Cultural Commentary

Top: Barrett Keithley, Cassandra Wilson, Patricia Andrews-Keenan and Edo; Middle: Edo; Bottom: Ruby Simmons and Gyamfuah Melisiziwe; Right: Jesse Howard. Photos by Tafari Melisiziwe The conversation continues at REVOLUTIONARY, Pigment International's thought-provoking summer exhibition at Vjosa Café & Events. Curated by P. Andrews-Keenan, the exhibition features an extraordinary roster of painters, photographers, and mixed-media artists whose work examines 250 years of Black

Remembering Dion Clarke, who passed away this Tuesday. His Harlem Fine Arts Show (HFAS) celebrated its 18th Anniversary this February, and its first iteration in the Hamptons this weekend. The passing of Dion E. Clarke, Founder and CEO of the Harlem Fine Arts Show (HFAS), leaves an immeasurable void in the world of Black art. He used what he learned working with other Black art visionaries and turned it into the nation's largest traveling exhibition dedicated to artists of th

The Reluctant Ribbon Merchant by Jesse Howard and Patrice Lumumba by Candace Hunter are works in Revolutionary opening July 17th at Vjosa Cafe and Events. Pigment International opens REVOLUNTARY, a bold new group exhibition on July 17 at Vjosa Cafe and Events, 1010 W. 35th Street in Bridgeport. The show runs through August 15th REVOLUNTARY is an extension of Pigment’s February 2026 exhibition Glory! Glory!, which drew national attention for its exploration of the American fl

Danny Simmons - 1953 - 2026 Daniel Dwayne Simmons Jr. — abstract expressionist painter, poet, published author, and philanthropist — passed away on June 14, 2026, at the age of 72. For those who knew his work, not just his famous last name, the loss is seismic.  In New York, he was the oldest Simmons brother — the quiet one who watched Russell build Def Jam and Joey become Rev Run of Run-DMC — while he built something altogether different: a life in paint, a gallery, a movem

44th created by James Nelson. In the Land of the Free T-Shirts created by Reggie McFly honor the escaped slave Gordon, aka "Whipped Peter". Pigment International is proud to participate in the Obama Presidential Center's (OPC) Grand Opening Ceremony Official Watch Party on Thursday, June 18, at Midway Plaisance Park in Chicago's Hyde Park community. As one of a select group of local businesses, cultural organizations, and restaurants invited to be part of this historic commun

Top row: Artist Bryant Lamont with Pigment's Patricia Andrews-Keenan, work by Roger Carter, artists Paul Branton, Gerald Griffin and Bryant Lamont, work by Lamont; second row work by Bernard Williams, work by Paul Branton, Faye Edwards of Faiè Afrikan Art with photographer Tonika Johnson, artist Roger Carter; third row Bertha Thomas, Chair of the Board the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Institute with exhibition curator Raymond A. Thomas, work by Max Sansing, Claudette Rop

Artist Robert Hansen's apparel capsule collection captures artists using AR. In celebration of Black Music Month (BMM), acclaimed immersive artist Robert E. Hansen has unveiled Culture of Legacy — a limited-edition capsule collection where fine art becomes collectible apparel. Launching exclusively at iamroberthansen.com, the collection transforms the stories of Black music and cultural icons into wearable works of art — blending art, storytelling, and innovation into pieces

Call For Art and Advertisers Two hundred and fifty years. That is the span of American history this nation is marking in 2026 — and Pigment International® is marking it on our own terms. Pigment Magazine Issue VI, our Collector's Edition, arrives this August themed America 250: We ARE The People. At a moment when the contributions of Black Americans risk being minimized or erased from the national record, this issue centers Black artists as essential narrators of where this

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

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

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

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

Photos by Monique Brinkman Hill, Vanessa Hobson and LeeAnn Trotter The opening reception of the 2nd Annual Black History Festival of the Arts, presented by the OH Art Foundation, was a celebratory gathering of artists, writers, curators, collectors, and cultural leaders in a shared affirmation of Black creative legacy. The evening marked the debut of Rephrases en Noir , a group exhibition that situates Black literature as both source material and conceptual foundation for

Artist Kevin Williams and Dontae T. Muse at the Pigmented Black Fine Art Faire. Muse , based in Newark, NJ, is the founder of Black Art Gallery Tour (BAG) Tour and Black art advocate. by Dontae Muse If I could condense my predictions for the Black art market heading into 2026 into one sentence, it might look like this: Black collectors will stop asking for permission from white markets and develop our own art spaces dedicated to our artists. What’s unfolding isn’t a trend, a

Goldie by artist Reggie McFly Pigment International continues its year-long editorial focus on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. America 250 – We ARE The People . This initiative centers Black artists as vital narrators of the nation’s past, present, and future, highlighting how contemporary artists are interpreting the anniversary at a moment when the contributions of people of color and immigrants risk being minimized or erased from the historical record.

“I’m not sure that I can predict, but I always hope that we continue to build together a strong ecosystem around the artists and their work. My hope is that institutions see us, the galleries, as sources who might be small but are mighty in their practice, knowledge of art historically, currently and for the future. Thank you for always including me and Knowhere in the work you are doing to fortify our art community!” Val Francis – Knowhere Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard

Art by Ekwelum Nnaemeka Through rigorous storytelling and cultural commentary, Pigment International educates, advocates, and advances the Black art ecosystem by amplifying the voices of artists, collectors, curators, gallerists, institutions, and cultural leaders shaping Black art culture today. In 2026, Pigment International will mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States with a year-long editorial focus titled America 250 – We Are The People . This