American Crossings: The Complex Legacy of Robert Colescott

Opening remarks Sandra Jackson-Dumont, Director and CEO, Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Los Angeles Sylvia Yount, Lawrence A. Fleischman Curator in Charge of the American Wing, The Met Rashid Johnson, artist Lowery Stokes Sims, curator and art historian Moderated by Akili Tommasino, Associate Curator, Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Met Join a visual artist and scholars as they reflect on the lasting impact of artist Robert Colescott’s groundbreaking work and the power that artists have in reinterpreting dominant historical narratives, specifically those that have excluded Black bodies and identities. This conversation coincides with a special display of Colescott’s iconic painting—George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware: Page from an American History Textbook (1975)—on loan from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art to The Met through February 2023, and part of Crossings, an installation that explores ongoing resonances between past and present artistic expressions—specifically, modern and contemporary responses to Emanuel Leutze’s epic Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851). This program is made possible by Mrs. Joseph H. King. This program is presented in collaboration with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, slated to open in Los Angeles in 2025. This event is presented in celebration of Black History Month.