“Edmund Archer: Perspectives on Black Dignity” Opens September 26, 2024 at the Valentine

RICHMOND, VA – Beginning Thursday, September 26, 2024, visitors to the Valentine can explore a selection of paintings by American artist, Edmund Archer (1904-1986). Edmund Archer: Perspectives on Black Dignity features ten examples of Archer’s work as a late-Jim Crow era painter.

Archer was born in Richmond, and lived and painted in Richmond, Paris, New York and Washington, D.C. For a period of time he was an assistant curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and taught at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C.

Beginning in 1926, Edmund Archer rented the studio of Edward Valentine, the Valentine museum’s first president. In the studio, Archer almost exclusively created portraits of Black men and women. As a painter, Archer insisted his portraits be focused on the faithful rendering of the physical details of their subjects, devoid of any larger context or commentary. His dramatic break with preceding and contemporary stereotypes was profound and gave a sense of dignity to all of his sitters.

“In his portraits of Black Americans, Edmund Archer captured the humanity of his subjects in a way that is profoundly different from the caricatures created by other white artists in the Jim Crow era,” says Christina K. Vida, Curator of General Collections at the Valentine and co-curator of the exhibition.

Edmund Archer’s legacy permeates much of Richmond’s artistic culture. In 1962 in Church Hill, Archer helped established The Hand Workshop, which operated there and later at West Main as an artists’ hub, education space and gallery. In 2005, the workshop rebranded as the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.

“Our family is truly honored that the Valentine has organized and supported this exhibition,” says Guy Archer, curator of the exhibition and great-nephew of Edmund Archer, “Our uncle was a brilliant, kind, and wonderful man, and we’re delighted that the museum is once again securing his legacy as one of Virginia’s great and momentous artists.”

The paintings featured in the exhibition are generously on loan from Guy Archer and Mollie Archer Payne.

Edmund Archer: Perspectives on Black Dignity will run from September 26, 2024 – September 1, 2025. The Valentine offers free admission to the museum every Thursday and, in honor of Edmund Archer, will offer free admission to the museum on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

For more information about the exhibition, including ticketing and visiting hours, please visit the Valentine’s website at thevalentine.org or call, 804.649.0711.

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The Valentine has been collecting, preserving and interpreting Richmond’s 400-year history for 125 years. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Valentine is a place for residents and tourists to discover the diverse stories that tell the broader history of this important region. thevalentine.org