Willie Birch's First Career Retrospective Opens at California African American Museum
The California African American Museum in Los Angeles is hosting "Willie Birch: Stories To Tell," marking the first comprehensive retrospective of the New Orleans-born artist's career, which spans more than fifty years. The exhibition begins with Birch's works from the 1970s, such as "Voodoo Series #1" (1978–79) and "Passages" (1982). After relocating to New York City in 1975, he produced the "New York City Jazz Series" (1978). The display emphasizes his paper-mâché techniques and addresses challenges faced by the Black community in New York City, showcasing pieces like "Keeping Up with the Iran-Contra Hearings" (1987) and "Birthday Celebration for Nelson Mandela" (1988). It concludes with life-size sculptures, including "Memories of the '60s" (1992), highlighting Birch's dedication to community and Black cultural practices.
Key facts
- "Willie Birch: Stories To Tell" is Willie Birch's first career retrospective.
- The exhibition is on view at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles.
- It spans over five decades of Birch's work across multiple mediums and cities.
- The show begins with 1970s works such as "Voodoo Series #1" (1978–79) and "Passages" (1982).
- Birch moved to New York City in 1975 and created "New York City Jazz Series" (1978).
- A later section features paper-mâché elements and works including "Keeping Up with the Iran-Contra Hearings" (1987) and "Birthday Celebration for Nelson Mandela" (1988).
- Life-size figures include "For Alex Haley" (1993) and "Memories of the '60s" (1992), a quilt centered on Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
- "Memories of the '60s" depicts a woman with grayed locs sewing final seams, wearing a gold Gye Nyame Adinkra symbol.
Entities
Artists
- Willie Birch
- Malcolm X
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Nelson Mandela
- Alex Haley
- Kristina Kay Robinson
- Maxine Hotri-Daniels
- Jack Jordan
- Romare Bearden
- Elizabeth Catlett
- Vincent van Gogh
- Alan Toussaint
- Sam Cooke
- Big Mama Thornton
- Ike Turner
- Tina Turner
- Jacob Lawrence
- Ron Bechet
Institutions
- California African American Museum
- New Orleans Museum of Art
- Woodson
- SUNO
- Cincinnati School of the Art
- Sorbonne
- The Porch
- Dew Drop Inn
- St. Louis Cathedral
- Viennese Biennale
- Burnaway
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- New York City
- New Orleans
- California
- Seventh Ward
- South LaSalle Street
- Jefferson Park
- Algiers
- New York
- Europe
- Holland
- Paris
- France
- Egypt
- Red Sea
- Vienna
- Austria