer of my childhood, my mother took me and my brother to Martha’s Vineyard Island. I began painting in watercolor which even today is my pet medium.”- (Bernard). Even as she got older she looked back to the vineyard as a place to visit often and find inspiration. Jones became friends with a Harlem Renaissance novelist, Dorothy West, and a Pan-Africanist sculptor, Meta Warrick Fuller from staying at the vineyard, they both supported her dream to be an artist as they were artist as well and they understood the struggles of racism in the United States . These people were also faced with similar stigmas as Jones which helped inspire self to really look at the art she was making and push her boundaries.  Jones attended various schools High School of Practical Arts in Boston while attending night classes at Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Columbia University and receiving her bachelor's degree from Howard University in 1945, graduating magna cum laude. During this time she really started to get into the art world and get into painting really focusing her attention on her work.

Jones applied to teach at the Museum of Fine Arts, but the Director of the school explained to her  "Lois, we don't have any opportunities here, but have you ever thought to go South to help your people?"(Gaither) She decided to listen to him and started teaching art at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina, and then at the legendary black college, Howard University, in Washington, D.C. from 1930 to 1977.  In 1937 Jones really had a large opportunity to enter the art world. She took her first trip out of the United States. On a general educational fellowship, she went to Paris where she worked very hard producing 35 to 40 pieces in one year. She found that she was able to create art freely with out her work being judged because of the color of her skin. "The French were so inspiring. The people would stand and watch me and say ‘mademoiselle, you are so very talented. You are so wonderful.’(Bernard)  In other words, the color of my skin didn’t matter in Paris and that was one of the main reasons why I think I was encouraged and began to really think I was talented."(Finely) With these stigmas now gone she was able to focus so much of her self to the art, helping her begin her career. While still in France her style changed into mostly landscapes in a style that blended impressionism with the realist traditions. Jones also had the opportunity to meet other artists and become acquainted with new people. Artist Emile Bernard, dancer Josephine Baker, and artist Céline Tabary who told her to continue her work and gave her ideas for different styles of painting.

These next few years of Jones’ life were big stepping stones, after making a name for herself in the art world and breaking down some of the color barriers she was able to be more successful in the United States.“Loïs Mailou Jones had race and gender as imposed limitations. Add the choice of being an artist to these two and Loïs was, in my opinion, on a trajectory for providing that as a woman she was equal to and as good as any male artist, black or white.”(Tritobia) The way Jones went about changing the minds of art critics was by having to secretly enter into competitions hoping that she would win. After winning a few big named competitions she finally came out as the artist for those pieces of work of course shocking the judges and councils.  Showing the judges that her art was just as good as as the other artist even though she was African American. Indian Shops, Gay Head ,Massachusetts (1944) won Corcoran Gallery prize and were exhibited also during this period she created Jennie(1943), Mob Victim (Meditation) (1944), and the Pink Table Cloth (1944). These painting were the beginning of the style of work where she was exploring her heritage and looking into how African Americans were living under the racism of the early twentieth century.

In 1953 she married Louis Pierre-Noel who was a Haitian Artist, Jones soon found herself traveling to Haiti quite often. After the marriage there was a direct change in her work and style with items like Marche, Haiti (1963) she began using bright colors and abstract themes or features. She traveled to the Haiti in the summer of 1954,invited by the Haitian president, Paul E. Magloire, to create a series of paintings depicting Haitian life that were exhibited in a solo show the same year in Port-au-Prince. “It was like learning a new vocabulary: the colors, the patterns, the different cultural traits and practices. You can really see it in the works I painted when we were living in Haiti, starting in 1960, and I have been working in that direction ever since.”(Battaglia) Lois during her travels to Haiti was really able to find a style that was directly influenced by the culture of Haiti which opened a new world to her paintings and pieces. Also around this time Jones made the journey to Africa in 1970 Lois made her first trip to Africa she went to 11 African countries grants from Howard University to research, contemporary African arts and artists. After that trip piece like “Ubi Girl from Tai Region,” (1972),”Damballah” (1980),and La Baker (1977) were created after being influenced by African culture. In her later life she still made piece that brought all three of her trips to her work.

“Jones's career encompassed so many aspects: research, teaching, mentoring, activism in the field of the arts, in addition to the considerable body of work she created, that it is somewhat daunting to fully assess her contribution to American art.”-(Bernard) Her passion for art made her define the rules having her to create some of the most influential art and become one of the first African American artist that was known for her art. Influenced by her travels to France, Haiti, and Africa she created a style that changed the game for  artist during the Harlem Renaissance, while winning awards and making a name for herself she opened the doors for all women and African Americans alike to be taken seriously and be given a place in the art world.