The renowned, eight-time Olympic Atlanta-based artist Steve R. Allen is generating opportunities for the artistically inquisitive Black youth through a new and generous initiative, where Allen will gift his own multi-million dollar artwork to historically Black colleges and universities. Allen, who has five artworks that have found their permanent home at the Smithsonian Museum of […]
In his illuminating portrait series “Infinite Essence: Celestial Liberation,” 30-year-old artist Mikael Owunna captures the soul of his subjects. Deeply spiritual and enthralling, the images feature the entire cosmos positioned within Black bodies. Some bodies are seen postured in a fetal position, floating in boundless space. There is a profound sense of inner peace within […]
A new graphic novel and memoir titled Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Dr. Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martinez uncovers the true story of what occurred as women fought back during slavery. With extensive research and stunning black-and-white illustrations, Wake recounts Hall’s journey of discovering the truth about these women warriors who, […]
Kwesi Botchway, a distinguished artist from Accra-Ghana, spoke with Artnet’s Naomi Rea to discuss his current exhibition “Homecoming: The Aesthetic of the Cool” and why painting Black faces is such an integral part of his work. Heavily encouraged to paint at a young age by his mother, Botchway’s journey with art began in childhood. He […]
By SARAH BLAKE MORGAN Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — There’s a hole in Anderson, South Carolina. It opened suddenly in August when Chadwick Boseman, one of the city’s favorite sons and an international star for his role as the Black Panther, died after a quiet battle with cancer at just 43 years old. Two […]
A painting by American artist Jacob Lawrence that has not been seen in public for 60 years has been found and is taking its designated place in a 30-piece exhibit of Lawrence’s work, officials at the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts said Thursday. The exhibit of the series “Struggle: From the History of the American […]
The renowned African American artist, curator, and scholar David Driskell died at the age of 88 due to complications of the coronavirus. Driskell was born on June 7th, 1931 in Eatonton, Georgia. His undergraduate studies took place at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, where he was part of the flood of […]
Through her annual New York-based event The Unapologetic Art Expo, Kiana Calder provides Black artists with an essential platform to expose and sell their work, free of charge. According to the website, The Unapologetic Art Expo “was created to capture the essence of the complicated beauty, joy, and pain that is Black culture.” Launched in […]
Since September, the California African American Museum (CAAM) has been showcasing its largest selection of works by Southern vernacular artists through their exhibition titled Dust My Broom: Southern Vernacular from the Permanent Collection. Paying homage to the 1930s Blues song “Dust My Broom” by Robert Johnson, the exhibit’s artworks were created by mostly self-taught artists […]
In the beginning of the summer’s heat, I headed down to New York for the first time. It would be a 10 day trip, with little on the itinerary–I planned on finding my way around the grand state with the help of a good friend, who graciously allowed me to become her temporary roommate. With […]