African American Art in the 20th Century

African American Art in the 20th Century

The exhibition presents 100 paintings, sculptures, and photographs by 43 African American artists from the premier collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, more than half of which are being shown for the first time.

The exhibition features artists who came to prominence during the period bracketed by the Harlem renaissance and the Civil Rights movement.

Some trained in the country's most prestigious art schools, others in the ateliers of Paris. Many were teachers; others worked at whatever jobs allowed them time to create. All participated in the multivalent dialogues about art, black identity, and the rights of the individual that engaged American society throughout the 20th Century.

Explore Related Categories