The exhibition features collections from 30 Black artists of four generations.
NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Inside the New Britain Museum of American Art is a groundbreaking exhibition that tells the story of the black experience through the eyes of contemporary Black artists.
It is called 30 American and features collections from 30 Black artists of four generations.
“I’ve never seen an exhibit like this in Connecticut,” Hartford artist Andre Rochester said.
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As a Black artist, Andre Rochester said this exhibit is special.
“It captures the culture of black artists and who we are in a good way. It’s a great representation of our community; it shows that we’re just people like everyone else,” Rochester passionately explains.
Although it’s part of a larger exhibition drawn from the Rubell Museum in Florida, the representation is exactly why it’s important to bring it to the larger Hartford area.
“Our community should see themselves reflected on the walls of this museum,” said Lisa Lappe, Director of Marketing at the New Britain Museum of American Art. “It’s very important to be able to understand the voices of every American and display their images on our walls.”
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Lappe said its acquisition of the NBMAA has been underway for two years. In the process, scholars Drs. Dann J. Broyld, Provost Nicole Stanton, and Drs. Brittney Yancy as guest curators and selected pieces for the exhibition covering three rooms.
“We are able to tell the narrative and change the narrative of how we understand the African descendent people in this country through art,” explains Co-curator Dr. Brittney Yancy.
Of black artists sharing black stories and experiences through a variety of mediums, 30 Americans have a message for everyone.
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“Not only have black people made a huge contribution to American culture, but the stories we tell in our artwork are their stories,” Rochester explains. “We’re not so far removed from each other that we cant relate to the pictures on the wall just because of the color of the subject skin.”
30 Americans will be at the New Britain Museum of American Arts until Sunday, October 30, 2022. There is special programming associated with the exhibition, CLICK HERE for more information.
Raquel Harrington is the race and culture reporter at FOX61 News. He will be reached at rharrington@fox61.com. Follow him Facebook, Twitter at Instagram
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