In celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the Banneker-Douglass Museum (BDM), BDM opened the Laurence Hurst Anniversary Show in Verda Welcome Hall. Guest curated by Laurence Hurst, this exhibition surveyed fifty years of his original artwork.
Laurence Hurst is a Baltimore native. In 1976, Hurst became the first African-American artist-in-residence in the State of Maryland when he took the position with the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC). During his residency, Mr. Hurst was based at the MCAAHC Baltimore Afro-American Study Center and worked closely with BDM when it officially opened in 1984. At BDM, Mr. Hurst curated hallmark exhibitions such as the exhibit “Yes, Sir, That’s My Baby”, a collection on African artists’ dolls and donated substantial artwork to the museum’s collection.
Hurst’s artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. He designed a memorial for Benjamin Banneker in Oella, Maryland and is Co-Founder of the Alex Haley-Kunta Kinte Memorial Foundation. For his art and work in the community, May 16, 1997 was proclaimed “Laurence Hurst Day” in Baltimore. BDM is honored to display Hurst’s prolific artwork, many of which were previously displayed at BDM, in various media from pencil on paper drawings to oil paintings.
(Left) "Man with Guitar"
