Government Resources on Anti-Racism: Black Art and Culture
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Take a look through this LibGuide to learn more about Black History Month and National Black American Inventor
Events
The exhibition "Citywide African American Artists Exhibition" was on view at the African American Library at the Gregory School
February 11, 2023 – May 4, 2023.
Click here to learn more about the exhibition
Click here to see more events at the African American History Research Center
Presidential Portraits
The Obama Portraits by
A richly illustrated celebration of the paintings of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama From the moment of their unveiling at the National Portrait Gallery in early 2018, the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama have become two of the most beloved artworks of our time. Kehinde Wiley's portrait of President Obama and Amy Sherald's portrait of the former first lady have inspired unprecedented responses from the public, and attendance at the museum has more than doubled as visitors travel from near and far to view these larger-than-life paintings. After witnessing a woman drop to her knees in prayer before the portrait of Barack Obama, one guard said, "No other painting gets the same kind of reactions. Ever." The Obama Portraits is the first book about the making, meaning, and significance of these remarkable artworks. Richly illustrated with images of the portraits, exclusive pictures of the Obamas with the artists during their sittings, and photos of the historic unveiling ceremony by former White House photographer Pete Souza, this book offers insight into what these paintings can tell us about the history of portraiture and American culture. The volume also features a transcript of the unveiling ceremony, which includes moving remarks by the Obamas and the artists. A reversible dust jacket allows readers to choose which portrait to display on the front cover. An inspiring history of the creation and impact of the Obama portraits, this fascinating book speaks to the power of art--especially portraiture--to bring people together and promote cultural change. Published in association with the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC
Call Number: E908.3 .O35 2020ISBN: 9780691203287Publication Date: 2020-02-11
Cultural Museums
- National Museum of African American ArtThe National Museum of African Art (NMAfA) began as a private educational institution in 1964 to promote cross-cultural understanding in the social sciences and arts. Founded by Warren M. Robbins, a former U.S. Foreign Service officer, it was known as the Museum of African Art and located on Capitol Hill in a townhouse that had been the home of Frederick Douglass, the African American abolitionist and statesman. In August 1979, by enactment of Public Law 95-414, the museum became part of the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex dedicated to the increase and diffusion of knowledge.
- Houston Museum of African American CultureThe mission of HMAAC is to collect, conserve, explore, interpret, and exhibit the material and intellectual culture of Africans and African Americans in Houston, the state of Texas, the southwest and the African Diaspora for current and future generations. I
- California African American Museum: CAAMCAAM’s permanent collection consists of over 5,000 objects ranging from the 1800s to the present. It encompasses paintings, photographs, film, sculpture, historical documents, and artifacts, and it spans nineteenth-century landscape paintings to modern artworks to contemporary mixed-media reflections on cultural and political events.
- Smithsonian American Art Museum: African American ArtThese artworks span three centuries of creative expression in various media, including painting, sculpture, textiles, and photography, and represent numerous artistic styles, from realism to neoclassicism, abstract expressionism, modernism, and folk art.
- McKenna Museum of African American ArtThe George & Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art is an institution that collects, interprets and preserves the visual aesthetic of people of African descent in North America and beyond. Through innovative programs and exhibits that engage versatile audiences, the McKenna Museum seeks to make African Diasporan fine art accessible to visitors of all ages. The institution identifies and presents emerging artists alongside well-established fine arts masters.
African Americans in the Arts
Zora Neale Hurston Recordings
- Library of Congress Audio Recordings: Zora Neale HurstonZora Neale Hurston sings folk songs she spent much of her career gathering and learning.
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