07/24/2026
It is with great honor, respect, and pride that the gallery celebrates what would have been Norman Wilfred Lewis' 117th birthday. Yesterday marked the anniversary of his birth.
Norman Lewis transitioned from this life on August 9, 1979, after a battle with cancer.
The Billy Hodges family unequivocally owes a great deal of gratitude to Tarin Fuller and Ouida B. Lewis for trusting me to work with them in successfully placing works of art in many museums, institutions, and important collections. Over more than 30 years since the beginning of the Lewis family association, we have made tremendous strides in getting the American museum community to acknowledge and respect the importance of this important abstractionist.
In our brief time working together, we were able to place major canvases in MoMA, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and many others. Although this seems like a great feat, too many people have yet to truly understand this man's significance in abstract art.
Norman Lewis was the only African American artist invited to participate in the historic Artists' Sessions at Studio 35 alongside the leading figures of the Abstract Expressionist movement. The sessions were moderated by Richard Lippold, Robert Motherwell, and Alfred H. Barr Jr.
I am proud that his work is now in over 50 museums. Some of you may say, "Wow, that's great," but let's look today at the many people of color who did not have the struggles that Norman did. Today, museums are snapping up their work, primarily because of the color of their skin. It is nice to know that Norman's works are now included in over 50 museums, but his works should be included in at least 50 international museums because we did the hard work of getting his work respected by the museum community.
New World Acoming', 1971
Oil on Canvas
73 x 87 in.
