Larry Walker Retrospective: The Early Years

The highly acclaimed visual artist, art professor, and mentor Larry M. Walker is one of Atlanta’s most treasured creative talents. Walker mixes painting, drawing, collage, and various materials in the process of creating. MOCA GA is thrilled to present a significant retrospective exhibition of Walker’s work in two consecutive parts over the course of 20+ weeks, The Early Years and The Later Years. Both exhibitions will feature works from MOCA GA’s collection and archives, as well as works provided by numerous other institutions and individual collectors.

Although his career as a visual artist and educator expands a half century, there is no scholarly publication documenting Walker’s life achievements and the impact his work has had on Georgia as well as the national art scene. In conjunction with this major retrospective highlighting the development of a lifelong career, MOCA GA will honor this great artist with a scholarly book, publishing his impact and adding it to the literary canon of art in America.

It is of great importance that Walker’s work and history be shown, documented, and distributed to inspire and encourage future generations of teachers and artists!

Larry Walker, pictured in his studio, will be honored with the Nexus Award on August 27 at Atlanta Contemporary. (Photo courtesy Atlanta Contemporary)

About Larry Walker

Larry Walker (b. 1935 in Franklin, Georgia) grew up in New York City. Walker graduated from New York’s renowned High School of Music & Art, after which he received his BS in art education and MA in drawing and painting from Wayne State University in Detroit. He taught in the Detroit school system for 6 years; at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA for 19 years; and at Georgia State University for 17 years, during which he served as the School of Art and Design’s director for 11 years. Walker has had numerous solo exhibitions and more than 200 exhibitions to date. He was chosen as one of three recipients of MOCA GA’s 2007/2008 inaugural Working Artist Project award. As part of the award, he mounted a solo exhibition at MOCA GA entitled Surface, Spirit Voices and Other Secrets: The Wall Series in Transition. Walker also curated the exhibition Dissolving Stereotypes/Forgings New Dialogues: An Exhibition Beyond Race. Since 2009 Walker has had three solo exhibitions in Philadelphia and Atlanta and has had work included in 11 invitational exhibitions at venues in Atlanta, Oakland, Boston, and Charlotte as well as in “Tradition Redefined,” The Larry and Brenda Thompson collection, which traveled to Maryland, Jacksonville, FL and Athens, GA. Walker continues to add credits to his substantial accomplishments as an artist, visual arts supporter, juror and curator.