Harlem Civil Rights-Era Paintings Resonate Today

Museums plan exhibits years in advance. Shipping, installation, descriptions, accompanying literary information, and exhibition layout are all very time consuming - in addition to the extraordinary curatorial work that goes into mounting an exhibit. It's unusual when a museum exhibit is so perfectly timed to resonate with real-time cultural events. However, "Procession: the Art of Norman Lewis" at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth presents a stunning and staggering artistic interpretation of America's Civil Rights Movement with paintings incredibly similar to today's headlines. Incorporating a vast array of techniques and mediums, Lewis' paintings are both delicate and bold; realistic and ethereal. A Harlem artist, Lewis' paintings capture the issues and emotions of the 20th century African-American. This moving exhibit is as poignant, as relevant, and as important today as it was when he created these works a half century ago.