In a Year of Threats to Cultural Institutions, Black Creativity Still Takes Center Stage
Even as they faced threats from the Trump administration, museums this year have debuted numerous exhibits dedicated to celebrating Black history, art and culture.
Here are five newly opened end-of-year exhibits to visit to close out the year.
Brother Brother: The Interior Lives of Black Men
Featuring works by artists across the African Diaspora, “Brother Brother” presents a look into Black masculinity. Through works of art, the exhibit denounces stereotypes and offers comprehensive representation for Black men. Around 30 works of art are currently on display. Each piece is from the CCH Pounder-Koné Collection. The award-winning actress has over 500 works of art in her possession from artists from the Caribbean, Africa, and across the African Diaspora. Her collection has been displayed internationally in museums such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and the African American Museum of Art.
Tom Lloyd
Currently on display at the newly reopened Studio Museum in Harlem, this exhibit celebrates the career of the late Tom Lloyd. Active in the 1960s, Lloyd helped pioneer the use of electric light as a form of art. Using light as a medium earned him acclaim as an experimental artist and challenged the understanding of Black artistry. Lloyd has long been identified as a key figure in Studio Museum’s history, as his “Electronic Refractions II” exhibit was the first exhibit on display when the museum opened in 1968. The current exhibit will display his electronic light sculptures and drawn works of art as a celebration of his 20-year career.
Paris in Black: Internationalism and the Black Renaissance
Featured at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, “Paris in Black” honors the international pursuits of Black artists, celebrating the works of artists who moved to Paris specifically in pursuit of artistic endeavors and to escape from oppression in the U.S. Over 100 objects are on display, including art, photographs, fashion pieces and other multimedia. Some of the figures represented in the exhibit are Josephine Baker, James Baldwin and Archibald Motley. “Paris in Black” begins in the 1890s and ends approximately 100 years later in the 1990s, with a focus on Black fashion.
Ideas of Africa: Portraiture and Political Imagination
Set to debut on the 14th, this exhibit focuses on the role of photographic portraits in the movement for Pan-Africanism. “Ideas of Africa” specifically focuses on Africa as a political idea. The exhibit features works from Jean Pigozzi's collection. Images on display include Sanle Sory’s “Le Voyageur,” Oumar Ka’s “Untitled (Two Women with Thatched Roof House)” and Malick Sidibe's “Regardez-moi!”
Mill Creek: Black Metropolis
Unveiled on Nov. 15th, “Mill Creek” is set to be on display at the Missouri History Museum until July 12, 2026. The exhibit highlights the history of Mill Creek, a St. Louis neighborhood once compared to Harlem. Now, the once-vibrant community is considered destroyed. Mill Creek was home to over 20,000 people and had over 800 businesses. Objects on display include musician Clark Terry Jr.’s horns and stained glass windows from the Mill Creek United Methodist Church.
