Norman Wilfred Lewis is not a household name. But maybe it should be.
As the first major African-American artist in the Abstract Expressionist movement, Norman Lewis showed his works at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum.
The Harlem native was a trailblazer. And you can follow that trail at the Morris Museum, where creations by Norman Lewis and 29 other black artists will be displayed for the next two months to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Art in the Atrium, the state’s leading showcase of African-American art.
A free opening reception for Celebrating Our Legacy is scheduled for Jan. 12 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm at the museum in Morris Township; light refreshments will be served and artist Janet Taylor Pickett will discuss the history of the nonprofit Art in the Atrium show.
The exhibition runs through March 18 at the museum. Several guest lectures are scheduled along the way:
- Feb. 4, 1 pm Rosalind Nzinga Nichol, artist and educator, African origins of African-American arts and crafts
- Feb. 25, 1 pm Rosalind Nzinga Nichol and Tarin M. Fuller, guest curator for Celebrating our Legacy: The 20th Anniversary Exhibit of Art in the Atrium, to discuss the early African-American masters of fine arts from the 18th century through the Harlem Renaissance.
- March 8, 6:30 pm Rosalind Nzinga Nichol and Halima Taha, art advisor and appraiser, on the art of collecting contemporary African-American art.
The lectures are free with museum admission. Please call 973-971-3718 to register. On Feb. 9, at 6:30 pm, Morris Museum Associate Curator Angela Sergonis leads a tour of exhibitions, including Celebrating Our Legacy. The tour price is $7.
Featured artists:
Alonzo Adams
Benny Andrews
Romare Bearden
Terry Boddie
Barbara Bullock
Bisa Butler
Leroy Campbell
Elizabeth Catlett
Willie Cole
Viki Craig
Jose Cruz
David Driskell
Sam Gilliam
Nora Green
Curlee Raven Holton
Norman Lewis
Thomas Malloy
Don Miller
Maceo Mitchell
Russell Aldo Murray
Rosalind Nzinga Nichol
Janet Taylor Pickett
Marsha Pickett
Faith Ringgold
William Tolliver
Cedric Smith
Jimmy Lee Sudduth
Bisa Washington
Charles White
Deborah Willis
Where: 6 Normandy Heights Road (at the corner of Columbia Turnpike) in Morris Township.
When: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission: $10 for adults, $7 for children, students and senior citizens. Free for museum members and the public every Thursday between 5 and 8 p.m.
Details: Call 973-971-3700, or visit www.morrismuseum.org.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST YEAR’S ART IN THE ATRIUM
