The Akron Art Museum opened “Michelangelo Lovelace: Art Saved My Life” on May 4, 2024, in the Karl and Bertl Arnstein Galleries. The exhibition ran through August 18, 2024.

The show featured Lovelace’s cityscapes of urban life, portraits of patients from his work as a nursing assistant, dioramas, and an immersive space built around the museum’s recent acquisition of his work “Hood Life.” Lovelace grew up in Cleveland’s King Kennedy public housing complex, where he dropped out of school as a teenager to support his family. He has said a judge’s warning after an arrest at age nineteen led him to pursue art full-time.

“Michelangelo Lovelace perfected a unique visual language, and he used it with truly impressive frankness and insight, sharing deeply personal experiences and addressing dire issues,” said Senior Curator Dr. Jeff Katzin.

The exhibition was supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Lehner Family Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council.

Source: https://akronartmuseum.org/newsroom/akron-art-museum-presents-michelangelo-lovelace-art-saved-my-life-on-view-from-may-4-aug-18/