Twenty-five women. Nearly two centuries of visual culture. One remarkable story of artistic achievement, persistence, and change.
Black Women in Art traces the lives and work of twenty-five groundbreaking Black women artists whose creativity transformed painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, installation, performance, and contemporary visual culture.
Beginning with Harriet Powers, born into slavery in 1837, and moving through pioneering figures such as Edmonia Lewis, Augusta Savage, Alma Thomas, Elizabeth Catlett, Faith Ringgold, Betye Saar, and Carrie Mae Weems, the book reveals how these artists built careers despite exclusion from galleries, museums, schools, and institutions that often refused to recognize their work.
The story continues into the contemporary art world with influential figures including Kara Walker, Julie Mehretu, Mickalene Thomas, Wangechi Mutu, Amy Sherald, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, and Toyin Ojih Odutola.
Inside, readers will discover:
• The artworks that changed how Black women were represented in visual culture
• The personal and institutional barriers these artists confronted
• Landmark exhibitions, commissions, awards, and museum breakthroughs
• The techniques, materials, and ideas that made each artist distinctive
• The connections between generations of Black women working across art history
Accessible, engaging, and rich with historical context, Black Women in Art offers a compelling introduction to artists whose work belongs at the center of modern art history.
Discover the women who didn't simply participate in visual culture—they helped redefine it.
The description reflects the manuscript's actual chronological and biographical structure.