In 1991 Alison Saar created a series of bronze relief sculptures for the Harlem-125th Street train station in New York. Titled Hear the Lone Whistle Moan, the series includes a woman traveling to the city, a man leaving the city, and a train conductor at the top of the station’s stairs. Together, the figures reference the Underground Railroad and the movement of people in and out of New York throughout history.

Saar expanded the project in 2018, creating a series of twenty-four laminated glass panels for shelters lining the platform. Each panel of this Copacetic series depicts aspects of cultural life during the Harlem Renaissance. When seen together, it offers a panoramic view of dancers, musicians, singers, and revelers.

A year later, Saar published her Copacetic portfolio, a suite of eight multi-block linocuts that reference the Harlem-125th Street project and the Harlem Renaissance. Inspired by “the many great African American artists of the Harlem Renaissance that had active printmaking practices, such as Elizabeth Catlett, Hale Woodruff, and Aaron Douglas,” Saar’s prints reinforce Harlem’s vibrant history and enduring legacy.

Popularized by African American dancers during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s, the jitterbug is a type of swing dance. Dancers typically pair up and hold one or both hands. Similar in style to a jive or lindy hop, steps in the jitterbug often alternate between slow and fast, as well as front and side. Jitterbug music has a syncopated rhythm and is in 4/4 time.

Linocut, just one of Alison Saar’s many artistic media, is a print made from a carved relief on a sheet of linoleum. Each color is printed individually and the image prints in reverse of the original design. The medium allows for the incorporation of textures and bold colors.