Bayou City Stewards at HMAAC Showcases Black Art Collectors' Hidden Treasures
The exhibition 'Bayou City Stewards: America From Our Perspective' is being showcased at the Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC), curated by Robert Hodge and Rachel Simon, with India Lovejoy serving as producer. Launching on Juneteenth, it will be available until August 29, 2026, with free entry. The exhibition features works from private collections in Houston, many of which are being displayed publicly for the first time. Artists included are Kerry James Marshall, Kermit Oliver, and Faith Ringgold, among others. The curatorial vision is inspired by the 1976 LACMA exhibition and W.E.B. Du Bois's display at the 1900 Paris World's Fair. Noteworthy collectors contributing pieces include Gaynell Drexler and the Simon Family. Due to funding limitations, the exhibition lacks wall labels and a catalog, promoting personal exploration, as co-curator Rachel Simon noted that labels can detract from discovery. This show reflects Kevin Young's assertion in 'The Grey Album' that Blackness is integral to American identity.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Bayou City Stewards: America From Our Perspective' at Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) runs through August 29, 2026.
- Co-curated by Robert Hodge and Rachel Simon, produced by India Lovejoy.
- Opened on Juneteenth, highlighting Black Texans' delayed emancipation.
- Features works from private Houston collections, many never publicly exhibited.
- Artists include Kerry James Marshall, Kermit Oliver, Kingsley Onyeiwu, Robert Freeman, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, John Biggers, Robert Colescott, Sam Gilliam, Thornton Dial, Elizabeth Catlett, Charles White, and William Tolliver.
- Curatorial inspirations: 1976 LACMA exhibition 'Two Centuries of Black American Art' and W.E.B. Du Bois's 1900 Paris World's Fair exhibition.
- No wall labels or catalog due to funding limitations.
- Collectors include Gaynell Drexler, Simon Family, Melanie Lawson and John Guess, Annette Bracey, Debra V. Jennings, Ken Thomas, Ralph MacPherson, Michael Page, Barry and Michelle Barnes, Kathleen Coleman, Ethan Campbell-Hamb and Edward Hamb III.
- Kevin Young's thesis on Blackness and Americanness referenced.
- Admission is free.
Entities
Artists
- Kerry James Marshall
- Kermit Oliver
- Kingsley Onyeiwu
- Robert Freeman
- Faith Ringgold
- Betye Saar
- John Biggers
- Robert Colescott
- Sam Gilliam
- Thornton Dial
- Elizabeth Catlett
- Charles White
- William Tolliver
- Kevin Young
- W.E.B. Du Bois
- David C. Driskell
Institutions
- Houston Museum of African American Culture
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Dallas Museum of Fine Arts
- Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Glasstire
Locations
- Houston
- United States
- Atlanta
- Dallas
- Brooklyn
- Paris
- France