Celebrating Juneteenth 2023: Norman Lewis
In celebration of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, let’s honor Harlem Renaissance (ca. 1920s–1930s) (and beyond) artist Norman Lewis, one of the earliest African American artists to embrace abs ...
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Curator’s Corner
Black History Month 2023: Betye Saar
Since the 1970s, Betye Saar has been an important artist in both the Feminist Art Movement and in the ever-surging vitality and legacy of African American art. She is one of the most important assembl ...
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Curator’s Corner
Black History Month 2023: Vincent D. Smith
The art of African Americans has long been part of the American experience, beginning as enslaved Africans brought art forms, styles, and techniques to the U.S. Those artistic roots have impacted ...
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Curator’s Corner
Celebrating Martin Luther King Day: Nellie Mae Rowe
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, I’m sharing the art of a truly individual, inspiring African American artist: Nellie Mae Rowe. Her independent and unique spirit is part ...
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Curator’s Corner
LGBTQ+ History Month 2022: Richmond Barthé
I think it is important to always keep in mind that LGBTQ pride did not “begin” with the Stonewall Riots of 1969—a series of protests by members of the gay community in response to a ...
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Curator’s Corner
Hispanic Heritage Month 2022: Emilio Cruz
The works of Emilio Cruz form a counterpoint to the Abstract Expressionist style that dominated the art world when Cruz first went to New York. His work is important not only because it was figurative ...
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Curator’s Corner
A Visual Tribute to Labor Day Week 2022
Aside from the myth of Sunday as a “day of rest” in the West, it’s interesting to me that there is only one day a year that celebrates “labor” in the U.S. The movement to ...
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Curator’s Corner
Art for Juneteenth 2022: Sargent Johnson
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States, originating in Galveston, Texas, in 1865. Let’s celebrate the achievements of African Ame ...
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Curator’s Corner
Women's History Month 2022: Toyin Ojih Odutola
Nigerian-born artist Toyin Ojih Odutola explores contemporary definitions of gender, culture, and society with a unique graphic/painting technique. ...
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Curator’s Corner
Black History Month 2022: John Biggers
While John Biggers is known for his murals, he is equally as renowned for his graphic works. His realist style is tempered by an abstract simplification reminiscent of African art. He drew his subject ...
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