Andrews spent his last two years painting the movements of people that made — and unmade — American families like his own, folding the Great Migration, the Dust Bowl and the Trail of Tears into one final, personal reckoning. His collage-inflected figures carry enormous dignity, and seeing a great artist's deliberate last statement gathered in one room is rare. With the country's 250th anniversary framing every museum this summer, this quiet Chelsea show may be the most honest history lesson on o
What to expect
Figurative paintings and collage works following migrants across three American upheavals, rendered in Andrews's signature raised-surface style. A contemplative 30-minute visit in a serene Eleventh Avenue gallery.
Good to know
- The gallery is at 100 Eleventh Avenue at 19th Street — C/E to 23rd or L to Eighth Avenue
- Free admission
- Runs into next week, slightly longer than the many nearby shows closing sooner
- Powerful companion to the US@250 museum programming around town
- Suits history-minded visitors as much as art audiences
- Combine with the Zwirner and Shainman closings a few blocks east
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Common questions
Who was Benny Andrews?
A Georgia-born painter and activist (1930-2006) celebrated for expressive figurative work and for advocating Black artists' representation in museums; this show presents his final series.
Why is the series called Migrants?
Andrews traced three historic migrations connected to his own Black, White and Cherokee ancestry — the Great Migration, the Dust Bowl exodus and the Trail of Tears.
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