CURRENTLY ON VIEW IN NEW YORK, five gallery exhibitions showcase works by a variety of African American artists. The selection includes a group show at LatchKey Gallery devoted to a dozen Black female artists, Keith Duncan’s homage to marching bands at New Orleans HBCUs (online), and images by Paul Anthony Smith that explore his Caribbean roots:
ARIEL DANNIELLE, “Cheers to You, Friendsgiving,” 2019 (acrylic on unstretched canvas, 84 x 129.5 inches). | © Ariel Dannielle. Courtesy the artist and LatchKey Gallery
Last Supper @ LatchKey Gallery, New York, N.Y. | Feb. 9-March 20, 2021
Curated by Tamecca Seril, “Last Supper” is a celebration of fellowship and the nourishment, support, and motivation Black female artists have historically provided for one another. Working in a range of mediums, the participating artists are Kimberly Becoat, Ify Chiejina, Ariel Dannielle, Dominque Duroseau, Nkechi Ebubedike, LaToya Hobbs, Ashante Kindle, Jennifer Mack-Watkins, Turiya Magadlela, Shervone Neckles, Dana Robinson, and Josie Love Roebuck. A nomadic gallery, LatchKey is presenting the group exhibition at two locations by appointment: 323 Canal Street, Manhattan, and Industry City, 274 36th Street, Brooklyn.
PAUL ANTHONY SMITH, “Breeze off yu soul,” 2020-21 (unique picotage with spray paint on inkjet print mounted on museum board and sintra; print: 40 x 54 inches ). | © Paul Anthony Smith. Courtesy the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery
Paul Anthony Smith: Tradewinds @ Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, N.Y. | Feb. 25-April 3, 2021
At its West 20th Street location, Jack Shainman is showcasing the unique photographic, picotage on pigment prints of Jamaican-born, New York-based Paul Anthony Smith. His latest body of work “shines a lens on generations of people of Caribbean descent, considering how cartography, geography, and familial legacy determine our fate and our individual and collective impacts on the world.”
KEITH DUNCAN, “Grambling State University Marching Band,” 2020 (acrylic with fabric on canvas, 74 x 108 inches). | © Keith Duncan
Keith Duncan: Bayou Classic @ Fort Gansevoort, New York, N.Y. | March 04 – April 17, 2021
New Orleans-based Keith Duncan‘s latest body of work is inspired by the Bayou Classic. A storied tradition, the annual football game is a face-off between Southern University and Grambling State University, two Louisiana HBCUs. The highlight of the game is the halftime show, where the Battle of the Bands is the ultimate display of ceremony, pageantry, competition, rhythm, and sound. This online exhibition of new drawings and paintings by Duncan is accompanied by a conversation with his friend Franklin Sirmans, director of Pérez Art Museum Miami.
Installation view of “LeRone Wilson: From Beyond” @ Bill Hodges Gallery, New York. | Courtesy Bill Hodges Gallery
LeRone Wilson: From Beyond @ Bill Hodges Gallery, New York, N.Y. | Feb. 11-March 19, 2021
After focusing on painting and metal work, New York artist LeRone Wilson discovered craft wax—a new medium with expansive possibilities that fed his interest in color and texture. Working with beeswax, carnauba wax, propolis and powdered pigment, he creates abstract works. Wilson calls the textured, organic forms “sculptural paintings.” Last year, he started experimenting with figuration. A selection of recent works is on view at Bill Hodges, a Black-owned gallery. Describing the encaustic works, Wilson has said: “Every component, every detail and every function has been reduced or condensed to the essential. The simplicity of my work explores the possibility of working creatively without disrupting the purity of the material.”
FAITH RINGGOLD, “No More War Story Quilt Part II,” 1985 (intaglio, dyed and pieced fabric, 71 x 101 inches). | © Faith Ringgold. Courtesy the artist and ACA Galleries
A Black Perspective @ ACA Galleries, New York, N.Y. | Jan 8-May 1, 2021
ACA Galleries has been showcasing works by African American artists since its founding, nearly a century ago, in 1932. Drawn from the gallery’s inventory, “A Black Perspective” presents works by 20th century standouts produced between 1945 and 2015. Featured artists include Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Joseph Delaney, Jacob Lawrence, Richard Mayhew, Faith Ringgold, and Aminah Robinson. In May, the exhibition is headed to Texas where it will be on view at the Houston African American Museum of Art and Culture. CT
BEFORE YOU VISIT Check directly with each gallery to confirm it is open and any special visitor protocols or requirements due to COVID-19
