Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence was born in 1917 and died in 2000 at the age of 82. A celebrated painter and narrator of the African American experience, Lawrence spent much of his early years in Harlem and quickly discovered art as a means of expression.

In 1938, Lawrence had his first solo exhibition at the Harlem YMCA and began painting in the WPA Federal Art Project. He received a grant in 1940 from the Rosenwald Foundation to create a narrative on the northern migration of African Americans. Lawrence was the first artist of color to be represented by a major New York gallery.

Lawrence spent the later part of his life in Seattle teaching at the University of Washington. He became a prolific print maker and often donated print editions to foundations and non profit social agencies.