Published March 20 2025
Northwest philanthropists Jerry and Charlene Lee have donated a lithograph print by internationally renowned artist Jacob Lawrence to the City of Bellevue. “Builders III” will be part of the city’s public art collection and displayed at an indoor location to be determined, available for the public to enjoy.
The Lees have a long history of community giving and were named 2015 Outstanding Philanthropists by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Advancement, Northwest Washington. They previously donated a piece by Gerard Tsutakawa to the city, on display at City Hall. Given the cultural significance of these artworks, the Bellevue Arts Commission has eagerly accepted them on behalf of the city.
Like much of Lawrence's work, “Builders III” is a quasi-cubist, quasi-expressionist, collage-style piece that seeks to simplify its subject – Black construction workers on a city street – to dynamic essentials. Created in 1991, this nine-color lithograph is one of several works addressing Lawrence’s ongoing theme of “builders as a symbol of progress.”
Lawrence grew up in 1930s Harlem and studied at the Harlem Art Workshop. Despite never completing high school, he taught himself Black history by spending hours in the library researching legendary Black figures and events to use in his paintings. He was the first Black artist to be represented by a New York gallery, creating several series of paintings that documented the stories of heroes such as Harriet Tubman and John Brown.
An artist statement from the Pennsylvania Academy of Art highlighting Lawrence’s thoughts on “Builders III” reads "To me it's a symbol of progress. It's a symbol of hope, on various levels... It's a symbol of...our capacity, the human capacity to build, to not tear down."
About the Bellevue Arts Program
The City of Bellevue seeks to be a vital platform for cultural exchange and creative inspiration, turning to artists to enrich the collective experience of Bellevue’s public places through permanent commissions and a growing collection of moveable artworks funded through the Public Art program.
A segment of the collection is devoted to artworks that raise the discourse on the defining aspects of Bellevue’s civic life, exploring the diverse identities of our residents, converging cultures, international connections, technological currents and interplay between nature and the urban experience that make Bellevue’s environment unique.
Donations of artwork to the city are considered on an individual basis. Generally, artwork is acquired from living artists through open calls for art and not through offer of donation.
Bellevue’s art collection helps document the dynamic moments and complexities of Bellevue’s cultural life and is an important resource for future generations. More information is at Arts and Culture.