WASHINGTON — Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) unveiled a new exhibit called, "Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience in American Art," which highlights the Black Lives Matter movement and recent social justice protests.
The exhibition documents the struggle that Black Americans have faced in their pursuit to enjoy the fundamental rights and freedoms that are promised in the Constitution as citizens of the United States, NMAAHC said.
The exhibit will feature 27 new pieces of art by acclaimed artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Sheila Pree Bright, Bisa Butler, Shaun Leonardo, David Hammons and many more.
The exhibition also features a stunning and beautiful portrait of Breonna Taylor, painted by renowned artist Amy Sherald. Sherald was the same artist that painted the official portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama.
In the portrait, Breonna Taylor is captured in a blue gown. The painting first appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair’s September 2020 issue.
“Visual artists have long evoked questions of beauty and history, and the Black painters, sculptors, photographers, and textile artists featured in this show exemplify the tradition of resilience in times of conflict and the ritual and even defiant pleasures of creation,” said Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. “The show continues to tell the story of the centrality of the Black experience found in the entire Museum, while also connecting to our current moment, filled with the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism and an ongoing renaissance of Black art and artistry.”
“Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience” will be located on the fourth floor of the museum.
The museum requires timed entry passes to enter the museum and the gallery. Visit the museum’s website for information about featured artwork and more at www.NMAAHC.si.edu/Reckoning. The public can join the online conversation using #NMAAHCReckoning on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.