LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Los Angeles County Museum of Art presents Life Model: Charles White and His Students. Painter and draftsman Charles White (1918–1979) is known for his powerful depictions of African American life and the human condition. White was also a dedicated teacher, and Life Model illuminates his impact on his students, including David Hammons, Judithe Hernández, Ulysses Jenkins, Kerry James Marshall, and Kent Twitchell. Beyond fostering technical skills, White urged his pupils to be “thinking artists” and to hone distinct points of view. Featured in the exhibition are objects demonstrating these perspectives, including artwork made by White’s students alongside sketchbooks, photographs, and archival footage that illustrate White’s pedagogy. On view February 16–September 15, 2019, the exhibition is presented at LACMA’s satellite gallery at Charles White Elementary School, the former Otis Art Institute campus, where White was the first African American faculty member. The exhibition is curated by C. Ian White and Sarah Jesse.

For black artists in Los Angeles like Ulysses Jenkins, Kerry James Marshall, and Richard Wyatt, White was a role model carving out a place in the racist art establishment. Others were influenced by his artistic practice: Kent Twitchell’s portraiture, Eloy Torrez’s sketches, and Corky McCoy’s album covers echo White’s celebratory depictions of blackness, while the sociopolitical commentary in David Hammons’s and Judithe Hernández’s work reflects White’s commitment to making socially engaged art. Collectively, the assembled objects shed light on White’s legacy.

This show at Charles White Elementary School—named in honor of the artist in 2004—is a companion exhibition to Charles White: A Retrospective, on view at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (5905 Wilshire Boulevard) from February 17 to June 9, 2019.

This exhibition was organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.