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John Brown exhibit opens for a second go-round at the Ackland

John Brown is coming back to the Ackland Art Museum.

But the well-known abolitionist — who died in 1859 — won’t be there in person. Artist Jacob Lawrence’s “The Legend of John Brown” explores the life of John Brown through 22 silkscreen prints.

First created in 1977, the exhibit was last on display from January to May of 2010 at the Ackland.

The prints will be installed in Ackland’s second floor Study Gallery.

“We hope that those who have never seen ‘The Legend of John Brown’ series will see it for the first time, and those who have seen it will come back for another look,” said Emily Bowles, director of communications for Ackland, in an e-mail.

In conjunction with the installation of Lawrence’s silk screen series, Chapel Hill composer’s T.J. Anderson’s new musical piece, “In Front of My Eyes: An Obama Celebration” will be performed next weekend. The piece was commissioned in 2009 by the UNC Department of Music and the Ackland Art Museum.

These two artistic ventures are united because of their many parallels.

“Lawrence was a master storyteller, bringing life to important moments in American history,” Bowles said in an e-mail.

“Likewise, Anderson has written many powerful musical tributes to significant individuals – from John Coltrane to Malcolm X to John Hope Franklin – including his new work, which is described on his Facebook page as ‘a musical pastiche reflective of President Barack Obama’s life.’”

Anderson’s versatility as an artist and composer is realized with a diverse collection of instrumentations, he said.

With “The Legend of John Brown”, Anderson will bring Obama into the same league as Brown, the abolitionist and almost-hero.

“Obama is unique for the American experience,” Anderson said. “We live in a time in which international diplomacy and global perspective becomes important if we are going to survive in today’s world.”

Visit the Ackland Study Gallery from November 10 to December 10 to see “The Legend of John Brown”.

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