5 Black Women Painters Who Shaped American Art
When we walk through most major museums, the names on the walls tell a narrow story. A story where Black women painters—brilliant, bold, and barrier-breaking—are often missing. But they were there. They were always there. And they deserve more than a footnote.
Let’s meet five of these visionaries—whose brushes carved space for Black women in art history.
Laura Wheeler Waring (1887–1948)
Laura Wheeler Waring painted dignity at a time when Black dignity was a radical act. A key figure of the Harlem Renaissance, she created luminous portraits of African American leaders, educators, and everyday citizens—rendering their humanity undeniable. Her work graced the pages of The Crisis, the NAACP’s official magazine, yet few of her paintings made it into major museums during her lifetime. She gave faces to a generation that demanded to be seen. Learn more.
Loïs Mailou Jones (1905–1998)
Jones’s career spanned more than seventy years and several continents, blending African, Caribbean, and African American traditions into vibrant modernist canvases. Early in her career, exhibitions sometimes refused her work once they realized she was Black. Undeterred, she built her own legacy—teaching at Howard University and influencing generations of artists. Her art stands as a testament to global Black identity long before it became a mainstream conversation. Learn more.
Emma Amos (1937–2020)
Emma Amos believed that painting was an act of resistance. As the youngest—and only female—member of the influential Spiral collective alongside Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis, she challenged norms both within and beyond the art world. Mixing painting, printmaking, and textiles, Amos explored race, gender, and beauty standards with fearless intelligence. Today, her work feels more urgent than ever, interrogating not just how Blackness is represented—but who controls the frame. Learn more.
Gwendolyn Knight (1913–2005)
Gwendolyn Knight's art was rooted in memory—capturing everyday Black life with warmth and quiet dignity. A contemporary of Jacob Lawrence (whom she later married), Knight painted quietly for decades, overshadowed by the very art movements she helped inspire. Recognition came only later in her life, but her paintings—depicting dancers, domestic scenes, and portraits—stand as a testament to a lifetime of perseverance and grace. Learn more.
Alma Thomas (1891–1978)
Alma Thomas may be better known today, but for most of her life, she wasn’t considered "museum material." Only after retiring from a long teaching career did she pursue painting full time—creating dazzling, abstract fields of color that vibrated with light.
Installation view, “Alma Thomas: Everything is Beautiful“, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA.
In 1972, at the age of 80, she became the first Black woman to have a solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her late bloom reminds us: it’s never too late to claim your space. Learn more.
Why This History Matters Today
At the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum, we believe art isn't just about what hangs on the walls—it’s about who gets remembered. Too many brilliant Black women painters were overlooked by the institutions of their time, but their influence persists.
Today, as museums around the country work to correct decades of omission, these artists’ work challenges us to ask: Whose stories are still missing?
Art grows where it's nurtured. And discovery is part of that nurturing. These women remind us that brilliance often blooms far from the spotlight—and that it's our privilege, and our responsibility, to find it.
Who would you add to this list?
Let us know—your suggestions could inspire our next exhibition, event, or story.
