Arte Afro Americana: Renascença do Harlem, Era dos Direitos Civis e Além

Keith Morrison, Zombie Jamboree, 1988, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund and the Director’s Discretionary Fund.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Washington, D.C.

27 abril - 3 setembro, 2012

Earlie Hudnall, Jr., Hip Hop, 1993, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum © 1993 Earlie Hudnall, Jr.

Apresenta uma seleção de obras de 43 artistas negros que viveram as grandes mudanças do século 20. Em pinturas, esculturas, gravuras e fotografias, os artistas de renome abraçam temas tanto universais e específicos da experiência Afro-americana, incluindo a exploração da identidade, a luta pela igualdade, o poder da música e das belezas e agruras da vida na zona rural e urbana América.

Roland L. Freeman, Dancing at Jazz Alley. Chicago, Illinois, June 1974, from the series, Southern Roads/City Pavements, 1974/ Printed 1982, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of George H. Dalsheimer, © 1974 Ronald L. Freeman.

presents a selection of works by 43 black artists who lived through the tremendous changes of the 20th century. In paintings, sculpture, prints and photographs, the featured artists embrace themes both universal and specific to the African American experience, including the exploration of identity, the struggle for equality, the power of music and the beauties and hardships of life in rural and urban America.

Charles Searles, Celebration, 1975, acrylic, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration, Art-in-Architecture Program.

A exposição é organizada por Virgínia Mecklenburg, curadora sênior de pintura e escultura no museu. Vai viajar para outos locais até 2014 após a sua apresentação em Washington, DC.

Roy DeCarava, Lingerie, New York, 1950/printed 1981, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Henry L. Milmore, © 1981 Roy DeCarava.

The exhibition is organized by Virginia Mecklenburg, senior curator of painting and sculpture at the museum. It will travel to additional venues through 2014 following its presentation in Washington, D.C.

Jacob Lawrence, Bar and Grill, 1941, gouache, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Henry Ward Ranger through the National Academy of Design purchase through the Catherine Walden Myer Fund and the Director’s Discretionary Fund.

"Esta exposição permite-nos compreender profunda mudança através dos olhos dos artistas", diz Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret e Terry Stent Diretora do Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

Benny Andrews, Portrait of Black Madonna, 1987, oil and collage on canvas, Smithsonian American Art 

Museum, Gift of the Andrews Humphrey Family Foundation, © Estate of Benny Andrews/Licensed by 

VAGA, New York, NY.

“This exhibition allows us to understand profound change through the eyes of artists,” said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. 

Richard Hunt, “The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one’s self a fool; the truest heroism, is to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when to be obeyed.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance, 1852. From the series Great Ideas,1975, chromed and welded steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Container Corporation of America.

"Essas obras de artistas afro-americanos são vitais para a compreensão da complexa experiência norte-americana."

Sam Gilliam, The Petition, 1990, mixed media, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the James F. Dicke Family, © 1990 Sam Gilliam.

“These works by African American artists are vital to understanding the complex American experience.”

Robert McNeill, Make A Wish (Bronx Slave Market, 170th Street, New York), 1938, gelatin silver, Smithsonian American Art Museum, © 1938 Robert McNeill.

As 100 obras em exibição são inteiramente selecionadas do rico acervo do Smithsonian American Art Museum de arte americana Africano, a maior e melhor nos Estados Unidos.

Robert McNeill, New Car (South Richmond, Virginia), from the project The Negro in Virginia, 1938, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, © 1938 Robert McNeill.

The 100 works on view are drawn entirely from the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s rich collection of African American art, the largest and finest in the United States. 

Malvin Gray Johnson, Self-Portrait, 1934, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation.

Mais de metade dos trabalhos apresentados estão sendo exibidos pelo museu pela primeira vez, incluindo pinturas de Benny Andrews, Mailou Lois Jones e Lawrence Jacob, bem como fotografias de Roy DeCarava, Gordon Parks e Nance Marilyn.

Beauford Delaney, Can Fire in the Park, 1946, Smithsonian American Art Museum.

More than half of the works featured are being exhibited by the museum for the first time, including paintings by Benny Andrews, Loïs Mailou Jones and Jacob Lawrence, as well as photographs by Roy DeCarava, Gordon Parks and Marilyn Nance. 

Felrath Hines, Red Stripe with Green Background, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, © 1986 Dorothy C Fisher.

Dez das obras de arte foram adquiridas nos últimos cinco anos. Mais da metade dos objetos em exposição são fotografias da coleção permanente do museu.

James A. Porter, Still Life with Peonies, 1949, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program.

Ten of the artworks were acquired within the past five years. More than half of the objects in the exhibition are photographs from the museum’s permanent collection. 

Thornton Dial, Sr., Top of the Line (Steel), 1992, mixed media: enamel, unbraided canvas roping, and metal, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the collection of Ron and June Shelp.

Rótulos de objetos individuais conectam as obras de arte com os fatores artísticos e sociais que moldaram a sua criação.

Melvin Edwards, Tambo, 1993, welded steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program © 1993 Melvin Edwards.

Individual object labels connect the artworks with the artistic and social factors that shaped their creation.

Sargent Johnson, Mask, 1930-1935, copper on wood, base, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation.

O século 20 foi um momento de grande mudança na América. Muitos dos movimentos sociais, políticos e culturais que vieram a definem a época, como a era do jazz, o Renascimento do Harlem e do movimento dos direitos civis, foram enraizadas em comunidades afro-americanas.

Loïs Mailou Jones, Moon Masque, 1971, oil and collage, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist.

The 20th century was a time of great change in America. Many of the social, political and cultural movements that came to define the era, such as the jazz age, the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement, were rooted in African American communities.

Allan Rohan Crite, School's Out, 1936, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from The Museum of Modern Art.


Artistas negros exploram a sua identidade neste mundo que muda rapidamente através de uma variedade de meios e em estilos tão variados como o pós-modernismo documentário expressionismo realismo e abstração.

Frederick Brown, John Henry, 1979, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Gerald L. Pearson, © 1979 Frederick J. Brown.

 Black artists explored their identity in this quickly changing world through a variety of media and in styles as varied as postmodernism, documentary realism, expressionism and abstraction.

William H. Johnson, Sowing, 1940, oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation.

"Os visitantes serão expostos não só pelo poder dessas obras, mas também pela variedade das peças em exposição", diz Mecklenburg. "Então, muitos novos movimentos e estilos cresceram fora do tumulto do século 20, e essas obras refletem essa diversidade."

Gordon Parks, Fort Scott, Kansas, 1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase through the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, © 1950 Gordon Parks.

“Visitors will be struck not only by the power of these artworks, but also by the variety of the pieces on display,” said Mecklenburg. “So many new movements and styles grew out of the tumult of the 20th century, and these works reflect that diversity.”

John Scott, Thornbush Blues Totem, 1990, painted steel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase.

"Cada um dos artistas incluídos nesta exposição fez uma contribuição forte para o cenário artístico do século 20 na América, e estamos felizes para caracterizar o seu trabalho em galerias do museu", disse Mecklenburg.

John Biggers, Shotgun, Third Ward #1, 1966, tempera and oil, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by Anacostia Museum, Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian American Art Museum.

“Each of the artists included in this exhibition made a compelling contribution to the artistic landscape of 20th century America, and we are delighted to feature their work in the museum’s galleries,” said Mecklenburg.

Marilyn Nance, Baptism, 1986, gelatin silver print, Smitsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase made possible by the Luisita L. and Franz H. Denghausen Endowment and the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, © 1986, Marilyn Nance.



Smithsonian American Art Museum
Eighth and F streets N.W.
202-633-1000
Washington, D.C.