Jacob Lawrence: 3 Series of Prints

This powerful exhibition showcases 31 prints by renowned African American artist Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000). One of the first nationally recognized Black artists in U.S. art history, Jacob Lawrence turned to the lessons of history and his own experience in his graphic work and paintings. Lawrence is known for using vivid colors, dynamic images, and text in a series format to tell the stories of historical African American figures and the human experience. 3 Series of Prints includes works from his Genesis series, recalling the artist’s childhood; the Toussaint L’Ouverture series, recounting the Haitian Revolution; and the Hiroshima series, recounting activities taking place when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city. The exhibition also includes five additional prints depicting civil rights confrontations and daily life.

Exclusively at the MSV, Jacob Lawrence: 3 Series of Prints will feature The First Book of Moses, Called Genesis, a large folio book by Jacob Lawrence, published in 1989 by the Limited Editions Club in New York. One of only 400 copies ever produced, this remarkable book owned by MSV benefactor Julian Wood Glass Jr. (1910–1992) is a special addition to the MSV presentation of the exhibition.

At the MSV through August 3, 2025, Jacob Lawrence: Three Series of Prints is drawn from the collections of Dr. and Mrs. Leon Banks and Alitash Kebede. The exhibition and museum tour were organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, California.