Art At Noon Black Orpheus: Jacob Lawrence & the Mbari Club

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

12:00 - 1:00 PM (online)

In 1964 African American artist Jacob Lawrence and his wife Gwendolyn Knight embarked on 9-month research trip to Nigeria, connecting with their peers on the African continent. They met modernist artists, who were a part of nascent organization and salon the Mbari Club, through their affiliation with the American Society of African Culture. Mbari Club members had their works published in their journal Black Orpheus, presenting hybrid art forms based in the artist's cultural practices, while also being connected to Western contemporary styles. Learn about this dynamic moment of transcontinental travel and alliance with curator Kimberli Gant.

Image: Jacob Lawrence (1917 - 2000), Revolt on the Amistad, 1989, Color serigraph, 35 x 25 3/4 in. (88.9 x 65.405 cm.), The Harold A. and Ann R. Sorgenti Collection of Contemporary African-American Art. © The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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