Great Exhibitions #17 – Jacob Lawrence: African American Modernist

📅 Sunday, December 14, 2025
🕒 15:00
📍 Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort

For the seventeenth edition of the Great Exhibitions series, we’re heading to Kunsthal KAdE in Amersfoort to discover the groundbreaking exhibition "Jacob Lawrence | African American Modernist" — the first major European retrospective dedicated to one of the most important African American painters of the 20th century.

Lawrence was a powerful visual storyteller who chronicled the African American experience through vivid, figurative panels. His work combined striking colour palettes and modernist forms to speak of struggle, migration, resilience, and identity.

At the heart of this exhibition is a selection of works from Lawrence’s iconic series "The Migration Series", which tells the story of the Great Migration — the movement of African Americans from the rural South to the urban North in the aftermath of World War I. Other important series on display include Struggle… From the History of the American People, focusing on the democratic ideals and contradictions of American history.

🔍 Lawrence’s work challenges official narratives by highlighting those left at the margins: from the men who rowed Washington across the Delaware, to the everyday people enduring the fight for civil rights. His bold compositions and use of flat colour evoke the rhythm of jazz and the energy of Harlem, where he grew up.

🎟 Please note:

• Standard admission to the museum is included with the Museumkaart.
• However, a €6 surcharge applies, due to the international relevance of the exhibition. Museums in the Netherlands may request a supplement for exceptional shows that require additional funding — this is one of them.

🍷 After the exhibition, we’ll head to Café Marktzicht, one of the best places in town to sit down for a drink — whether you’re into craft beers (including local favourite Rock City Brewing) or natural wines by the glass (like Austria’s Meinklang). A perfect setting for conversation and reflection.