11 Must-See Black Art Exhibitions Opening This Spring

Loading the player… By Keyaira Boone ·March 22, 2021March 22, 2021

This Spring, institutions across the country are offering exhibitions from Black artists and curators that speak to the diverse environments and traditions that contribute to the fabric of Black culture. The imagery connected to jubilee, mourning, love, creativity, and truth are all up for exploration as traditional aesthetics are reclaimed and standards are challenged.

From large scale paintings that will inspire you to think about who you are and what your place is in the world to retrospectives that treat hip-hop with the sincerity and reverence it deserves, there is something for everyone to enjoy. See 11 Black art exhibitions you most definitely shouldn’t skip out on this Spring below.

01Slowed and Throwed: Records of the City Through Mutated Lenses – Houston Contemporary Art MuseumGet in touch with your “hot girl” heritage at this exhibition centering the life and legacy of the notorious Houston DJ Screw through April 25, 2021.

02Bisa Butler: Portraits – The Art Institute of ChicagoButler weaves history into the present via textiles in vibrant hues. Lose yourself in the way she highlights the joy and strength of our people’s glory through September 6, 2021.

03Grief and Grievance: Art and Mourning in America – The New MuseumThis intergenerational show, on display until June 6, 2021, curated by the late Okwui Enwezor features 37 artists commenting on the collective mourning that accompanies continued racist violence.

04Art Finds A Way – Norton MuseumBlack artists invite audiences to confront the realities of racism using relatable narratives in this exhibition. See their work through May 30, 2021.

05Barbara Earl Thomas: The Geography of InnocenceBarbara Earl Thomas uses light and darkness to speak to the forced maturation of Black children. Her work is on display through November 14, 2021.

06Julie Mehretu – Whitney MuseumSpend some time with the artist’s large-scale paintings inspired by mobility, displacement, and the transient nature of what it means to be an “urban space.” They’re on display through August 8, 2021.

07Off The Record – Guggenheim MuseumAshley James, who made headlines as the institution’s first full-time Black Curator, selected the work of 13 artists to challenge the authority of “objective” historical narratives. See this exhibit from April 2–September 27, 2021.

08The Truth – Urban ZenCurated by Mashonda Tifrere, this show featuring 20 female-identifying and non-binary artists, including Shantell Martin, Dawn Okoro, and Jade Yasmee,n intends to provide “a vibrant homage to the curiosity, mystique, trauma and humility of humankind.” It is on display by appointment only from March 9 – April 9, 2021.

09Midnight – Urban ZenMidnight is the first solo show from Baltimore based Amani Lewis, who draws from their life to present the “distinct wisdom of the millennial culture.” A favorite of Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys they seek to appoint new symbols of “Black excellence.” See it by appointment only from March 9 – April 9, 2021.

10Writing the Future Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation – Museum of Fine Arts, BostonThis exhibition focuses on the connection between the rules broken in Basquiat’s work and the abstract nature of hip-hop’s verbal and visual styles. Catch it through May 16, 2021.

11John Edmonds: A Sidelong Glance – Brooklyn MuseumEdmonds photographs present peaceful and precious moments from the Black queer perspective. Take in their quiet beauty through August 8, 2021.