Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955 – 1985
National Gallery of Art September 21, 2025 – January 11, 2026
J. Paul Getty Museum February 24 – June 14, 2025
Mississippi Museum of Art July 25 – November 8, 2026
Darrel Ellis, b.1958 – d.1992
Untitled (Children Playing After Thomas Ellis Photograph), C. 1981
Ink, wash and graphite on paper
12 x 18 in.
The first exhibition to consider photography’s impact on a cultural and aesthetic movement that celebrated Black history, identity, and beauty.
Uniting around civil rights and freedom movements of the 1960s and 1970s, many visual artists, poets, playwrights, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers expressed hope and dignity through their art. These creative efforts became known as the Black Arts Movement.Photography was central to the movement, attracting all kinds of artists—from street photographers and photojournalists to painters and graphic designers. This expansive exhibition presents 150 examples tracing the Black Arts Movement from its roots to its lingering impacts, from 1955 to 1985. Explore the bold vision shaped by generations of artists including Billy Abernathy,
Romare Bearden,
Kwame Brathwaite,
Roy DeCarava,
Doris Derby,
Emory Douglas,
Barkley Hendricks, Barbara McCullough,
Betye Saar, and
Ming Smith.
