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JACOB LAWRENCE

JACOB LAWRENCE (1917-2000), born in Pennsylvania, moved to Harlem with his mother at age three. In the 1930s, Lawrence studied with Charles Alston at the Harlem Art Workshop, where he became focused on issues of social consciousness. Lawrence enjoyed early recognition with a tempera and gouache series on African American history and became known for vivid prints. In 1974 the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York held a major retrospective of his work and in 1983 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Lawrence taught at the University of Washington, Seattle.