Art historian Elizabeth Humphrey put together the traveling exhibition 'There Is a Woman in Every Color: Black Women in Art' to celebrate the contributions of Black women to the world of art. She says major museums have avoided exhibitions of Black artists in the past, but are showing more now.
Humphrey is adamant that art communities encourage the trend and ensure underrepresented artists are reflected in their communities.
“If people don’t see other black creatives in their network, how are you pulling them together to peer mentorship, how are we connecting them to the artists that came before them," Humphrey said. "What sorts of programs are available to help, not sponsor, but support them into that next step of their career.”
Humphrey adds that more representation encourages artists to expand their subject matter and approaches to art.
“The question then becomes ‘What’s the function of black art today? Are we still focusing on social uplift? Are we allowing black artists to express their creativity?’" Humphrey said. "So I think those conversations are still ongoing, but perspectives are shifting in a lot of ways.”
'There Is a Woman in Every Color: Black Women in Art' runs through May 16 at The Delaware Art Museum.
Delaware Public Media's arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
