INSPIRATION | Norman Lewis PAFA Exhibit Catalog

Last week I received the exhibition catalog from the PAFA (Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts) show of Norman Lewis. It is a wonderfully detailed, well-written book that is a whopping 288 pages. The art pieces are in full color and many cover a full page.

I'm still in the process of reading and researching the wonderful tidbits from it. So far, I've learned that Norman Lewis actually had an estimated 2,500 works. In addition to paintings, sculpture and drawings, I also saw some quilts! Impressive. He was a true artistic spirit...willing to experiment with many different mediums. More to come.


You can check out this beautiful catalog here at the PAFA website, HERE.

INSPIRATION | Abstract Expressionism - Norman Lewis

Norman Lewis (1909 - 1979) was technically the first African-American abstract expressionist painter and teacher.

He lived in Harlem all of his life and was born to Bermudian parents.

He maintained studio space at the Harlem Art Center and participated (along with Jackson Pollock) in  art projects for the Works Progress Administration or WPA. The WPA was a massive effort in the 1930's under FDR's New Deal agency to put unemployed people back to work.