“A Superlative Palette”: Exhibit In Charlotte Brings Black Women Artists To The Forefront

In Charlotte, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is currently featuring an exciting exhibition titled “A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists,” which showcases the diverse works of 12 renowned artists, including Mickalene Thomas and Amy Sherald. 

Despite differences in mediums and styles, the exhibition emphasizes the intersectionality of their identities as contemporary visual creators. Dexter Wimberly, a respected curator based in Japan, curated ”A Superlative Palette”  to underscore the influential contributions of today’s leading creative minds who are using their art to address societal issues.

This exhibition, marking a significant part of the Gantt Center’s 50th-anniversary celebrations, stands out for bringing together these artists for the first time in North Carolina. Wimberly, in his role as curator, states that his focus is not on establishing connections between the artists’ visual languages, but rather on spotlighting their collective embodiment of contemporary society and their individual expressions of social commentary.

 “Even though you have a generation of artists who are contemporaries, they all have their own way of seeing the world and reflecting that back out to the world through their art,” Wimberly said in an interview with The Charlotte Observer. “This exhibition is less about the connection between the artwork made by these artists. It’s more about the connection that all these artists have to this time that we’re living in right now.”

The exhibition serves as a reminder of the historical marginalization and underrepresentation experienced by Black female artists within the art world. Through this showcase, a conscious effort is made to rectify this oversight by bringing attention to their significant achievements.

Featured artists in the exhibition include Nina Chanel Abney, ruby onyinyechi amanze, Lauren Halsey, Rachel Jones, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Jennifer Packer, Calida Rawles, Deborah Roberts, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, Mickalene Thomas, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.

“A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists” is currently on display at The Gantt Center in Charlotte, NC through July 28th, 2024.

For more information, please visit gantt center.org.