ERNEST KROMAH
2006 Legacy of Excellence
"Our Better Halves" Award Recipient
 Ernest Kromah’s story begins with, as long as he can remember, always rendering some type of art and that was the only thing that he ever wanted to do. After leaving high school, he studied to be an Executive Chef under the apprenticeship of his father, Ernest Cromer from 1955 to about 1960 and was awarded a trophy as “Most Creative Baker” in the Potomac State Baker’s Assoc. competition, in 1963.
Throughout his life, he was also heavily influenced by the artistic talent in fashion, food and fine art of his Mother, Margaret and several other family members. His fine art training can also be attributed to Thaddeus Quarles, Robert O. Torrence, Cliff Smith, and Howard Marshall.
Consequently, he has unselfishly contributed to the worlds of fine and culinary art because of his love, concern for the welfare, recognition and appreciation of artists, particularly African American, who rarely in this country, get the recognition and opportunities that mainstream artists are afforded. Additionally, he has always been an advocate for arts education which was manifested in his work as Director of one of Urban Services’ cultural arts centers in Baltimore in the early 1970’s.
His compassion for artists and the education of the community at large was demonstrated in the founding of Kromah Gallery, Inc. in 1978 that housed a non-profit art gallery and cultural arts center. The program implemented gallery tours and lectures for schools and other organizations, a weekly radio program on MSU’s WEAA-Radio station, entitled “Creative Forces”, monthly art exhibitions of the works of emerging and professional local, regional, college and university artists, music and theatre performances, poetry readings, a publication of an arts calendar which was executed through a $20,000 grant through the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Co., in 1981, and a display of handcrafted artworks which were for sale in the gift shop of the Gallery.
The Gallery was the “Mecca” of the art community for Baltimore and is revered today for its’ history and impact on the lives and careers of many visual, performing and literary artists, notably, Joyce Scott, Tom Miller, Jerry Prettyman, Alice McGill, Nataska Hassan, Natalie Carter and Januwa Moja, to name a few. Ernest M. Kromah, tirelessly, executed the operation of this organization for others giving very little time and effort to his personal art work.
Since 1995, he has served as advisory board member for the Andy J. Piagatt Art Gallery and since 2000, on the board of Womb Works Productions, Inc., a youth artistic educational production company. Concurrently, he worked in the food service business through the ownership of five pastry shops and deli, ownership of the Baltimore Grand which housed an on-premise and off- premise catering company and a food service consulting business. These family operated businesses were developed to support his wife and four children, and other family members for over 25 years. Additionally, he and his dedicated wife of 31 years worked together side by side until health challenges forced Mr. Kromah to retire from the food service industry.
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