History & Art
This collection of essays examines Black history and visual culture through careful research, critical analysis, and public scholarship. The works gathered here reflect the museum’s approach to interpretation—connecting local histories to broader artistic, cultural, and historical conversations.
History
Essays examining Black history, cultural memory, and historical narrative across time and place.
Did Picasso Steal from African Artists?
African sculptural traditions and aesthetic systems as foundational influences on modern art—and the historical erasure that followed.
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Africans and the Making of Classical Greece
Evidence of African presence in the ancient Mediterranean and its later removal from dominant historical narratives.
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Where Were Black People During the Renaissance? And Who Is Juan de Pareja?
Black visibility in Renaissance Europe, viewed through surviving records, artistic representation, and omission.
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Before the Renaissance: African Art in the Age of Antiquity
A reconsideration of African artistic production long before European cultural ascendance reshaped the historical timeline.
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Who Is Maggie Lena Walker?
Leadership, institution-building, and legacy examined outside the framework of spectacle or celebrity.
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Art & Institutions
Essays examining artistic practice, institutional responsibility, and the ways cultural value is defined and preserved.
When Curation Becomes Censorship: Why Regional Museums Matter More Than Ever
Considering how curatorial choices shape public memory—and why regional museums play a critical role in cultural preservation.
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Artist Spotlight: Stanley Whitney
Color, structure, and abstraction considered through the lens of artistic intention, discipline, and historical placement.
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Artist Spotlight: Jack Whitten
Material experimentation, process, and innovation examined within the broader context of postwar American art.
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Why Museums Are Among the First Targets in War—And What That Means for Us
The strategic role of cultural institutions in conflict, and why control over art and history is never incidental.
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Museum vs. Gallery: What’s the Difference?
Clarifying the distinct roles these institutions play in shaping cultural value, access, and historical record.
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