New MFA Exhibit Honors Roxbury Native Artist John Wilson

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Museum of Fine Arts is showcasing the life works and story of the late Boston artist John Wilson.

Wilson, a Roxbury native, is best known for portraying themes of social justice within his wide range of works, from painting and drawing to prints and storybook illustrations.

The “Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson” exhibition is the largest curation of his work throughout his 60-year career. It was organized in partnership with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where the exhibition will be moved after its Boston stint.

Wilson might be most recognized for his 3-D sculptures, including the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. at the Capitol Rotunda and the Eternal Presence, often known as ‘the big head’, at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Roxbury. A smaller recreation of both statues are on display in the exhibition.

University of Georgia Professor Joseph Norman, fellow artist and friend of Wilson, knows all too well about how to make good drawings. But when it comes to Wilson’s work, “I am deeply humbled in the presence of his work,” he told WBZ NewsRadio. “He can just do things that I can’t even imagine.”

Curator and Maryland Institute College of Art professor emerita Leslie King-Hammond attributed Wilson’s distinctive artistry to his way of portraying empathy and humanity in all of his subjects.

“It has to bring people back to the center of what being human is about,” she said.

King-Hammond added that this exhibit not only showcases the importance of the African American experience in Boston through a local lens but is also an important message for kids to understand the reality of their world.

That's why a special book nook that libraries some of Wilson's children's book illustrations is also integrated within the exhibit. Among the books is one called "The Life of Malcom X," where he boldly shows the hardships of the activist's life. King-Hammond said it's important to not talk down to children when tackling tough topics.

“They are going to have to deal with the same problems that adults deal with,” she said. “You don’t talk to them like they’re little short dummies. You talk to them as if these are people who are going to have to confront these challenges and how to weather these storms.”

She hopes this exhibit also serves as an inspiration for the next generation of young artists in Boston.

“If they have the willingness to do the work, they too will end up having an exhibition at an institution like this,” she continued.

“Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson” is open at the MFA from now until June. It will be moved to the MET in New York afterwards.

WBZ NewsRadio's Kyle Bray (@KyleBrayWBZ) reports.