The first ever career retrospective of renowned artist Willie Birch (American, born 1942), this exhibition brings together groundbreaking works from the late 1960s to the present that chronicle Birch’s unique vision of the Black American experience and explore the interconnected nature of global art forms. Birch, raised in New Orleans and trained in Europe, Baltimore, and New York, often speaks about “retentions,” a term he uses to describe cultural evidence of another culture’s traditions in Black American life.
Willie Birch: Stories To Tell
Willie Birch, Two Faces of a Nation, 1968. Wood, paint, and found materials, 35 1/2 × 60 ¾ × 7 1/2 in. framed. Photo by Sesthasak Boonchai.
Willie Birch, Man with Horn (Ancestor Calling), 1980. Carved wood. 12 1/2×47 3/4×5 5/8 in. Photo by Sesthasak Boonchai.
Willie Birch, The Builders (for Jacob Lawrence), 2019. Acrylic and charcoal on paper, diptych; sheet: 47 1/2×71 1/2 in. Photo by Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Willie Birch, Uptown Memories (A Day in the Life of the Magnolia Project), 1995. Painted papier-mâché and mixed media. 82×62×60 in. Photo by Roman Alokhin.
Willie Birch, Street Musician with Guitar, 1999. Acrylic and charcoal on paper. 60×48 in.
Willie Birch, Land of the Blacks Series #1, 1973, Acrylic on canvas. 67 x 68 in.
Willie Birch, The Nairobi Series: For the Mau Mau, 1992. Painted paper-mache and mixed media, 16 x 12 x 8 in. Collection of San Jose Museum of Art. Gift of Katie and Drew Gibson, 2012.08.05
Willie Birch, Violence is more Today (Than it was in the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ’60s), 1994. Mixed media on paper. 68 x 53 ¼ in.
Willie Birch, Remembering (for Joyce Scott), 2011. Acrylic and charcoal on paper, 65 x 60 in.
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“The Foundation’s commitment to supporting artists by funding the institutions that incubate, encourage, exhibit and critically engage their work is unwavering. Non-profit arts organizations face profound challenges due to the political, economic, social and cultural upheavals of our current moment. At the same time, and more than ever, artists need the supportive community and creative encouragement that these organizations provide.”
Joel Wachs, President