Benny Andrews, who has worn many hats over the past 50 years as a painter, writer, printmaker, book illustrator, and teacher presents his “John Lewis Series” in an exhibition that  will open with a reception from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday, November 17^th and will run through November 30, 2006.   This series is Andrews’ illustrations for the children’s book “John Lewis in the Lead – A Story of the Civil Rights Movement”.

Parish Gallery has the books illustrated by Benny Andrews: “John Lewis in the Lead”, “The Harlem Cook”, “Delivering Justice”, “Poetry For Young People”, “Pictures for Miss Jossie”, “Everything That Rises Must Converge”, and Benny Andrews Monograph.

Born in rural Georgia in 1930 to a sharecropper family, he witnessed early in life “the survival of people from a very rough, oppressive world” he explains.  His art is direct, plain-spoken and portrays human subjects as sublimely noble.  His work is narrative and always carries a critical message which is evident in his series entitled: “Migrant Series”,  “Women I Have Known”, “Musical Interlude”, “Dream Variations”, “Cruelty and Sorrows”, “The Human Spirit”, “Getting the Spirit”, “Stations of the Cross”, and “Poetry for Young People – Langston Hughes”. 

He created works of oil and collage on paper that range from the horrific to the glorious to celebrate human dignity.  His materials were simple but familiar – fragments of material or rope, colored paper, bags, along with paint and drawing.

Mr. Andrews was Professor of Art at Queens College for 30 years, received a Bachelor of Fine Art from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958, and served as Director of the Visual Arts Program for The National Endowment of the Arts 1982-1984.  He spent his time going back and forth between his studios in New York and Connecticut.  He has work in permanent collections in over 35 museums including the Metropolitan Museum, Museum of Modern Art, The Hirshorn, Art Institute of Chicago, Detroit Institute and The High Museum.