Ernest Crichlow, distinguished African American master, needs no introduction-especially with colleaques such as Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Jacob Lawrence and Charles Alston. Born in New York City in 1914, Crichlow studied at New York University and the Arts Students League. He has taught at the Brooklyn Museum art school, Shaw University in North Carolina, New York State University at New Paltz, and the Arts Students League. He began exhibiting in the late 1930s. In 1960 he had his first one man show at the ACA Gallery in New York City.

The artist is a former director of the Society for American Culture and a co-founder, along with Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis, of Cinque Gallery, an opportunity gallery for young emergaing artists. He is a member of the Black Academy of Arts and Letters and has held membership in a number of professional and civic organizations.

His work is in numerous private and public collections all over the world. The list includes the Brooklyn Museum, the Hewitt Collection, the actors Morgan Freeman, Ossie Davis and Lena Horne.