An exhibition on selected works by John N. Robinson and Larry Lebby. The exhibition, held at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum, ran from November 14, 1982 --February 27, 1983. These records document the planning, organizing, execution, and promotion of the exhibition. Materials include correspondence, research files, exhibit scripts, administrative records, brochures, education packets, floor plans, and catalogues.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist.
Smithsonian Institution. Anacostia Community Museum Search this
Extent:
1 Sound recording (audio cassette)
Type:
Archival materials
Sound recordings
Place:
Anacostia (Washington, D.C.)
Washington (D.C.)
United States
Date:
1982
Scope and Contents:
Walk thru tour of the exhibition - 'Here, Look at Mine!' Selected Works of John N. Robinson and Larry Francis Lebby - led by artist John Robinson.
Exhibition tour. Audio only. Poor audio quality. Related to exhibition 'Here, Look at Mine!' Selected Works of John N. Robinson and Larry Francis Lebby. Dated 19821112.
Biographical / Historical:
Here, Look at Mine!' Selected Works of John N. Robinson and Larry Francis Lebby displayed selected works of two African American artists, John N. Robinson and Larry Francis Lebby. The title of the exhibition was taken from the title of a John Robinson painting that depicts his grandchildren, sitting at his dining room table, proudly showing their art and seeking his approval of their work. Both men use their families as subjects; and both are realists in expressing and visualizing their feelings about the world. Robinson's major interest was watercolor painting, and Lebby's was stone lithography. In this exhibition, the artists invite you to 'Here, Look at Mine!' and to enjoy their finished and most representative pieces. The exhibition was held at the Anacostia Neighborhood Museum from November 14, 1982 - February 27, 1983.
Local Numbers:
ACMA AV001374_B
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist.
John N. Robinson, Jr. and Rita Robinson talked about where they grew up in Washington, D.C.; the schools they attended; and the recreation in which they participated as children/youth. They discussed how they met. Rita talked about the role of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in the community; growing up poor using the outhouse and water pump in Washington, D.C.; and how the atmosphere and community changed when people from southwest moved into southeast Washington, D.C., and when people moved into Barry Farms. John explained when and why they left the neighborhood; Rita explained why she did not want to leave Washington, D.C. John talked about how the riots in 1968 affected the Parklands area. The Robinsons talked about the changes in the community and how they feel about the change in southeast Washington, D.C. Rita talked about her family's house which used to be on the property where the Anacostia Community Museum is now located; John talked about his father, the artist John N. Robinson.
Interview created in conjunction with the Anacostia Community Museum's 40th Anniversary Oral History Project and the exhibition, 'East of the River: Continuity and Change.' Dated 20070504
General:
Title created by ACM staff based on project/exhibition name and interviewee's name.
Collection Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist to make an appointment: ACMarchives@si.edu.
Two signed reproductions of John Robinson's original artwork "Pete" and "Winter Scene." Inscriptions read: "To friend Mr. John Kinard."
Biographical / Historical:
First and foremost, John N. Robinson considered himself an artist. Born on February 18, 1912 in Georgetown, Robinson was raised by his grandparents in northwest Washington, D.C. after his mother passed away when he was eight years old and his father disappeared, Robinson quit school to help support his family; he worked as a golf caddy at country clubs and dusted cars at a parking garage. A chauffeur at the garage noticed Robinson's drawings on scraps of paper and brought the drawings to the attention of James V. Herring, the head of Howard University's art department. Herring offered Robinson an opportunity to study under James A. Porter. The classes at Howard transformed his interest in art into a passion. Robinson's short time at Howard was the extent of his formal artistic training. When Robinson and his grandparents moved to Anacostia in southeast Washington, D.C. in 1929, he began to paint in earnest. Robinson's paintings reflect everyday life - his home, his family, and his neighborhood. In addition to intimate scenes of family and community life, he completed large scale works including a church mural, Christ at Gethsemane, at Emmanuel Baptist Church. During the 1940s, Robinson exhibited his work and created minute sketches of people at Lafayette and Franklin Parks. He also met artists Pietro Lazzari, Jack Perlmutter, and Jacob Kainen, who got his work into shows at the Corcoran Gallery of Art long before African Americans were welcomed there.
Restrictions:
Use of the materials requires an appointment. Please contact the archivist at acmarchives@si.edu.
