The art exhibition entry
The Press Preview of the Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985 at the National Gallery of Art occurred on Thursday, September 18. This is the first exhibition to consider photography’s impact on a cultural and aesthetic movement that celebrated Black history, identity, and beauty. Visitors will view 150 examples of works from America, the Caribbean, Africa, and other parts of the world.
The exhibition is curated by Deborah Willis, university professor and chair of the department of photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts and director of the Center for Black Visual Culture at New York University and Philip Brookman, consulting curator of photographs at the National Gallery of Art. Both made the creative decision to start the exhibition features well-known artists like Carrie Mae Weems, Romare Bearden, and among others.
The Black Arts Movement is described as a cultural revolution in art and ideas coined by Poet Larry Neal. The Black Arts Movement was essentially the Harlem Renaissance, but about thirty years later with brilliant poets, playwrights, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, and painters. This particular arts movement ushered in the civil rights movement and celebrated Black history, identity, and beauty.
The first work you see upon walking into the art exhibition is Ming Smith, Sun Ra Space II, New York, New York, 1978, gelatin silver print. I captured a few moments from the exhibition which I will share in form of videos and images. I hope you enjoy!
The next event tied to the exhibition is this Sunday, October 5, titled, A Snapshot of Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985. They’ll educate you on the themes of the exhibition and look closely at a few images together. After the event, you can explore the rest of the exhibition at your own pace.
If you cannot make it to the art exhibition, see more footage from the art exhibition on my Instagram. The exhibition ends on January 11, 2026. After Washington DC, the art exhibition will head to The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, February 24–June 14, 2026 then Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, July 25–November 8, 2026.
In this clip below, curator Deborah Willis discuses the contact sheet work featured in the exhibition.
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