Black Art Near + Far

Exhibits and Events

This page is dedicated to Black art exhibitions and events, locally, nationally, and internationally.  Come back often to see what's happening! 

South Florida

 Miami, FL

Introduction to African American Art Collecting

Griots Gallery and Academy will be hosting their lecture, “Introduction to African American Art Collecting” on May 14, 2022. Join in person at 8260 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33138 or virtually. Register with Zoom here.

Reclamation and Remembering: Ode to the Building Blocks of My Narrative 

Reclamation and Remembering: Ode to the Building Blocks of My Narrative is a solo exhibit featuring Nadine Hall, Master of Fine Arts candidate, University of Miami. This multi-disciplinary exhibit incorporates culinary arts, installation art, and sculpture and explores narrative of resilience, ingenuity, diasporic memory, and the art of survival. Created on the concept of a simple family recipe of making candies with sugar, coconuts, and peanuts taught to her and the memories of spending time at her great grandmother’s home as a child, this exhibition reimagines the concrete blocks that built her grandmother's house and sculpts them into art objects made from her family recipe.
​Reclamation and Remembering: Ode to the Building Blocks of My Narrative.   University of Miami, Wynwood Gallery.  Artist talk is Saturday, May 14th at 4pm, 2750 NW 3rd Avenue, Suite 4 (also entrance from ​ NW 28th Street).  Exhibit runs through May 16, 2022.  Free. 

Nadine Hall, Image Courtesy of Nadine Hall

​ORDER MY STEPS: There are no answers here, move on

ORDER MY STEPS: There are no answers here, move on​ is Roscoè B. Thické III’s solo debut at Oolite Arts. Thické investigates the place to remember and honor the lifespan of Pork N’ Beans housing project in Liberty City and his grandmother and the intersection of the death of both.  Oolite Arts, 924 Lincoln Road, 2nd Floor Miami Beach, FL . ​ Runs through May 22, 2022.​

Roscoè B. Thické III. Photo courtesy of Oolite Arts

We the People: Oscar Thomas Art Exhibit Reception

We the People celebrates and memorializes the life of prolific Miami muralist, Oscar Thomas. On the 25th anniversary of his passing Dr. Tasha Thomas-Straughter (his daughter) curated a multi-media biographical project celebrating his memory. This  exhibit features Thomas’ original artwork spanning three decades, a photography collection of his murals in South Florida history, never seen videos, and a tribute showcase, curated by Addonis Parker, highlighting local and international artists inspired by Thomas’ legacy. A reception will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022 from 4pm-8pm. Reception: May 21, 2022, 4pm-8pm. Reception tickets: Eventbrite. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, 6161 NW 22nd Avenue Miami, FL. Runs through June 5, 2022.

Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Sculptures from Africa

Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Sculptures from Africa​, curated by Tumelo Mosaka, former lead curator for the Investec Cape Town Art Fair, presents African sculptures in dialogue with works from some of Africa’s exciting contemporary artists and challenges Western cultural norms and perspectives. To schedule your visit, go to olcdc.org/beyondtradition. Opa-locka Community Development Corporation, The ARC,  675 Ali Baba Ave, Opa-locka, FL.  Runs through August 28, 2022.

New York, NY

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

​1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is the leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and the African diaspora. The fair returns to New York in person after almost two years with 25 galleries from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. 1-54 New York will be accompanied by 1-54 Forum, a program of talks, performances, and screenings that explore the work of artists from Africa and its diaspora.  Harlem Parish, 258 West 118th Street, New York, NY. Runs May 20, 2022-May 22, 2022. ​

Logo courtesy of website

I’ll Take You There; A Proclamation

​I’ll Take You There; A Proclamation presents new work by artist, Nari Ward. Ward creates sculptures from found materials he collects in his Harlem neighborhood. Included in the exhibition are four text-based works constructed from shoelaces, two large-scale sculptural installations, a video work, and a series of new copper panels.
​Lehmann Maupin, 501 West 24th Street, New York, NY. Runs through June 4, 2022.

Photo Courtesy: Carnegie Corporation of New Yotk

American People &​ Prints and Multiples

​Faith Ringgold is a painter, writer, mixed media sculptor, and performance artist, best known for her narrative quilts. Her work is an extension of her political activism and an archive of her experience in the women art’s movement. Ringgold has earned and maintained her place in American art history as an innovative and novel artist. 
Faith Ringgold: American People. New Museum, 235 Bowery New York, NY.  Runs through June 5, 2022.  Faith Ringgold: Prints and Multiples. ACA Galleries 529 West 20th Street New York, NY. Runs through June 11, 2022.

Faith Ringgold. Photographed (cropped) by Kathy Willens

King Pleasure

​Jean-Michel Basquiat was active in the Neo-expressionism movement known his work dealing with themes of isolation, alienation, wealthy/poverty, and integration/segregation. King Pleasure, an exhibition organized and curated by his family, features over 200 never-before-seen and rarely shown paintings, drawings, multimedia presentations, ephemera, and artifacts. They tell the story of Jean-Michel from an intimate perspective, intertwining his artistic endeavors with his personal life, influences, and the times in which he lived. Starrett Lehigh, 601 West 26th Street, New York, NY. Entrance on 27th Street. Runs through June 30, 2022.  ​

Jean-Michel Basquiat Photograph © Lee Jaffe 1983

​Everyone

​Nick Cave’s glass mosaics in his installation, Every one, at the 42nd St shuttle in New York capture motions of  his “Soundsuits”.   Colorful  “figures on the wall are depicted leaping and twirling in mosaic Soundsuits”—Cave’s full body costumes that make noise when they move. “ ​​It’s almost like looking at a film strip,” Cave said. “As you’re moving down that from left to right, you see it in motion.” MTA New York, 42nd St Subway Connector.  Permanent installation

Nick Cave

North Dallas, TX

What Could Be Has Not Yet Appeared

​Naudline Pierre’s first solo exhibition, What Could Be Has Not Yet Appeared, debuts five new paintings and presents her vividly hued paintings portraying opaque, otherworldly narratives through depictions of supernatural beings entangled in complex scenes of struggle and intimacy. Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 North Harwood Dallas, Texas 75201. Runs through May 15, 2022. ​​​

Naudline Pierre. Photographed by Rafael Martinez

Washington, D.C.

Fragile Beauty

Fragile Beauty features thirty-three DC artists seeking to bring awareness about environmental injustices. With painting, sculpture, prints, photography, and installations, this show advocates for mindfulness, consciousness, and stewardship while showing paths towards harmony with the planet. It is the first juried art exhibition initiated by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities 200 I Street, SE, Suite 1400, Washington, D.C. Runs May 9, 2022- July 1, 2022.

Afro-Atlantic Histories ​

​Afro-Atlantic Histories takes an in-depth look at the historical experiences and cultural formations of Black and African people since the 17th century. The show includes more than 100 works of art in various mediums, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, and time-based media by artists from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean. This exhibition was initially presented as Histórias Afro-Atlânticas in 2018 by the Museu de Arte de São Paulo in Brazil. National Gallery of Art, West Building, Main Floor, Galleries 72–79, 6th St and Constitution Ave NW, Washington D.C. Runs through July 17, 2022.

Renee Stout, photograph by Grace Roselli

Sam Gilliam: Full Circle

Sam Gilliam: Full Circle will pair a series of circular paintings created in 2021 with “Rail” (1977), a painting in the Hirshhorn’s permanent collection. This exhibition will explore Gilliam’s expansive body of work in his chosen home of Washington DC.  The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Ave and 7th St, Washington, DC 20560. Runs May 25, 2022-September 11, 2022.

Sam Gilliam, Photograph: Jocelyn Augustino/the Guardian

International 

Dubai, UAE

Shared Song

Shared Song is El Anatsui’s first solo exhibition in Dubai, UAE. With Mae-Ling Lokko as the curator and Aida Muluneh as the creative director, this exhibition presents a new series of wooden sculptures that are reminiscent of Anatsui’s earlier practice along with his bottle cap works. Efie Gallery, Unit 2 Al Khayat Art Avenue, 19th Street – Al Quoz 1, Off First Al Khail Street, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Runs through May 31, 2022.

El Anatsui, Photo by: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP/Getty Images.

Cape Town, South Africa

Only Sun in The Sky Knows How I Feel (A Lucid Dream)​

​Only Sun in The Sky Knows How I Feel (A Lucid Dream) is a major exhibition of new works by South African artist Johannes Phokela. The exhibition is an exploration into Phokela’s practices and processes. His work through allegory and lush, painted surfaces critique social mores and corrupt value systems in the aftermath of empire. View the exhibition at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA), V&A Waterfront Silo District, S Arm Rd, Waterfront, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa. Runs through May 22, 2022.

Johannes Phokela, Photograph by Anthea Pokroy, courtesy of Zeitz MOCAA

Paris, France

Les restes du bruit ​

Les restes du bruit places the work of Seyni Awa Camara, a sculptor and Estevão Mucavel, a painter in conversation with one another. This exhibition features work by both artists from the 1980s to the present and explore the space and silence between dreams. Both explore naturalistic forms to probe what remains when the noise is gone. MAGNIN-A, 118 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France. Runs through May 14, 2022.

Nectar

​Nectar is a solo exhibition by New York based artist Xaviera Simmons. Her debut exhibition in France includes new photographs, videos and paintings taking inspiration from the AFRO American Newspapers’ archives, managed by Afro Charities. Her work engages with the foundations of the American empire its continuous expansion, with glimpses of viable future paths. KADIST Paris, 19bis/21 Rue des Trois Frères, 75018, Paris France.  Runs May 6, 2022 through July 24, 2022.  ​

Xaviera Simmons, Portrait by John Edmonds, 2021

London, UK

Sonia Boyce, Yes, I Hear You​

​Sonia Boyce, Yes, I Hear You is a four-channel video installation with eight digital prints and wallpaper centering around how we engage with others and deep listening. The exhibition is product of two years of research people who identify as survivors of domestic abuse; those who have perpetrated harm; and care workers, harm reduction facilitators, and therapists who support people directly affected by domestic abuse.  Sonia Boyce is the recipient of the 2022 Golden Lion, the venice Biennale highest award.  Boyce received the prize for Best National Participation. Serpentine North Gallery, West Carriage Drive, London W2 2AR. Runs through May 29, 2022.

Sonia Boyce, Photo by: Paul Cochrane, courtesy of UAL

Vienna, Austria

Lerato le le golo (...la go hloka bo kantle)

Lerato le le golo (...la go hloka bo kantle) is Dineo Seshee Bopape’s exploration of South Africa’s history. With installations and videos, Bopape recalls memories in relation to the land and the African people. She seeks to evoke the strength of the African diaspora in the face of white supremacy. Association of Visual Artists Vienna Secession, Friedrichstraße 12, 1010 Vienna. Runs through June 2, 2022. ​

Dineo Seshee Bopape, by Maksym Bilousov. Courtesy of PinchukArtCentre.