Join us on Saturday, October 22, between 10:30 and 11:00 am, inside the Chrysler Museum in Huber Court for a Meet and Greet followed by a tour at 11:00 am led by Episcodad of the new special exhibit - "Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence and the Mbari Club."
The exhibition explores the connection between African-American artist Jacob Lawrence and his contemporaries based in the Global South through the Nigerian Journal "Black Orpheus". It features over 125 objects, including Lawrence's 1964-65 Nigeria series, works by artists featured in Black Orpheus, archival images, videos and letters. The exhibit addresses how the featured artists grappled with representing their national & cultural identities while depicting visually striking works during the beginning of the postcolonial period throughout Africa & other parts of the world.
Jacob Lawrence (1917-2000) was an American painter known for his portrayal of African-American historical subjects & contemporary life. His primary influences were the shapes and colors of Harlem, using blacks and browns juxtaposed with vivid colors. At age 23 he gained national recognition with his 60 panel "The Migration Series" which depicted the Great Migration of African-Americans from the rural South to the industrial North. The New York Times described him as "one of America's leading modern figurative painters" and "among the most impassioned visual chroniclers of the African-American experience."
The Chrysler Museum is located at One Memorial Place, Norfolk. Admission is free.