About
ncartmuseum.org

Artist

Jacob Lawrence

Nationality
American
Birth/Death
1917-2000

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Asking Questions

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Making Choices

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Writing About Art: Center Rotation Work

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Activity Idea: Black Mountain College

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Live from the NCMA: A Conversation with Jaki Shelton Green

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A Conversation with NC Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green

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Resources for Parents: Addressing Bias, Racial Identity, and Inequity with Children

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Social Justice Resources on NCMALearn

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Black History All Year

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Artwork by Jacob Lawrence
Work of Art
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About

Born in New York’s Harlem and a child of the Great Depression, Lawrence combines a gift for story and a strong social conscience with a bold, incisive painting style. His paintings, often worked out in series, frequently address the struggle of human existence, in particular the valiant journey of African Americans toward freedom and equality.

 

tags: NC art, NC artist, North Carolina

From Wikipedia

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Jacob Armstead Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an American painter known for his portrayal of African-American historical subjects and contemporary life. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", an art form popularized in Europe which drew great inspiration from West African and Meso-American art. For his compositions, Lawrence found inspiration in everyday life in Harlem. He brought the African-American experience to life using blacks and browns juxtaposed with vivid colors. Lawrence also taught and spent 16 years as a professor at the University of Washington. Lawrence is among the best known 20th-century African-American painters, known for his modernist portrayals of everyday life as well as narratives of African-American history and historical figures. At age 23, Lawrence gained national recognition with his 60-panel The Migration Series, which depicted the Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North. The series was purchased…