Recordpub.com - John Brown anniversary marked at Akron museum

AKRON -- This fall marks the 150th anniversaries of John Brown's anti-slavery raid on Harpers Ferry, Va., a pivotal event in igniting the Civil War, and his Dec. 2, 1859 execution. To commemorate one of the area's most famous historic resident, the Akron Art Museum presents selections from Jacob Lawrence's print series The Legend of John Brown. The exhibition will be on view through Feb. 14, 2010. Lawrence, one of the most significant American artists of the 20th century, was the first African American to depict the story of the controversial white abolitionist.

Lawrence's screenprints, which are owned by the museum, will be joined by related images and artifacts from the Summit County Historical Society and the Akron-Summit County Public Library Special Collections Division.

A Northerner, Brown (1800-1859) came to Franklin Mills -- the present-day Kent -- in 1835, building a tannery along the Cuyahoga River in "the lower village" on a site owned by Zenas Kent, located just west of the present-day Stow Street bridge. Brown moved to Akron in 1844. An expert breeder of sheep and respected authority on wool, he attracted the attention of fellow shepherd Simon Perkins, Jr., the son of Akron's founder. The two formed a business partnership and Brown moved into a two-room cottage yards away from Perkins' own mansion.

Brown's religious convictions led him to oppose slavery. While working with Perkins, he remained an active abolitionist and regularly housed slaves moving through the Underground Railroad in his Akron home. Now part of the Summit County Historical Society, it houses a permanent display about Brown's life.

In contrast with the northern pacifist attitude, Brown believed that militant actions were the only way to end slavery. In the mid-1850s, he organized covert attacks in an attempt to liberate slaves and bring down the pro-slavery establishment. In 1859, with a company of 21 men--white and black--he led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He was captured and hanged for treason on Dec. 2.

Jacob Lawrence's screenprints frame the story as a narrative, which is the depiction of a particular story in either painted or graphic form. Each image presents a specific incident in Brown's dramatic life. Rather than depicting these events in a realistic manner, Lawrence tells the story using sparse details rendered with simplified forms and vibrant colors, which heightens each scene's emotion.

Lawrence (1917-2000), who lived in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance, was the first African American artist to be included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. He was a storyteller who used the visual arts to interpret and disseminate important events in American history. His prominence as an artist undoubtedly helped perpetuate the remarkable story of John Brown's life as an abolitionist.

This exhibition is organized by the Akron Art Museum and supported by a gift from Akron General. For information, call 330-376-9185 or visit www.AkronArtMuseum.org.