Jacob Lawrence: Harlem to Seattle

Jacob Lawrence, Meadows Museum of Art, Shreveport
Originally uploaded by trudeau

Jacob Lawrence (1917 - 2000) is among the best-known twentieth century African American painters, a distinction shared with Romare Bearden, says Wikipedia.


After dropping out of school at sixteen, Lawrence worked in a laundry and a printing plant. More importantly, he attended classes at the Harlem Art Workshop and had a paid position with the Works Progress Administration. He was able to study and work with notable Harlem Renaissance artists.

Lawrence was only in his twenties when his "Migration Series" made him nationally famous. A part of this series was featured in a 1941 issue of Fortune magazine. The series depicted the epic Great Migration of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North.

Throughout his lengthy artistic career, Lawrence concentrated on depicting the history and struggles of African Americans. Lawrence's work often portrayed important periods in African-American history.

In the 1970's he became an art prof at the Univ of Washington, Seattle.