Duluth exhibit marks centennial of artist-activist Jean Birkenstein Washington
The Duluth exhibit marks the centennial of Jean Birkenstein Washington (1926-2003), an artist and activist who would have turned 100 this year. Nineteen of her paintings are on display at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth through June 30, following a May 24 reception. Her son, Robin Washington, spoke at the event alongside Amy Varsek, former exhibitions director at the Duluth Art Institute, who curated a 2019 exhibit of Jean's work. Jean, a German Jewish woman who married a Black Mexican man, was a Chicago Public Schools art teacher and a civil rights activist who used school district maps to expose segregation. Her artwork includes portraits and documentary scenes, such as "The Fight" and "Slave Father."
