Cauleen Smith is Shining a Light on the Powerful Poetry of Wanda Coleman and the Contours of Los Angeles that Inspired Her
CAULEEN SMITH, Still from “The Wanda Coleman Songbook,” 2024. The installation is accompanied by limited-edition soundtrack with contributions by Kelsey Lu, Shala Miller, moor mother and Aquiles Navarro, Meshell Ndegeocello, Jeff Parker and Ruby Parker, Alice Smith, and Jamila Woods and Standing on the Corner. | © Cauleen Smith. Courtesy the artist and 52 Walker,...
2024 David C. Driskell Prize Goes to Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of Guggenheim Museum: ‘I Am Equal Parts Elated and Humbled’
THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART announced Naomi Beckwith is the recipient of the 2024 David C. Driskell Prize. The $50,000 prize is awarded annually to an artist, curator, or scholar in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of African American art. Beckwith is the deputy director and Jennifer and David Stockman chief curator of...
Historic Appointment: Robert C. Davidson Jr., is New Chair of Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Board of Commissioners
THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM (SAAM) in Washington, D.C., has a new board chair. Robert “Bob” C. Davidson Jr., was appointed chair of SAAM’s Board of Commissioners, effective Jan. 1, 2024. The news was announced Feb. 15. He was appointed by his fellow commissioners to a four-year term. Davidson is the retired chairman, CEO, and...
Jack Shainman Gallery Adds Charisse Pearlina Weston to Roster of Artists Engaged in Social and Cultural Issues
Charisse Pearlina Weston. | Courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery CONCEPTUAL ARTIST Charisse Pearlina Weston is now represented by Jack Shainman. The New York gallery has an international roster of nearly 40 artists recognized for exploring social and cultural issues in their work, including Nina Chanel Abney, El Anatsui, Nick Cave, Kerry James Marshall, Meleko Mokgosi,...
Painter Sam Gilliam Remained Highly Productive in His Last Five Years, ‘He Was Talking About Freedom, Expression, and Commitment to Abstract Art’
Installation view of “Sam Gilliam: The Last Five Years” at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibition features a symphony of drape paintings made by the artist in 2018. | Courtesy David Kordansky Gallery IN LOS ANGELES, a symphony of color-soaked canvases are suspended from the ceiling of the South Gallery at David...
New York: Closing Soon, 5 Gallery Shows Feature Works by Theaster Gates, Nathaniel Oliver, Tuli Mekondjo, Richmond Barthé, Christopher Udemezue, and Gerald Lovell
FIVE GALLERY EXHIBITIONS, on view in New York City, explore similar themes—personal narratives and collective histories—across a wide variety of mediums and styles. Theaster Gates is presenting sculptures and conceptual installations. Nathaniel Oliver and Gerald Lovell make figurative paintings. Tuli Mekondjo’s textiles are mixed-media hanging works. Meanwhile, Richmond Barthé’s modernist sculptures are in conversation with...
Essence Harden is Curating the Focus Section of Frieze Los Angeles Around the Theme of ‘Ecologies’ and Showcasing the City’s Vibrant Art Ecosystem
For Frieze Los Angeles 2024, curator Essence Harden offers a cultural guide to the city. | Video by Frieze LOS ANGELES IS A CITY of diverse cultures, creative communities, and dedicated local figures who help to knit it all together. Essence Harden is drawn to these unique characteristics of the city and is bringing...
Adrienne Edwards Appointed Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Programs at Whitney Museum, Expanding Her Leadership Role
THE WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART in New York announced the promotion of Adrienne Edwards to the position of Engell Speyer Family Senior Curator and Associate Director of Curatorial Programs. Edwards joined the Whitney in 2018 as curator of performance and was named director of curatorial affairs in 2021. She is currently organizing “Edges of...
Latest News in Black Art: Essence Harden is Co-Curating Made in L.A. 2025, Oluremi C. Onabanjo is Photography Curator at MoMA, Shortlist for London’s Fourth Plinth & More
Latest News in Black Art features updates and developments in the world of art and related culture Fourth Plinth Shortlist 2026, 2028: Clockwise, from top left, “Ancient Feelings,” by Thomas J Price; “Sweet Potatoes and Yams are Not the Same” by Veronica Ryan, “Hornero” by Gabriel Chaile, and “Lady in Blue” by Tschabalala...
Black Art History: 10 U.S. Museums are Exploring African American Art with an Array of Themed Exhibitions
MUSEUMS ACROSS THE NATION are surveying more than 150 years of African African American art. Coinciding with Black History Month, the exhibitions engage a spectrum of themes, presenting an expansive look at Black artistic production. From Sacramento, Calif., to Cincinnati, Ohio, Charlotte, N.C., and New York City, the exhibitions highlight the work of women artists,...
What to Look Forward to in 2024: 30 Exhibitions, Books, and Events Focused on African American Artists
THE YEAR AHEAD is brimming with unprecedented opportunities to explore the work of historic and contemporary artists. Among the most anticipated are landmark surveys of Sargent Claude Johnson, the first Black artist active in California to gain national renown, and Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, the first woman of color to graduate from the Rhode Island School...
Latest News in Black Art: 2024 United States Artists Fellows Announced, James Claiborne Returns to Barnes Foundation, Jupiter Magazine Debuts & More
Latest News in Black Art features updates and developments in the world of art and related culture 2024 United States Artists Fellows: Clockwise, from top left, Karen Collins. | Photo by Chris Merchant; Tammie Rubin. | Photo by Essentials Creative; María Magdalena Campos-Pons. | Photo courtesy the artist; Garrett Bradley. | Photo by...
Gordon Parks Foundation Announced Its 2024 Fellows: Larry W. Cook, Tonika Lewis Johnson, and D. Watkins
Recipients of the 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship in Art are Larry W. Cook and Tonika Lewis Johnson. | Images: From left, Courtesy of GPF and Photo by Ken Carl THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION announced its 2024 Fellows. The recipients of the Gordon Parks Foundation Fellowship in Art are conceptual artist and archivist Larry...
Filmmaker and Writer Dream Hampton is New Museum’s 2024 Stuart Regen Visionary
dream hampton. | Photo by Erik Howard THE NEW MUSEUM announced its 2024 Visionary is dream hampton. The annual Stuart Regen Visionaries Series recognizes “individuals who have made major contributions to art and culture and who are actively imagining a better future.” An award-winning filmmaker, producer, and writer from Detroit, hampton is being honored...
Latest News in Black Art: New Executive Director at Atlanta Contemporary, Kehinde Wiley Painting Makes Cameo in Heist Film, Derek Fordjour Covers Whitewall Magazine
Latest News in Black Art features updates and developments in the world of art and related culture Floyd Hall. | Photo by Wesley Cummings Appointments Floyd Hall is joining Atlanta Contemporary as executive director, effective Jan. 16. An Atlanta-based cultural producer and media strategist, Hall has collaborated with a variety of companies...
Building History: Kimberly Dowdell is AIA’s 100th President. First Black Woman to Lead Architecture Organization Plans to ‘Do More’
Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, gives remarks in her first moments as president. | Photo courtesy AIA THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS (AIA) elected its first Black female president. Kimberly Dowdell, AIA, is the 2024 President of AIA. Dowdell, 40, describes herself as “an architect determined to make the world a better place.” She is a...
NXTHVN Opens Applications for 2024-25 Studio and Curatorial Fellowships
NXTHVN is located in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven, Conn. Each year, NXTHVN welcomes up to seven artists and two curators to participate in its paid 10-month intensive Fellowship Program. NXTHVN is pleased to announce the opening of its annual open call for Studio and Curatorial Fellows. Founded by Titus Kaphar and...
Culture Type: The 13 Best Black Art Books of 2023
The Best Black Art Books of 2023 explore the work of Simone Leigh, Benjamin Wigfall, Kerry James Marshall, Hughie Lee-Smith, Dalton Paula, William Edmondson, and more A GLORIOUS TRIBUTE and essential overview, “Simone Leigh” is the first publication to document the singular artist’s practice, which focuses on sculpture and centers Black female subjectivity. The catalogue...
Latest News in Black Art: Kwesi Botchway Now Represented by Vielmetter Los Angeles, Anonymous Was a Woman Awards, Jordan Casteel and Steve Stoute Elected to Met Museum Board & More
Latest News in Black Art features updates and developments in the world of art and related culture Representation VIELMETTER LOS ANGELES Kwesi Botchway (b. 1994) is now represented by Vielmetter Los Angeles. Botchway is known for his stylized portraits of contemporary African people, bold and colorful depictions grounded in community and culture. The...
Moving On Up: Amid Financial Setbacks at Museums, 31 Curators and Arts Leaders Took on New Appointments in Second Half of 2023
Culture Type reports on new appointments of Black curators and arts leaders to get a sense of representation in museums, with an emphasis on art museums. Museum leaders, curators, and educators shape the management and intellectual direction of institutions, determine the art visitors see and the programming they experience and, by extension, whether audiences of...
