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About
Situated in the University of Washington’s Art Building, the Jacob Lawrence Gallery is a vital center for social engagement and critical dialogue about the roles of art, art history, and design within the broader context of intellectual life on campus. Through an ambitious and compelling program of contemporary exhibitions, lectures, performances, screenings, and discussions, the gallery is a site of knowledge production and advancing discourses that serves over 8,000 visitors each year.
In 1994, the gallery was dedicated to one of the School’s most renowned faculty members, Jacob Lawrence, who taught at the University of Washington from 1970–1985 and served as Professor Emeritus until the end of his life in 2000. The gallery is a tangible, living legacy of Lawrence’s exemplary life and practice.
Mission
The Jacob Lawrence Gallery is a space devoted to education, social justice, and experimentation that honors the legacy of one of the 20th century’s greatest artists, Jacob Lawrence.
People
Jordan Jones
Director + Curator
Support
Your gift provides critical ongoing support for the Gallery’s greatest needs and priorities, such as graduating student exhibitions, the Jacob Lawrence Legacy Residency, and significant national and international exhibitions. Any amount is welcome. Donate now through the UW Foundation.
Who was Jacob Lawrence?
One of the 20th century's most acclaimed visual storytellers of Black American experiences, Jacob Lawrence began his career in Harlem where he was mentored by artists such as Charles Aston and Augusta Savage. In 1938, when Jacob Lawrence was just 21, the Baltimore Museum of Art exhibited his paintings of the Haitian general who led the revolution of the slaves to independence. Throughout his life, Lawrence made important stories vibrant and visible, depicting events such as the Great Migration, World War II, and the civil rights movement. By age 30, he was considered the foremost African American artist in the United States.
In 1970, he was invited to become a professor at the University of Washington where he taught until 1985. Along with his expertise in painting and printmaking, Lawrence brought a critical perspective that never shied away from political and social issues. In 1994, the School of Art instructional gallery was dedicated to Lawrence, continuing his legacy of teaching, mentorship, and expansive vision.