Curator Tour: “Purvis Young”
Presented by Monira Foundation at Mana Contemporary
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025
Time: 2:00–3:00 PM
Location: Mana Contemporary Chicago
Join Intuit Art Museum and the Monira Foundation for a curator-led exploration of Purvis Young, with curator Ysabel Pinyol Blasi guiding participants through selections from Intuit’s permanent collection.
About the Artist
Purvis Young (1943–2010)
A self-taught artist from Miami’s Overtown neighborhood, Young created a vast body of work that blends painting, drawing, and collage. Beginning in the 1960s, he transformed discarded wood, doors, and cardboard into vivid scenes that convey both the everyday realities and spiritual depth of his community. His use of found materials connects his practice to the architecture and histories of Overtown, giving each panel a sense of place and memory.
Young’s imagery reflects social and political upheavals of his time, including the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, while also responding to mural traditions in Detroit and Chicago. In 1972, he launched his celebrated Goodbread Alley project, covering abandoned storefronts with rotating painted panels that reimagined the urban environment as a living gallery.