Library Series: The Schomburg
American painter Jacob Lawrence is best known for depicting narratives of the daily lives and activities of Harlem in his imagery. Lawrence moved to Harlem at the age of 13; it was there that he witnessed the poverty and prejudice most African Americans faced in the early 20th century. However, it was also where he was exposed to the cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. Subsequently, the vibrant energy of this movement radiates from the canvases created by Lawrence. In "Library Series: The Schomburg," Lawrence has captured the motion and liveliness of a library that he most likely spent numerous hours in during his childhood. Within the image, each figure in the canvas is immersed in their reading materials, engaged in an activity.
The Walter O. Evans Collection of African American Art
One of the most important collections of African American visual art dating from the 18th century to the present, the collection includes 62 works from Edward Bannister, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Robert S. Duncanson, Richard Hunt, Jacob Lawrence and others. This collection forms the foundation of a multidisciplinary center for the study, understanding and appreciation of African American art and culture. Items from the collection have previously rotated in the Evans Center Gallery and through unique exhibitions such as the 2012 "Life's Link: A Fred Wilson Installation," and the 2017 travelling exhibition of Jacob Lawrence's work.