From The Harn Museum of Art:

Exhibition On View thru Aug. 5, 2018

Slide 1 Images (left to right): Jacob Lawrence, Play, 1999, Silk screen, On loan from the SCAD Museum of Art and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation Jacob Lawrence, The Builders (Family), silkscreen on paper, 34” x 25.75”, 1974. © 2018 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Slide 2 Images (left to right): Jacob Lawrence, People in Other Rooms (Harlem Street Scene), 1975. Silk screen on wove paper through hand-cut film stencils, On loan from the SCAD Museum of Art and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation Jacob Lawrence, General Toussaint L’Ouverture, 1986, Silk screen on Bainbridge two-ply rag paper, through hand-cut film and brushed-lacquer stencils, On loan from the SCAD Museum of Art and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation Jacob Lawrence, And God brought forth the firmament and the waters, from the Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis series, 1989–1990, Silk screen prints Whatman Print Matte paper, through hand-color-separated photo stencils, On loan from the SCAD Museum of Art and the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation

History, Labor, Life: The Prints of Jacob Lawrence will be on view at the Harn Museum of Art at the University of Florida thru Aug. 5, 2018. This traveling exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of influential American artist Jacob Lawrence’s (1917–2000) printmaking oeuvre, featuring more than 90 works produced from 1963 to 2000. The exhibition explores three major themes that occupied the artist’s graphic works. Lawrence started exploring printmaking as an already well-established artist. Printmaking suited his bold formal and narrative style exceptionally well. The relationship between his painting and printmaking is intertwined, with the artist revisiting and remaking earlier paintings as prints. The inherent multiplicity of this medium provided an opportunity for the artist to reach broader audiences.

Lawrence was primarily concerned with the narration of African-American experiences and histories. His acute observations of community life, work, struggle and emancipation during his lifetime were rendered alongside vividly imagined chronicles of the past. The past and present in his practice are intrinsically linked, providing insight into the
social, economic and political realities that continue to impact and shape contemporary society today.

“We are fortunate for the opportunity to bring this exhibition of Lawrence’s prints to the University of Florida campus and Gainesville community,” said Harn Director Rebecca Nagy. “Visitors will be able to engage with the works of art and themes they address through multiple programs including a Community Kickoff.”

History, Labor, Life: The Prints of Jacob Lawrence is organized by SCAD Museum of Art in collaboration with the Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, and is curated by Storm Janse van Rensburg, SCAD head curator of exhibitions.

This exhibition is sponsored locally by Michael and Donna Singer, Jacqueline Bradley and Clarence Otis, Jr., the Harn Program Endowment, Kenneth and Laura Berns, and Visit Gainesville with additional support from friends of the Harn Museum of Art.

Admission to the museum is free.

Programs
The Harn is offering a number of related programs providing an opportunity for visitors to engage in conversation and learn more about the works on view. All programs are free and open to the public.

Tours
Saturdays and Sundays, 2 p.m.
No reservations necessary. Groups of 10 or more may schedule a tour three weeks in advance by contacting tours@harn.ufl.edu.

For more information, call 352-392-9826 or visit harn.ufl.edu.

Exhibition Events | Download Museum Exhibit Info

Gallery Conversation: Learning from Lawrence
Sunday, April 8, 3 p.m.
Join Rebecca Nagy, Harn Director and Richard Heipp, UF Research Foundation Professor, School of Art and Art History in a discussion surrounding the art of Jacob Lawrence and of Heipp’s experiences as a student of Lawrence. This conversation on artistic influences and mentorship will extend into other galleries and beyond through visitor questions and a look at artists who impacted Lawrence as well as those artists inspired by his life and work to this day.

Museum Nights: Africa Beyond the Mask
Thursday, April 12, 6 – 9 p.m.
Experience art from throughout Africa and the African diaspora with tours and activities in the exhibitions Elusive Spirits: African Masquerades, Poetic and Political and History, Labor, Life: The Prints of Jacob Lawrence. Learn more about UF’s research and teaching focused on Africa. End the night with a high-energy performance of West African dance and music presented by Agbedidi. Enjoy free food on this evening. Museum Nights is an ongoing program made possible by the generous support of the University of Florida Office of the Provost and Student Government. Additional support provided by the Center for African Studies.

Theatrical Performance
Sunday, April 15, 3 p.m.
Combining real-life stories and oral history from North Central Florida around themes depicted in Jacob Lawrence’s prints, such as family life, labor, migration and community, live actors will interact with audience and art in a special theatrical performance. This unique experience will enhance the exhibition by contextualizing the art and connecting it to our local history. The performance is a partnership between the UF Samuel Proctor Oral History Program and The Actors’ Warehouse Community Theatre.

Gallery Talk: The Life and Image of Toussaint L’Ouverture
Sunday, April 22, 3 p.m.
David Geggus, UF Professor of History, will discuss the dramatic career of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the slave who became a statesman, and some of the controversies surrounding his life and public image in relation to the series The Life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, 15 silkscreen prints on view in the exhibition.

Curriculum Guide for Educators