Sidney Lawrence at DFA

I hear that Sidney Lawrence is a pretty good jazz vocalist, but Lawrence has visual arts in his genes and this coming Nov. 15, from 5-8PM he opens his second solo show with DC's District Fine Arts gallery in Georgetown.

Tribe, 2008 by Sidney Lawrence.
Oil and modeling paste on paper canvas and compressed board, 17 3/4 x 22

This show of oil portraits, including a small painting of Martin Luther King Jr., an island wall relief, a dog head, ink drawings of cities, and an illustrated travel diary is Lawrence's first solo exhibition at DFA since 2005.

One of DC's key arts presences, Lawrence is also a writer, curator and art-PR specialist. He served as the Hirshhorn Museum's press officer from 1975 to 2003 and as an occasional curator there, and more recently organized "Roger Brown: Southern Exposure," for the Jule Collins Smith Museum at Auburn University, Alabama.

For over two decades he exhibited at Gallery K (until that venerable gallery closed when both owners suddenly died) and other DC venues and has also exhibited work in Massachusetts and California. Lawrence's self-revealing, funky style draws from influences as diverse as Red Grooms, JMW Turner, Lucian Freud and Edward Koren.

Sidney Lawrence, Recent Works, through January 17, 2009 at DFA, with an opening reception, on Saturday, November 15, 5 - 8 pm and an Artist Talk, 5:30 - 6 pm and a Book Signing, Ink Cities on Saturday, December 13, 4-6 pm.