6 ▁G ubern atorial ▁Category : Nov ember ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁events <0x0A> </s> ▁B ark ley ▁L . ▁Hend r icks ▁( A pril ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁– ▁April ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 7 ) ▁was ▁a ▁contemporary ▁American ▁painter ▁who ▁made ▁pione ering ▁contributions ▁to ▁black ▁portrait ure ▁and ▁concept ual ism . ▁ ▁While ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁media ▁and ▁gen res ▁throughout ▁his ▁career ▁( from ▁phot ography ▁to ▁landscape ▁painting ), ▁Hend r icks ' ▁best ▁known ▁work ▁took ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁life - s ized ▁painted ▁oil ▁port ra its ▁of ▁Black ▁Americans . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Born ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁Philadelphia ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Ti oga .   ▁B ark ley ▁Le onn ard ▁Hend r icks ▁was ▁the ▁el dest ▁surv iving ▁child ▁of ▁Ruby ▁Pow ell ▁Hend r icks ▁and ▁B ark ley ▁Herbert ▁Hend r icks . ▁His ▁parents ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁Philadelphia ▁from ▁Hal if ax ▁County , ▁Virginia ▁during ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration ▁when ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁African ▁Americans ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁rural ▁Southern ▁United ▁States . ▁Hend r icks ▁attended ▁Simon ▁Gr atz ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁He ▁attended ▁Pennsylvania ▁Academy ▁of ▁the ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁( PA FA ). ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁PA FA ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁Hend r icks ▁decided ▁to