Eric Key, museum leader and educator, has assembled a collection that explores life, music, religion, and politics through the lens of many of the most prominent Black artists in American art. From a scenic depiction of North Africa by Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937) to the sleek, modernist sculptures of Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), and the swirling, gestural explorations of color by Ed Clark (1926-2019), Key’s genre-defying collection illuminates the Black visual experience and transcends the personal to expose something universal to all Americans.
In the Summer of 2026, The Rockwell Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is pleased to present this exciting overview of the history of African American Art. Hosted in two gallery spaces and comprising over 80 works by 76 artists, this major exhibition celebrates the American experience and the role of the collector in building the art historical canon.