Black Art Culture

BUTTER Fine Art Fair  made a powerful Los Angeles debut at Hollywood Park in Inglewood during Black History Month, aligning its four-day run with the energy of LA Art Week. Situated near SoFi Stadium, the immersive fair featured more than 40 independent, emerging, mid-career, and established artists from across the African diaspora. BUTTER’s defining principle—its no-censorship, no-commission structure—advanced a bold “100% for Artists” mission, directing all proceeds from sa

LA Art Week coincided with The NAACP Image Awards and SAG Awards fostering some serious celebrity watching.

Black Crown Art Auctions, the nation’s only active Black-owned and Black-operated fine art auction house specializing in work by African American artists, made its official debut at the opening reception of the 18th Annual Harlem Fine Art Show (HFAS). The launch took place Friday, February 20, at The Glasshouse in New York City. Guests met the founders, registered for upcoming sales, and previewed works slated for the inaugural auction in mid-March. The auction house was fou

From top left: Pigment founders Patricia Andrews-Keenan and Phyliss North, work by Candace Hunter, artist panel Robert Lewis Clark, Reggie McFly, Paul Branton, and Nnaemeka Ekwelum; Middle row: work by Candace Hunter, Patricia Jones Blessman, and former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun, and champagne toast. Bottom row: Pigment merchandise, Vicki and Bruce Heyman, former Ambassador to Canada, with grandson Levi, Sylvia Ewing, and Pat Everett. Photos by Thought P

Opening Night of Glory! Glory at Zhou B Art Center Pigment International continues the momentum of  Glory! Glory! with an evening of critical dialogue and cultural inquiry. On  Friday, March 13 at 6:00 PM , Glory! Glory! Salon Talk will convene artists, civic leaders, and political voices for a moderated conversation examining the intersection of art, civic engagement, and politics. Panelists will explore how creative practice can function as civic discourse—how visual langua

Pigment International is heading west for  LA Art Week , centering Black artists and cultural leadership across the city’s most dynamic platforms. Our team will be on the ground for the  Art Melanated Black Art Empowerment Summit , BUTTER LA, and Frieze Los Angeles—amplifying the force and future of Black art on the West Coast. On February 28, 2026, the Art Melanated Summit returns to Los Angeles at the W Hollywood for a full day of panels, strategy sessions, and high-impact

CHICAGO NAMED BEST BIG CITY IN AMERICA NINTH YEAR IN A ROW Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson join Choose Chicago to celebrate an amazing year for tourism in the city. Named the Best Big City in the U.S. for an unprecedented ninth consecutive year by Conde Nast Traveler, Chicago is recognized for its world-class art, dining, iconic architecture, and vibrant culture. Pigment International, a Choose Chicago partner, attended the celebration.  HAPP

CELEBRATING NOLA BLACK CARNIVAL SOCIETY The opening of “ Origins of New Orleans Black Carnival Society” in New Orleans. The exhibit continues through March 15th.  Sandra McCollum’s mother Verlie Etta Bright, was the inspiration for the exhibition. Here she is pictured with Bright’s great-granddaughter, Melieaa McCollum.   LESSONS LEARNED BOOK SIGNING  Ruby Simmons , author of “Lessons Learned”, with Faye Edwards , owner of Faiè Afrikan Art Bronzeville, site of the reading

Paul Branton and his work featuring Stacey Abrams; Work by Nate Austin; work by Nnaemeka Ekwelum; Reggie McFly; Robert Lewis Clark, Candace Hunter, and Nate Austin. Pigment International is proud to present  Glory! Glory! , opening  Friday, February 20  at the  Zhou B Art Center  from  7:00–10:00 PM . This powerful group exhibition brings together new and recent works by Candace Hunter, Nnaemeka Ekwelum, Reggie McFly, Paul Branton, Nate Austin, and Robert Lewis Clark —each re

Artist Robert Lewis Clark with his work '44" Pigment International’s  Glory! Glory!  opening on  Friday, February 20, 2026  at the  Zhou B Art Center  in Chicago, is a civic-centered exhibition foregrounding Black artistic perspectives on the imagery and symbolism of the U.S. flag. The exhibition encourages reflection and dialogue through both representational and interpretive approaches to this iconic national symbol. ( Eventbrite ) A central highlight is  Robert Lewis Clark

Tyanna Buie is working on her installation, Be the Change!  for the Obama Presidential Center. Photo Kaylee Pugliese/Courtesy RISD The soon-to-open  Obama Presidential Center in Chicago  is fast becoming one of the most ambitious public art programs in recent U.S. history, blending civic dialogue with artistic expression across its 19.3-acre campus. Set to open in  spring 2026 , the Center has now commissioned works by more than  25 leading contemporary artists , including  M

Dontae Muse. Work by Danielle Scott Between the Instagram carousel, the group chat exhibition announcement, and Chat GPT, the word “curator” slipped its shoes off and made itself comfortable. Too comfortable, maybe. Let me be clear before the think pieces begin to make themselves: everybody can curate. We all do it daily. We curate playlists, dinner parties, mood boards, timelines, and digital selves. Selection is human. Taste is personal. Storytelling is a natural human pres

Work by Robert Lewis Clark - Mixed Media on Wood 8' X 11' X 2' Pigment International Presents  Glory! Glory!  at Zhou B Art Center, February 20 Pigment International announces  Glory! Glory! , a group exhibition examining symbolism, citizenship, and collective power through contemporary Black art. The exhibition opens Friday, February 20, at Zhou B Art Center 1029 W. 35th Street , with a reception from 7:00–10:00 PM. The event is free and open to the public, advance registrat

Monique Brinkman-Hill Monique Brinkman Hill Brinkman Hill is the executive director of the country’s oldest, continuously operating art centers in the country. Founded in 1940, during the WPA, SSCAC,'s mission is to conserve, preserve and promote the legacy and future of Black art and artists.    "As I reflect on 2026, I see it as a year of possibility—one that carries the potential for transformation. I anticipate that the work emerging from this period will respond to this

Top row right, Munson and Christina Steed at the KJM exhibit in London. The exhibition is now in Paris. Bottom row left, Patricia Jones Blessman at MoAD in San Francisco. KERRY JAMES MARSHALL IN PARIS "Kerry James Marshall: The Histories" continues at the  Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris , following its run at the Royal Academy of Arts and Kunsthaus Zürich. The exhibition features over 70 works, including new paintings exploring Black African roles in the transatlantic slave tra

@kenneydoug - Photo Contributor How does an art event remain vital after more than half a century? Black Creativity 2026 at the Griffin Museum of Science & Industry answers that question not with spectacle alone, but with sustained rigor, thoughtful curation, and an unwavering commitment to Black creative excellence. Opening this past Monday, Black Creativity once again proved why it remains one of the most competitive juried exhibitions in the country. Pigment Internationa

Christina Steed, Rachel Dukes, and Patricia Andrews-Keenan.  Work by Delita Martin on the cover of Beyond Frames Exhibition, where works from the collections of Steed and Andrews-Keenan were featured. The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC ) has announced the release of two important new publications that further its legacy as a steward of Black cultural history and contemporary thought in Chicago. Developed in conjunction with recent public programs, both books center B

Photos courtesy of Janelle Nelson Opening on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 19, 2026,  The Fierce Urgency of Now  launched at IMAN’s IMANifest Arts Studios Gallery with a powerful gathering of artists, cultural leaders, and community members. Presented by IMAN in partnership with the Terra Foundation for American Art, the exhibition commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement’s historic 1966 march through Marquette Park, using art as a lens to confr

Artist Tasnee Durrett ARTIST TASANEE DURRETT Durrett’s practice is about repair, reconnecting what is broken and creating spaces for healing. The licensed architect is a lover of nature who weaves natural materials including plant fibers and cocoons into her work with an emphasis on the head and neck. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, I see 2026 less as a celebration and more as a turning point. For Black artists, collectors, and cultural institutions, it

Artist Sonja Henderson SCULPTOR SONJA HENDERSON'S POETIC MESSAGE TO 2026. Henderson is an award-winning, Chicago-based sculptor, educator, and community organizer. She is part of the group exhibition The Fierce Urgency of Now, opening Monday, January 19th at IManifest Studio Gallery, 2755 W. 63rd St., Chicago.   Artwork - Mystic and the Magpie, 36 X 78 X 48, Mixed Media: Palms, vintage beads, feathers, found objects, digital monitor, carved hands and birds. We are the people