Jacob Lawrence: A Great Painter of African American LifeΒ 

  • 0

Jacob Lawrence: A Great Painter of African American LifeΒ 

Category:Education

Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was a great 20th century African American painter whose work focused on the experiences and everyday lives of African Americans. Although he described his style as β€œdynamic cubism,” his work had little in common with European cubism. Most of Lawrence’s paintings contrast bright, vivid colors with primarily brown and black human figures.

The Libraries

Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and he later moved with his parents to Easton, Pennsylvania. After his parents divorced, he lived for a time in Philadelphia before moving with his mother to New York City. His mother encouraged him to paint, and she enrolled him in an after-school arts program in Harlem.Β 

He continued to paint after leaving high school and received a scholarship to the American Artists School in New York. By the time he graduated, Lawrence was an accomplished painter. His best-known early work, the Migration Series, depicted the movement of blacks from the south to northern cities.

The Wedding

He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and spent the war years documenting (through his paintings) the experiences of service men and women. After the war, he settled in Harlem and taught courses on painting at several art institutes and colleges.Β 

Much of Lawrence’s work portrays aspects of everyday life among African Americans. For example, The Libraries Are Appreciated (1943) depicts three people quietly reading their books in a library. Another painting, The Wedding (1948), presents a couple standing before a stern looking minister and wild profusion of colorful flowersβ€”a subject both solemn and joyous. The Brown Angel (1959) shows a group of people socializing and having a good time in a bar.Β 

Β In 1972 Lawrence became a tenured professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, and he taught there until he retired in 1986. He continued to paint right up to the week of his death at the age of 82.Β 

The Brown Angel

Lawrence once described his art as β€œan effort to express the universal beauty of man’s continuous struggle to lift his social position.” By any measure, he was successful in creating beautiful works that appeal to people of all races. For this reason, Lawrence’s paintings can be found in the permanent collections of most of the major art museums in the United States, as well as in the White House.


Facebook Posts

Just one of the 19 amazing photos by Matthew Malkiewicz in his exhibit π‘³π’π’”π’Šπ’π’ˆ π‘»π’“π’‚π’„π’Œ 𝒐𝒇 π‘»π’Šπ’Žπ’† 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝑻𝒐𝒑. The exhibit opens TONIGHT, Thursday, May 8, from 6 to 8 p.m.The exhibit is free. The exhibit is on display through Saturday, May 31. The exhibit is at the Huntingdon County Arts Center, 313 12th Street, Huntingdon, and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.#huntingdoncountyartscouncil #eastbroadtop #photography #artexhibition ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook

2 days ago

Huntingdon County Arts Council
🎻πŸͺ•Don't miss the 𝐒𝐒𝐦𝐩π₯𝐞 π†π’πŸπ­π¬ in Concert this Sunday, May 11, at 2.p.m. at the Huntingdon County Arts Center. The concert will be followed by a jam. πŸ˜€πŸŽ»πŸŽΆTickets are $20 for the general public and $16 for current Arts Council members and students (with ID). Children 12 and under are free.πŸ˜€πŸ‘‰Tickets can be purchased at the Arts Center during exhibition hours, or at the door, or online at huntingdoncountyarts.com/product/simple-gifts-concert-saturday-february-8/. πŸͺ•πŸŽΆSimple Gifts is two women plus twelve instruments equals one good time when they take the stage. Drawing on an impressive variety of ethnic folk styles, this award-winning duo plays everything from lively Irish jigs and down-home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer frailachs and haunting Gypsy melodies, spicing the mix with the distinctive rhythms of Balkan dance music, the lush sounds of Scandinavian twin fiddling, and original compositions written in a traditional style. ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
A great new art space in Mount Union, with the grand opening of @Kari Roslund’s Studio. Congrats, Kari! ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
🎨✨ Kids Summer Art Camps Are Back! ✨🎨 WEEK 5Join the Huntingdon County Arts Council for 5 weeks of creativity and fun this summer! Each week is a unique adventure with a different art theme β€” perfect for young artists of all skill levels.πŸ—“οΈ Monday–Friday | 9 AM – 12 PM πŸ’΅ $100 per child, per week 🎭 Sign up for one week or all five!Spaces fill up fast β€” register today and let your child’s imagination shine! 🌐 Learn more & sign up: huntingdoncountyarts.com/programs/kids-summer-art-camps/ πŸ“313 12th Street, Huntingdon, PAπŸ“ž814-643-6220 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
🎨✨ Kids Summer Art Camps Are Back! ✨🎨 WEEK 4Join the Huntingdon County Arts Council for 5 weeks of creativity and fun this summer! Each week is a unique adventure with a different art theme β€” perfect for young artists of all skill levels.πŸ—“οΈ Monday–Friday | 9 AM – 12 PM πŸ’΅ $100 per child, per week 🎭 Sign up for one week or all five!Spaces fill up fast β€” register today and let your child’s imagination shine! 🌐 Learn more & sign up: huntingdoncountyarts.com/programs/kids-summer-art-camps/ πŸ“313 12th Street, Huntingdon, PAπŸ“ž814-643-6220 ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook