Feel like your brain is going to mush? Too much scrolling and streaming doesn’t do a body good. It’s time to break free from the digital haze and get off the couch and get out into the world. Find that time to nourish your soul with the transformative power of art. This Women’s History Month, immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Black female artists whose exhibitions offer profound insights and experiences.
But check this: you don’t just have to go to a museum to feed that nugget. Art is happening all around us. Whether you take in a display at a theater or in an abandoned building, Black women are sharing their paintings, sculptures and multimedia in the most creative of spaces. And through their diverse mediums, we all get the opportunity to explore themes of community, identity and the reclaiming of personal narratives, reflecting our shared experiences of resilience and rebirth.
You can discover evocative murals adorning your neighborhood, thought-provoking community installations in local parks, and these exhibitions by Black female artists.
Urban Bush Women at The Apollo, New York City
The Apollo is giving flowers with a special exhibition dedicated to the Black women-led theatrical dance company. There are rare photographs, performance footage, manuscripts, costumes and memorabilia on display to celebrate the group, founded by visionary choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in 1984, celebrating its 40-plus-year history. Hurry, the celebration ends March 12.
Elizabeth Catlett at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
More than 150 works are on display from the American sculptor in the Elizabeth Catlett: A Black Revolutionary Artist exhibition, which includes prints, rare paintings and drawings. Best known for her depictions of African American women, Catlett, who died in 2012, is considered one of the leading contributors to 20th-century art and a cultural leader in both the United States and her adopted home country, Mexico.
Amanda Williams at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Atlanta
MacArthur award-winning artist Amanda Williams showcases mixed media and watercolor paintings in We Say What Black This Is. Challenging reductive definitions of Blackness, the exhibition features pieces that explore cultural, social and political dimensions of Black identity alongside student-written didactic labels.
Tamara Payne at Creatively Black Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
Housed in a former Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Creatively Black Baltimore is a haven for artists to share their visions and experiences through art. Payne, a Baltimore native and alumnus of the Baltimore School for the Arts, is committed to creating safe, joyful spaces for Black and brown women, and she’s done that with her Dear Black Girl interactive exhibit.
Rooted in the idea that within every Black woman lives the little Black girl she once was, the installation draws inspiration from Dr. LaShay Harvey’s essay, An Ode to Sensuality During Black Girlhood. A collage of African textiles, embroidery and multimedia, delivered through dance, song, poetry, and written word, this is a representation of all Black women. “We tell our own narratives, um, so that other people can witness our testimonies,” Payne shared. “Dear Black Girl is really a journey…I’m Dear Black Girl. You’re Dear Black Girl.”
Adee Robinson at Gotham, New York City
Yes, Roberson’s solo work exhibition, Horizon Dub is on display at Gotham, the world’s first cannabis concept store. Roberson’s pieces, “sonic echoes of memories and meditations on where the ocean and sky meet,” are a collection of paintings, screen prints and more that celebrate her family and ancestry. The works are accompanied by sounds from multidisciplinary artist Grace Rosario Perkins.
