“Sargent Claude Johnson,” the first exhibition devoted to the California artist of the Harlem Renaissance in over 25 years, is on view at The Huntington through May 20, 2024.
The Huntington’s exhibition of 43 works is dedicated to the work of Sargent Claude Johnson, the California artist whose uplifting portrayals of people of color made him the West Coast’s key connection to the Harlem Renaissance. The presentation represents the full breadth of Johnson’s career and examines the prominent role of his art in the Black Renaissance, his engagement with international cultures, and his experiments with a variety of materials. The exhibition draws from The Huntington’s important collection of works by the artist as well as key loans from institutional and private collections, some not seen publicly in decades. This is the first exhibition devoted to Johnson in over 25 years.