This exhibition presents selected works from the Museum’s permanent collection of African American art.

Taking a fresh look at heroic themes in modern and contemporary art, this unique exhibition features 34 paintings and sculptural works with an emphasis on storytelling and expressive imagery. Mythical and universal subject matter, the bold use of color and dramatic scale, and the artists’ direct physical engagement with their materials are all themes explored in this exhibition.

Dmitri Wright, Black Couple in Bed Looking at TV, 1971. Acrylic on canvas. 54 x 54 1/2 in. (137.2 x 138.4 cm). Gift of the Prudential Insurance Company, 1971 71.167 © Dmitri Wright 1971

Mickalene Thomas, Landscape with Camouflage, 2012 Rhinestones, acrylic, oil and enamel on wood panel, 108 x 144 x 2 in. Purchase 2012 Helen McMahon Brady Cutting Fund | 2012.22A © Mickalene Thomas and the Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York ⁣ ⁣