Here, Look at Mine! Exhibition Records

Object Details

Scope and Contents

These records document the planning, organizing, execution, and promotion of the exhibition. Materials include correspondence arranged chronologically by date primarily from 1982, either generated by staff or addressed to museum staff. The exhibit files consist of artist files for both Lebby and Robinson, which include artist statements, interviews, artwork labels, lists of insured artwork, exhibit scripts, and drafts. Also included are design and construction plans, which detail the layout and planning of the exhibition space. The printed materials consist primarily of brochures and exhibit catalogs, which highlight the exhibition along with other miscellaneous printed materials collected during the planning of the exhibition. Also included are photographic prints, negatives and slides of each artist and their artwork. The audiovisual materials include a walk thru tour with John N. Robinson, and an interview featuring Larry Francis Lebby both conducted in 1982.

Biographical / Historical Note

John Nathaniel Robinson was born on February 8, 1912, in Georgetown, Washington DC. He moved to Anacostia as a child, in the late 1920s, where he was brought up by his grandparents Ignatius and Anna Barton. His schooling was cut short due to financial hardships faced by his family, and he was working in a garage where his grandfather was employed when a chance encounter brought his artistic skills to the attention of the chair of the art department at Howard University. Robinson then had the opportunity to receive training and instruction from professors James V. Herring and James A. Porter. Robinson displayed his art during outdoor art fairs in D.C. parks in the 1940s and later displayed his artwork at both the Howard University Gallery of Art and the Barnett Aden Gallery. Although he worked full-time at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast D.C. for over three decades, he continuously nurtured his artistic creativity.  Robinson's work was part of the Sixteen Washington Artists exhibition at the Anacostia Community Museum in 1968. His connection to the museum remained strong throughout his life, and he actively participated in the District of Columbia Art Association (DCAA) to foster art as a vibrant and empowering influence in the community. He participated as a juror for the DCAA's 1978 exhibition.  As a painter, Robinson drew inspiration from his surroundings. He frequently depicted family members and people in his community, as well as scenes from his everyday life. His painting "Here, Look at Mine!" depicts eight of his eleven grandchildren gleefully drawing at the dining room table. Such intimate portraits and city scenes provide insight into the painter's life and environment, while also capturing the physical details and mood of neighborhoods around the city. Mr. Robinson passed away on October 17, 1994, at the age of 82.

Date

1982-11-14 - 1983-02-27

Extent

1.79 Linear feet (2 boxes, 1 binder )

Citation

Here, Look at Mine! exhibition records, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Type

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Exhibit scripts

Correspondence

Photographic prints

Transparencies

Exhibition records

Negatives

Topic

African American artists

Museum exhibits

African American art -- Exhibitions

Lithographers

African American printmakers

African American painters

Place

Washington (D.C.)

Identifier

ACMA.03-054

Featured artwork

These selected works of art were featured in the exhibition "Here, Look at Mine!": "Here, Look at Mine!", John N. Robinson, 1979-80 Déjà Vu, Larry Francis Lebby, 1975