Whitney Museum Revisits Minnie Evans with Major Retrospective
"The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans," a comprehensive retrospective featuring more than 100 pieces of drawings, paintings, and collages from 1935 to 1981, is being showcased at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Minnie Evans, born in North Carolina in 1892, embarked on her artistic journey later in life. This exhibition marks 50 years since her groundbreaking 1975 solo show at the Whitney, which made her one of the first Black artists to achieve this milestone. The exhibition begins with her linear works from the 1930s and evolves into her vibrant, mandala-like creations from the 1960s onward. Curator Barbara Haskell emphasizes Evans' connection to a tradition of American artists who imbued nature with sacred significance. The exhibition is scheduled from August 22, 2026, to January 10, 2027, in partnership with the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
Key facts
- The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York is presenting 'The Lost World: The Art of Minnie Evans'.
- The exhibition includes over 100 drawings, paintings, and collages by Minnie Evans, spanning 1935 to 1981.
- Minnie Evans was born in North Carolina in 1892 and began her artistic career in midlife.
- Evans had a landmark solo show at the Whitney in 1975, becoming one of the first Black artists to have a solo show there.
- The exhibition is chronological, starting with linear drawings from the 1930s and moving to mandala-like images from the 1960s onward.
- Evans drew on Christian imagery, mythology, Caribbean ancestry, Jim Crow-era experiences, and her work at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington, N.C.
- The exhibition is organized in collaboration with the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
- The exhibition runs from August 22, 2026, through January 10, 2027.
Entities
Artists
- Minnie Evans
Institutions
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- High Museum of Art
Locations
- New York
- United States
- North Carolina
- Wilmington
- Atlanta