August 2020 Pick

30 AMERICANS

Have you seen the epic exhibition, 30 Americans? Organized by the Rubell Museum in Miami, 30 Americans has traveled coast to coast over the past 10+ years to many major museums and features an iconic roster of solely African American contemporary artists. This salient - if not historic - exhibition features some of my favorite artists: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave, Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Kehinde Wiley, among many others. From the Rubell website: This provocative exhibition focuses on issues of racial, sexual, and historical identity in contemporary culture while exploring the powerful influence of artistic legacy and community across generations. This large group show features approximately 60 works of sculpture, painting, drawing, photography and video.

30 Americans is slated to open this fall at the Albuquerque Museum, NM. Hopefully they will be able to safely re-open to the public on October 3, 2020 (be sure to check the museum's website for COVID-19 updates) where it is scheduled to be on view through January 3, 2021. The tour will conclude in early 2022. Don't miss the chance to see this amazing collection by incredibly influential Black artists who are enhancing the dialogue around race, representation, and identity as they reshape the history of contemporary art.

Above image: 30 American artists (left to right): Rashid Johnson, Nick Cave, Kalup Linzy, Jeff Sonhouse, Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems, Barkley L. Hendricks, Hank Willis Thomas (front row), Xaviera Simmons, Purvis Young, John Bankston, Nina Chanel Abney, Henry Taylor, Mickalene Thomas (front row), Kerry James Marshall, and Shinique Smith. Photo by Kwaku Alston, December 5, 2008