This spring, LACMA presents the West Coast premiere of Charles White: A Retrospective (through June 9, 2019), the first major exhibition of the artist Charles White (1918–1979) in over 30 years. A concurrent and complementary exhibition, Life Model: Charles White and His Students (through September 14, 2019) will also be on view at LACMA’s satellite gallery at Charles White Elementary School, formerly Otis Art Institute.
Over the next few months, we will share the different ways you can engage with these exhibitions through tours, classes, talks, concerts, and more! Charles White: A Retrospective features more than 100 drawings, prints, and oil paintings by the famed mid-century artist and civil rights activist. Presented at the former Otis Art Institute campus where Charles White was the first African American faculty member, Life Model illuminates the artist’s impact as a teacher—with works by former students David Hammons, Judithe Hernandez, Kerry James Marshall and more.
Related Programs at Charles White Elementary School, 2401 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
Participate in an art-making workshop for all ages, led by local artists and art educators on Saturday, March 9, at 2:30 pm. Free and open to the public. See full schedule.
Join us for a curator walkthrough of Life Model: Charles White and His Students with C. Ian White, on Saturday, March 16, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm. Free and open to the public.
Related Programs at LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
Check out this lecture about the formative years of Charles White at LACMA on Sunday, March 17, at 1 pm. Retrospective curator Sarah Kelly Oehler will shed light on how White's formative years led to a long career as a painter and printmaker, and above all, as a masterful draftsman dedicated to rendering the African American figure. Free and open to the public.
Spend quality time on Monday, March 18, at 4 pm with works of art to become more grounded and connected in this Mindful Monday: Cultivating Empathy and Connectedness, followed by a discussion in the exhibition galleries. Get tickets.
View portraits in the retrospective, then create your own using acrylic paints on a stretched canvas in this adult art class on Friday, March 22 from 6 to 9 pm. Get tickets.
Celebrate the exhibition with this special concert with four-time Grammy Award nominee Gerald Clayton and his band on Saturday, April 6, at 7:30 pm. Get tickets.
We will share additional Charles White programs in the coming weeks. For the latest information on exhibitions and events, visit lacma.org.