JACOB LAWRENCE

EARLY LIFE

• Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic city New Jersey on
• September 7, 1917.
• His parents separated in 1924 and his mother left him and his 2 younger
• siblings in foster care in Philadelphia.
• When Lawrence was 13 he reunited with his mother in Harlem.

INTRODUCED TO ART

• Lawrence was introduced to art shortly after he arrived in Harlem when his
• mother enrolled him in Utopia Children Center, which had an after school
• art program.
• Lawrence dropped out of school when he was 16 but took art classes at Harlem
• Art Workshop. He frequently visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

EDUCATION

• In 1937, Lawrence won a scholarship to the American Artist school
• in New York.
• He graduated in 1939 and received funding from Works Progress
• Administration Federal Art Project.

HIS ART

WAR

• Lawrence was drafted into the United States coast guard during World
• War II. He created 48 paintings during that time , but all were lost.
• After his duty was up, Lawrence received a Guggenheim Fellowship
• and painted his war series.

TEACHING

• Lawrence was invited by Joseph Albers to teach a summer session at
• Black Mountain College in North Carolina.

SICKNESS

MORE TEACHING

• In1971 Lawrence accepted a tenured position as a professor at the
• University of Washington in Seattle.
• He retired in 1986. He painted limited edition prints to help fund the
• NAACP.

THE END

• Lawrence painted until he died on June 9, 2000.