JAN 21–APR 23 2017

PRESS RELEASE

AUGUST 4, 2016

Press Contact

Rachel Eggers Manager of Public Relations rachele@seattleartmuseum.org 206.654.3151

JACOB LAWRENCE: THE MIGRATION SERIES OPENS AT

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM JANUARY 21

Epic narrative series brought together for exclusive West Coast

viewing thanks to major loan from The Museum of Modern of Art

and The Phillips Collection

SEATTLE, WA – In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of artist Jacob Lawrence’s birth, the Seattle Art Museum presents Jacob Lawrence: The

Migration Series (January 21–April 23, 2017). Thanks to a major loan from The Museum of Modern of Art in New York (MoMA) and The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, all 60 panels of Lawrence’s masterwork The Migration Series—depicting the exodus of African Americans from the rural south between World War I and World War II—will be shown together for the first time in more than two decades on the West Coast. ABOUT THE EXHIBITION In 1941, Jacob Lawrence, then just 23 years old and living in Harlem, completed a series of 60 paintings about the Great Migration, the mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North in the decades between World War I and World War II. This was his community’s story, told in images and words in poignant detail. Lawrence’s epic work stands as a landmark in the history of modern art that remains relevant today. Lawrence exhibited the series at the famous Downtown Gallery in Manhattan in 1941. Two institutions expressed interest in the series, and it was divided between them: the Phillips acquired the odd-numbered panels, and MoMA acquired the even-numbered panels. The Phillips Collection is exhibiting the complete series this fall (October 8, 2016–January 8, 2017), and MoMA did so last year (April 3–September 7, 2015), bringing new attention to this important work more than 75 years since its creation. The two museums agreed to lend the combined series to the Seattle Art Museum so that it could be seen in Lawrence’s other home city. Jacob Lawrence and his wife, artist Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence, moved to Seattle in 1971 when Jacob accepted a position at the University of Washington, where he taught until he retired in 1986.

Lawrence conceived of The Migration Series as a single work of art, painting on all 60 panels at the same time to achieve unity of form and color. The complete

2 work appears like a large mural painting, an art form that Lawrence admired and that gained new attention in the late 1930s and 1940s, thanks to government sponsorship and the role that public art was given in bringing the US out of the Great Depression. Fittingly, SAM will install the series like a mural on the walls of its Gwendolyn Knight & Jacob Lawrence Gallery, which was created to honor their enduring gifts to the city. The Lawrences were generous supporters of the museum and the arts throughout the region—an immense legacy that continues to this day.

“We are deeply honored to present this extraordinary series in its entirety,” says Kimerly Rorschach, SAM’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO. “We’re grateful to MoMA and the Phillips for making this possible.” Adds Patricia Junker, SAM’s Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art, “The Migration Series is a revelatory monument of early modern American art. Now is an extraordinary moment to return to it—the themes of social justice it explores are timeless.” “It is fitting and timely that Jacob Lawrence, great American Painter, be celebrated by those of us who knew and loved him,” says Barbara Earl Thomas, artist and Vice President of the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation. “But even more exciting is to know that generations of young people will have their first glimpse of his work, as they step into an epic story of American history, told in a cinematic sweep by a master painter full of passionate humanity.” JACOB LAWRENCE – BIOGRAPHY Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1917. His parents migrated from the American South to the North during World War I. He was one of the first African American artists to be represented by a major commercial gallery and the first to receive sustained mainstream recognition in the United States. He exhibited regularly in New York throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s, when many other African American artists were denied professional consideration. Lawrence is perhaps most widely known for The Migration of the Negro, later renamed The Migration Series, an epic narrative series of 60 paintings that he completed in 1941 at the age of 23. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, Lawrence committed himself to commissions, especially limited edition prints and murals. Today, he has been the subject of many major retrospective exhibitions and his work is represented in hundreds of museum collections, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the National Gallery of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, and The Phillips Collection. A devoted teacher most of his life, Lawrence accepted a tenured position at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1971 and retired as a professor emeritus in 1986. Lawrence was actively painting until several weeks before his death on June 9, 2000. EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT Exhibition of the entire Migration Series is made possible by generous loans of collected works from The Museum of Modern Art and The Phillips Collection. PROGRAMMING & EVENTS SAM will present programs and events related to the exhibition with details to be announced at a later date. Many will be in partnership with other local organizations as part of a city-wide celebration of Lawrence’s centennial.

3 As part of these celebrations, Meany Center for the Performing Arts will present, in partnership with The Philips Collection, the Seattle debut of The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence, performed by Step Afrika! (February 16–18, 2017). The evening-length work integrates projections of the painter’s 60-panel masterpiece with rhythmic footsteps, body percussion, and spoken word to create a multi-media dance performance chronicling the early 20th-century exodus of African Americans from the rural south. A pop-up edition of the performance will also take place at the Seattle Art Museum on February 18. For more information, please visit MeanyCenter.org. Image credits: The Migration Series, Panel no. 3: From every southern town migrants left by the hundreds to travel north, between 1940 and 1941, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard 12 x 18 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. The Migration Series, Panel no. 12: The railroad stations were at times so over-packed with people leaving that special guards had to be called in to keep order, between 1940 and 1941, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard 12 x 18 in., Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy. © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

ABOUT SEATTLE ART MUSEUM As the leading visual art institution in the Pacific Northwest, SAM draws on its global collections, powerful exhibitions, and dynamic programs to provide unique educational resources benefiting the Seattle region, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. SAM was founded in 1933 with a focus on Asian art. By the late 1980s the museum had outgrown its original home, and in 1991 a new 155,000-square-foot downtown building, designed by Robert Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates, opened to the public. The 1933 building was renovated and reopened as the Asian Art Museum. SAM’s desire to further serve its community was realized in 2007 with the opening of two stunning new facilities: the nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park (designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects)—a “museum without walls,” free and open to all—and the Allied Works Architecture designed 118,000-square-foot expansion of its main, downtown location, including 232,000 square feet of additional space built for future expansion.

From a strong foundation of Asian art to noteworthy collections of African and Oceanic art, Northwest Coast Native American art, European and American art, and modern and contemporary art, the strength of SAM’s collection of more than 25,000 objects lies in its diversity of media, cultures and time periods.

PRESS RELEASE

JANUARY 24, 2017

Press Contact

Rachel Eggers Manager of Public Relations rachele@seattleartmuseum.org 206.654.3151

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM PRESENTS PROGRAMS AND

EVENTS FOR JACOB LAWRENCE: THE MIGRATION

SERIES

Highlights include a talk by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel

Wilkerson and the return of the Complex Exchange series

The Migration Series, Panel 18: Author Isabel Wilkerson

The migration gained in momentum.

SEATTLE, WA – The Seattle Art Museum and local community partners present a series of programs and events related to Jacob Lawrence: The Migration

Series. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of Jacob Lawrence’s birth, the exhibition brings together all 60 panels of Lawrence’s masterwork—depicting the exodus of African Americans from the rural south between World War I and World War II—for the first time in more than two decades on the West Coast. SAM’s dynamic lineup of events includes a talk by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson, author of the award-winning book on the Great Migration, The

Warmth of Other Suns. Complex Exchange, a partnership between Seattle Art Museum and Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), returns; this recurring series pairs Seattle community members in conversations about themes inspired by an exhibition. Other highlights include drop-in art-making sessions led by artist Eve Sanford and tours featuring community members sharing personal stories related to migration and immigration. SAM PROGRAMS & EVENTS RELATED TO THE MIGRATION SERIES

Public tours, as well as programs for educators and school groups, will be offered in addition to the following public and family programs. Details are subject to change; additional programs or events may be added. For the most up-to-date information on Migration Series programs and events, visit SAM’s

website.

2 Sat Jan 31–Sun Apr 23 SAM Members Get In Free To NAAM and Wing Luke During The Migration Series As part of a special collaboration, Seattle Art Museum members will get in free to the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience during the run of the Migration Series exhibition. Both museums will have exhibitions on view that

relate to the themes expressed in the Jacob Lawrence exhibition. SAM members simply need to present their SAM membership card to gain free entrance.

Thu Feb 2, Thu Mar 2, Thu Apr 6 Migration Stories 6:30–7 pm Seattle Art Museum Every First Thursday, community members share personal stories of migration, immigration, place, and home. Free and open to the public. Thu Feb 2, Thu Mar 2, Thu Apr 6 The Migration Series: Drop-In Art-Making Sessions 6:30–8:30 pm Seattle Art Museum Visit SAM on First Thursdays during the exhibition for a free drop-in art-making session led by artist Eve Sanford. Free and open to the public. Thu Feb 2 Teen Art Lab 4:30–6:30 pm Seattle Art Museum

This edition of Teen Art Lab takes a deep dive into Jacob Lawrence’s Migration

Series. Tour the exhibition, explore its themes, and experiment with Lawrence’s bold technique in creating these iconic images. Free with registration. Support for teen programs is provided by Hearst Foundations. Fri Feb 3 First Friday Lecture 11 am–noon Seattle Art Museum Join Patricia Junker, Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art, as she discusses Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series. Free and open to the public.

Thu Feb 9 Migration Stories Open Mic 6:30–7 pm Seattle Art Museum

The Migration Stories Open Mic invites community members and guests to share their own stories of immigration, migration, displacement, and community. Free and open to the public. Sun Feb 19 Step Afrika! The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence 1–2 pm Seattle Art Museum In collaboration with Meany Center for the Performing Arts, professional dance company Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles historically practiced by African American fraternities and sororities, African traditional dance, and influences from a variety of other dance and art forms. In this pop-up performance, the company will perform creative excerpts of their work inspired by Jacob Lawrence and the Great Migration. Free and open to the public; RSVP requested.

3 Thu Mar 23 Complex Exchange (Part 1 of 2) 7–9 pm Northwest African American Museum SAM and NAAM’s recurring series Complex Exchange pairs Seattle community members from a variety of disciplines in conversations to tackle themes inspired by an exhibition. This edition will include two free programs, one held at the Northwest African American Museum on March 23 to discuss An Elegant Utility, and one held at the Seattle Art Museum on April 12 to discuss Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series. Presenters TBA. Sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company. Wed Mar 29 SAM Talks: Isabel Wilkerson and the Great Migration 7–8:30 pm Seattle Art Museum

Isabel Wilkerson, author of the bestselling and award-winning masterwork, The

Warmth of Other Suns, chronicles one of the greatest untold stories of

American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities in search of a better life. For more information on this speaker, please visit www.prhspeakers.com. Wed Apr 12 Complex Exchange (Part 2 of 2) 7–9 pm

Seattle Art Museum SAM and NAAM’s recurring series Complex Exchange pairs Seattle community members from a variety of disciplines in conversations to tackle themes inspired by an exhibition. This edition will include two free programs, one held at the Northwest African American Museum on March 23 to discuss An Elegant Utility, and one held at the Seattle Art Museum on April 12 to discuss Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series. Presenters TBA. Sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company. COMMUNITY EVENTS RELATED TO THE MIGRATION SERIES Seattle-area community partners present exhibitions, events, and performances related to themes found in the epic narrative series. Sun Jan 8–Sat Feb 18 Truth B Told ONYX Fine Arts More than 150 paintings, sculpture, photography, mixed-media, video, and 3-dimensional installations by 48 Northwest artists of African descent. Sat Jan 28–Sun May 28 An Elegant Utility Northwest African American Museum Featuring a collection of artifacts—including photographs, utilitarian household belongings, and legal ledgers—An Elegant Utility examines how the personal history of artist Inye Wokoma’s familial lineage, the Green family, serves as an entry point through which the larger story of African-Americans in Seattle is reflected. Wed Feb 1–Sat Mar 4 Utopia Neighborhood Club: A Student Response Part II — The Jake Legacy Residency Jacob Lawrence Gallery | University of Washington Three students—Yabsira Wolde, Brianna Wray, Bobby Yin—will each spend one week creating new work, presenting programs, and conducting workshops in a portion of the Gallery. This will be followed by a two-week group exhibition of student work organized by students Zachary Bowling and Jessica Capó.

4 Wed Feb 1–Sat Mar 4 Utopia Neighborhood Club: Jacob Lawrence: The Legend of John Brown + Other Works Jacob Lawrence Gallery | University of Washington Lawrence came to Seattle to teach at the University in 1971 after an already illustrious, barrier-shattering career in the arts. He was a professor at the school until 1985, serving as Professor Emeritus until his death in 2000. This exhibition highlights Lawrence’s mastery of various printmaking techniques. Thu Feb 16–Sat Feb 18 Step Afrika! The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence 8 pm Meany Hall | University of Washington Meany Center for the Performing Arts presents professional dance company Step Afrika! making its Seattle debut with this evening-length work integrating projections of the painter’s 60-panel masterpiece, The Migration Series, with rhythmic footsteps, body percussion, and spoken word to create a multimedia performance chronicling the early 20th century exodus of African Americans from the rural south. Sat Feb 18, 2017–Sun Feb 11, 2018 Year of Remembrance: Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience This exhibition features poems by Lawrence Matsuda and artwork by Roger Shimomura. Year of Remembrance recognizes the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, which was issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and resulted in the forced removal and incarceration of 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans. Sat Feb 18 Artist Talk and Poetry Reading With Roger Shimomura and Lawrence Matsuda 4–5:30 pm Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience Meet Roger Shimomura and Lawrence Matsuda as they examine their works that interpret and reflect on the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII and relate them to contemporary times. This program is in conjunction with the exhibition, Year of Remembrance: Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner. SAM members will enjoy the Wing Luke Museum member price for this Saturday afternoon program. Tue Feb 21 Community Conversation: Immigrant Journeys 7–8:30 pm Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) Presented in partnership with MOHAI, KCTS journalist Enrique Cerna moderates an important community conversation about the personal experiences of King County’s immigrants and refugees, and their contributions to Puget Sound's creative spirit, culture, and economy. But in this time of change, how do they now view the future? Sat Mar 11 and Sun Mar 12 Dance Theatre of Harlem 8–11 pm Paramount Theatre STG Presents Dance Theatre of Harlem, performing an eclectic, demanding repertoire of treasured classics, cutting-edge contemporary works, and works that use the language of ballet to celebrate African American culture. Ongoing Where I’m Bound: African Americans and Migration in Art and Life Online | Seattle Public Library Discover the history behind the images in Lawrence’s masterwork with the Seattle Public Library’s Shelf Talk blog post and resource list, Where I’m Bound: African Americans and Migration in Art and Life.

5 REGISTERING AND PURCHASING TICKETS FOR SAM PROGRAMS Advance registration or ticket purchase is required for SAM public programs. To register or purchase tickets, visit seattleartmuseum.org or call the Box Office at 206.654.3121.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION AND SUPPORT

This exhibition is made possible thanks to the generous loan of the entire series

from The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and The Phillips Collection,

Washington, D.C.

Presenting Sponsor

Major Sponsors

Matthew P. Bergman

Additional Support

Allan and Mary Kollar

Special thanks to the Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Foundation for its

support of this exhibition.

Programming for Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series supported by The Paul

G. Allen Family Foundation Creative Leadership Award in honor of Sandra

Jackson-Dumont.

Image credit: The Migration Series, Panel 18: The migration gained in momentum., 1940–41, Jacob

Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 18 x 12 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY, © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Photo credit: Joe Henson.

ABOUT SEATTLE ART MUSEUM As the leading visual art institution in the Pacific Northwest, SAM draws on its global collections, powerful exhibitions, and dynamic programs to provide unique educational resources benefiting the Seattle region, the Pacific Northwest, and beyond. SAM was founded in 1933 with a focus on Asian art. By the late 1980s the museum had outgrown its original home, and in 1991 a new 155,000-square-foot downtown building, designed by Robert Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates, opened to the public. The 1933 building was renovated and reopened as the Asian Art Museum in 1994. SAM’s desire to further serve its community was realized in 2007 with the opening of two stunning new facilities: the nine-acre Olympic Sculpture Park (designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects)—a “museum without walls,” free and open to all—and the Allied Works Architecture designed 118,000-square-foot expansion of its main, downtown location, including 232,000 square feet of additional space built for future expansion.

From a strong foundation of Asian art to noteworthy collections of African and Oceanic art, Northwest Coast Native American art, European and American art, and modern and contemporary art, the strength of SAM’s collection of approximately 25,000 objects lies in its diversity of media, cultures and time periods.

SELECTED IMAGES

IMAGE CAPTION

The Migration Series, Panel 3: From every southern town migrants left by the hundreds to travel north., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard 12 x 18 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 12: The railroad stations were at times so over-packed with people leaving that special guards had to be called in to keep order., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY, © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 18: The migration gained in momentum., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 18 x 12 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY, © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 22: Another of the social causes of the migrants' leaving was that at times they did not feel safe, or it was not the best thing to be found on the streets late at night. They were arrested on the slightest provocation., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 23: The migration spread., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 40: The migrants arrived in great numbers., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY, © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 45: The migrants arrived in Pittsburgh, one of the great industrial centers of the North., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 49: They found discrimination in the North. It was a different kind., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 18 x 12 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 51: African Americans seeking to find better housing attempted to move into new areas. This resulted in the bombing of their new homes., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 18 x 12 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 52: One of the largest race riots occurred in East St. Louis., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY, © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 55: The migrants, having moved suddenly into a crowded and unhealthy environment, soon contracted tuberculosis. The death rate rose., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Acquired 1942, The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

The Migration Series, Panel 58: In the North the African American had more educational opportunities., 1940–41, Jacob Lawrence, American, 1917–2000, casein tempera on hardboard, 12 x 18 in., Gift of Mrs. David M. Levy, The Museum of Modern Art, © The Museum of Modern Art/Licensed by SCALA / Art Resource, NY, © 2016 The Jacob and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation, Seattle / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.