Getty Exhibition Traces Photography's Role in Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985
The exhibition 'Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955–1985' is on view at the Getty in Los Angeles, curated by Philip Brookman and Deborah Willis. It features 150 works by over 100 artists and activists, tracing the movement from its roots to its legacy. The show includes iconic and lesser-known images, collages, and documentary photography, emphasizing Black self-fashioning and storytelling. Assistant curator Mazie Harris highlights Darryl Cowherd's photograph 'The Time is Now' as a key piece, urging viewers to take action. The exhibition runs at the Getty until mid-June 2026, then travels to the Mississippi Museum of Art from July 25 to November 8, 2026.
Key facts
- Exhibition at the Getty in Los Angeles until mid-June 2026.
- Curated by Philip Brookman and Deborah Willis.
- Includes 150 works from 1955 to 1985.
- Features over 100 artists and activists.
- Highlights Darryl Cowherd's photograph 'The Time is Now'.
- Travels to Mississippi Museum of Art from July 25 to November 8, 2026.
- Includes works by Ming Smith, Gordon Parks, Carrie Mae Weems, and others.
- Emphasizes photography's role in political change and Black empowerment.
Entities
Artists
- Harry Adams
- Ray Francis
- Darryl Cowherd
- Moneta Sleet Jr.
- Ming Smith
- Gordon Parks
- David Clyde Driskell
- Carrie Mae Weems
- Barbara McCullough
- Ernest C. Withers
- John W. Mosley
- Fannie Lou Hamer
- Sun Ra
- David Hammons
- Betye Saar
- Houston Conwill
- Kinshasha Conwill
- N'Senga Nengudi
- K. Curtis Lyle
- Ojenke
- Kamaau Da'oud
- Kenneth Severin
Institutions
- Getty
- National Gallery of Art
- Mississippi Museum of Art
- NYU
- Tom & Ethel Bradley Center at California State University, Northridge
- Saint Louis Art Museum
- Johnson Publishing Company
- Art Bridges
- DC Moore Gallery
- Third World Newsreel
- Temple University Libraries
- Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection
- Feature Shoot
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- Washington, DC
- Mississippi
- Memphis
- Tennessee
- Philadelphia
- New York
- Chicago
- Selma