News Article

The Jundt Art Museum will feature an exhibition of the work of the late Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917- 2000), one of the best-known 20th century African-American painters. The exhibition, which begins March 20 and runs through July 31 in the Arcade Gallery, is titled “Jacob Lawrence: Genesis.”

Jacob Lawrence (American, 1917 -2000). No. 3. “And God said “let the Earth bring forth the grass, trees, fruits, and herbs.” (detail). The Kennedy Collection of Northwest Art: Gift of Duff and Dorothy Kennedy. Jundt Art Museum, Gonzaga University

It features the print portfolio “Eight Studies from the Book of Genesis” created by the world-renowned artist. Lawrence was in his 20s when his “Migration Series” won national acclaim. That series of paintings was featured in a 1941 issue of Fortune magazine and depicted the epic Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North.

The Jundt will feature eight screenprints by Lawrence illustrating passages from the book of Genesis. Lawrence attended the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, a primarily African-American neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, when he was inspired as a child by the passionate creation sermons.

Each screenprint is mounted with the passage it illustrates (lithographed from the hand-written text by the artist on mylars) on the left. The print portfolio by Lawrence is part of Gonzaga University’s Kennedy Collection of Northwest Art gifted by Duff and Dorothy Kennedy in 1997.

Throughout his career, Lawrence focused on depicting the history and struggles of African Americans. An astute observer and storyteller, Lawrence chronicled their struggles for freedom and justice in America after the Civil War, through the Civil Rights movement into the 1960s, and to the end of the 20th century. His work is included in every major collection of 20th century American art worldwide.