If one of your favorite things to do while traveling is to visit art museums, it’s worth noting which museums are investing in work by African American artists.
According to theartnewspaper.com, the market for work by African American artists is on the rise, but museums are falling behind, making it difficult to find your favorite black artists in the most renowned museums in the world. If the mission of contemporary art museums is to represent global modern art, then where is our representation?
Here are a few museums that are making the investment in contemporary works by black artists.
Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Museum of Art is consistently pushing the boundaries and showing art that is representative of the world we live in today. As part of their mission, the museum believes that the open and free exchange of ideas among people of diverse beliefs, cultures, and experiences stimulates new understandings and expands insights into our shared humanity. And their collection reflects that. You can stop by the museum and check out their permanent collection that includes many renowned black artists including Basquiat, Betye Saar, and Faith Ringgold.
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Tate Modern, London, UK
In 2017, the Tate made waves with their “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power” exhibition that offered a rare opportunity to see era-defining artworks that changed the face of art in America. Today, their permanent collection includes pieces by Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, David Hammons, and a handful of other black artists.
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
The museum shows special exhibitions of borrowed works and displays a portion of more than 500 works by 130 African-American artists in its permanent collections including multiple pieces by Kara Walker, Kerry James Marshall, and Sam Gilliam.
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MACBA, Barcelona, Spain
Like many public institutions in Spain, MACBA’s funding has taken a hit due to the financial crisis, but it has overcome this difficulty by continuing to diversify its collection. With a few works by Basquiat and a small handful of other African American artists, they are making strides in the right direction.
