As part of the Art Matters Lecture series, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present Revisiting One Life: Marian Anderson, 3 p.m. Thursday, May 6, via Zoom. The free program will be presented by Leslie Ureña, curator of photographs, Smithsonian, National Portrait Gallery.

With each of her performances, Anderson (1897–1993), the Philadelphia-born contralto vocalist, tested limits and broke boundaries. She is best remembered for her gripping recital on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday in April 1939 when some 75,000 people gathered to witness her sing.

Because of her race, Anderson had been prohibited from performing at the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitution Hall and other venues in Washington, D.C. The concert on the National Mall, therefore, became a watershed moment in the struggle against segregationist policies and discrimination.

Anderson’s story, however, is richer than a single concert. Before 1939 she had already performed throughout the world, challenging expectations along the way.

In the aftermath of the 1939 concert, she repeatedly deflected questions about the controversy, as she assumed her role as a symbol of the struggle for African American equality and civil rights.

Throughout her life, Anderson inspired visual artists who were moved by her voice, symbolism, or bearing.

The program discusses the exhibit One Life: Marian Anderson, which was on view at the National Portrait Gallery June 2019 to March 2020. Through each of the works, viewers can explore how Anderson’s life and career were as crucial to the fight for civil rights as those legendary minutes on a cold afternoon in Washington, D.C.

Reserve tickets at tickets.sbma.net.