Emma Amos: The Story of Postmodernist African-American Artist
Emma Amos (1937–2020) was a postmodernist artist whose thought-provoking works have left an indelible mark on the art world. Amos emerged as a...
Arianna Richetti 17 November 2025
#Black History
Marian Anderson: Singer, Civil Rights Icon, and Muse for Washington, DC Art
In the midst of the Jim Crow era, Marian Anderson’s undeniable voice rocketed her to stardom and made her the subject of several enduring works of...
Theodore Carter 20 October 2025
Faith Ringgold, Sunflowers, and Van Gogh
Faith Ringgold’s The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles is part of the artist’s series of mixed media works titled The French Collection, in which...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 8 October 2025
Jasmine Thomas-Girvan: On Making, Memory, and Marronage
What stories do materials hold? For Jamaican artist Jasmine Thomas-Girvan, each seed pod, feather, and shard of metal carries traces of memory,...
Guest Author 28 August 2025
How Art Saved His Life: Story of Horace Pippin
It took Horace Pippin 43 years to complete his first oil painting. Why so long? Because poverty, hard physical work, war, and disabilities got in his...
Magda Michalska 28 July 2025
I Put a Spell on You—Vodou Art
Vodou is one of the most misunderstood belief systems in the world. Derided by the Church and popular culture, in fact it is a fascinating system of...
Candy Bedworth 21 July 2025
The Rediscovered Portrait of an African Prince by Gustav Klimt
Masterpiece discoveries are rare, so when one happens, it reaches the headlines. This is the case for a portrait of Prince William Nii Nortey Dowuona...
Jimena Escoto 19 May 2025
Belle da Costa Greene—The Morgan Library’s First Director
Belle da Costa Greene (1883–1950) is remembered as one of the most influential librarians in American history. Starting as a private librarian,...
Nikolina Konjevod 12 May 2025
Official Portraits of Michelle and Barack Obama
In 2018, the official portraits of former U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled, becoming part of the Smithsonian...
Karolina 29 April 2025
Masterpiece Story: Portrait of Madeleine by Marie-Guillemine Benoist
What is the message behind Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s Portrait of Madeleine? The history and tradition behind this 1800 painting might explain...
Jimena Escoto 16 March 2025
Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica at the Art Institute of Chicago
The verb “to project” has a variety of meanings. It can allude to planning a project, presenting an idea, or promoting a concept. The exhibition...
Aniela Rybak-Vaganay 20 February 2025
