34 Interesting Facts about Jacob Lawrence

Dan April 16, 2023

Jacob Lawrence was an American painter and educator who was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1917. He is best known for his striking depictions of African American life, history, and culture, which he created during a career spanning over six decades. Lawrence’s work is highly regarded for its bold, colorful style and its powerful storytelling.

Lawrence was heavily influenced by the Harlem Renaissance and the social and political climate of the 1930s and 1940s. He often used his art as a means of highlighting the struggles and achievements of African Americans, and his work was a significant part of the civil rights movement.

Throughout his career, Lawrence received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to American art and culture. He was the first African American artist to have a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, New York, and his work can be found in collections around the world. Lawrence was also a passionate educator, and he taught at several institutions, including the Pratt Institute and the University of Washington.

If you want to know more about Jacob Lawrence, I’m sure that it’s a good idea to look at these 34 interesting facts about Jacob Lawrence.

1. Jacob Lawrence was born on September 7, 1917, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
2. He was the oldest of three children.
3. Lawrence’s parents separated when he was a child, and he and his siblings were sent to live with relatives in Philadelphia.
4. He was introduced to art through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression.
5. Lawrence attended the Harlem Art Workshop in the 1930s, where he met other artists who were also part of the Harlem Renaissance.
6. Lawrence’s first solo exhibition was held at the Harlem YMCA in 1938.
7. He was drafted into the United States Coast Guard during World War II.
8. Lawrence’s “Migration Series” is considered one of his most famous works, and it depicts the movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North.
9. The “Migration Series” is comprised of 60 paintings, which are split between the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
10. Lawrence was only 23 years old when he completed the “Migration Series”.
11. He was the first African American artist to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship.
12. Lawrence married fellow artist Gwendolyn Knight in 1941, and they remained married until Knight’s death in 2005.
13. Lawrence received a National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush in 2000.
14. He taught at several universities throughout his career, including the Pratt Institute, Black Mountain College, and the University of Washington.
15. Lawrence was a professor of art at the University of Washington from 1971 to 1986.
16. He received an honorary degree from Yale University in 1970.
17. Lawrence was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1971.
18. He was also a member of the National Academy of Design and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
19. Lawrence was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 1990.
20. He was the first African American to receive the National Medal of Arts.
21. Lawrence’s work is included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, among others.
22. He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Studio Museum in Harlem in 2001.
23. Lawrence was a member of the Harlem Artists Guild.
24. He created a series of paintings inspired by the life of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution.
25. Lawrence was also known for his depictions of historical figures, such as Harriet Tubman, John Brown, and Frederick Douglass.
26. He was influenced by the work of Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
27. Lawrence received a MacArthur Fellowship in 1983.
28. He was the first African American artist to have a retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
29. He was a member of the Black Panthers and created artwork for their newspaper.
30. Lawrence was a recipient of the NAACP’s Spingarn Medal in 1997.
31. He received an honorary degree from Harvard University in 1971.
32. Lawrence created a series of paintings inspired by the life of Harriet Tubman in 1939.
33. He was a prolific artist, creating over 1,000 works during his lifetime.
34. Lawrence passed away on June 9, 2000, at the age of 82.

Jacob Lawrence was a pioneering artist whose bold, colorful style and powerful storytelling made a lasting impact on American art and culture. Through his depictions of African American life, history, and culture, Lawrence helped to shed light on the struggles and achievements of marginalized communities. He was a trailblazer in the art world, breaking down barriers and paving the way for future generations of artists. Lawrence’s legacy continues to inspire and influence artists and art lovers around the world, and his contributions to American art and culture will be remembered for generations to come.