Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow

UP TO US.

Black Dimensions in Art 1975–Tomorrow

Up to Us. Black Dimensions in Art 1975–Tomorrow

May 31 – November 2, 2025

In 1975, a group of Black artists and cultural leaders in New York’s Capital Region came together, led by Margaret Cunningham and John Carter, to form Black Dimensions in Art, Inc. Their mission: support artists of the African diaspora; educate the public about the contributions of diasporic artists through exhibitions and events; and ensure Black youth have opportunities to learn about, create, and see themselves represented in art. Having emerged as the Black Arts Movement was winding down, and unlike many volunteerrun arts and culture organizations formed in those years, BDA has endured, maintaining a robust program fifty years on. Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow presents selections from BDA’s growing archive—publications, fliers, postcards, photographs, oral histories, and more—to reflect on the organization’s legacy in the Capital Region, celebrate the dedication of its leaders past and present, and imagine its future possibilities. Additionally, artworks by BDA members and other artists associated with the Black Arts Movement—from a range of backgrounds, working with myriad materials and techniques and addressing a range of themes—demonstrate the diversity that is central to BDA. The exhibition’s title originates from a slogan used in the 1980s by the arts and culture festival Harlem Week: “A Better Harlem Is Up to Us”—epitomizing the need for Black communities to claim space for themselves and address their own needs rather than wait for support from those outside their communities. As BDA president Trent Graham said in a 2023 interview, “We are living in a time when people are starting to turn back and want to get away from teaching about our history, our stories. And so, organizations like Black Dimensions in Art are vital in making sure that our stories are told.”

Exhibition and Programming History This history presents exhibitions organized or sponsored by Black Dimensions in Art, Inc., as well as select events and cultural touchpoints for Black Americans and Black communities in the Capital Region. BDA has presented additional programming, like artist talks and art-making activities, not listed here.

1962

New York State Governor Nelson Rockefeller enacts a plan to take over nearly a hundred acres in Albany, displacing more than 7,000 people in working-class Black and immigrant neighborhoods. 1,150 structures across 40 city blocks, including apartment buildings, boarding houses, and local businesses, were demolished by the State to make way for the new Empire State Plaza, which opened in 1976.

Empire State Plaza, 1967, New York State Archives

1964

Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1964, July 2.

1965

Amiri Baraka opens the Black Arts Repertory Theater in Harlem, New York, widely considered to be a foundational moment in the Black Arts movement, which supported poetry, literature, visual art, and performance by Black creators as a means to Black liberation, consciousness-raising, and representation. The movement lasted for about a decade, laying the foundation for continued efforts toward the support and representation of Black artists.

1968

The African American artists’ collective African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCOBRA) is founded by Jeff Donaldson, Barbara Jones-Hogu, Wadsworth Jarrell, and Gerald Williams in Chicago. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, April 4.

1969

The Black Emergency Cultural Coalition Inc. (BECC) is founded to promote representation of African American artists in major museums. The group was incorporated in 1972 as a non-profit organization and operated for another decade.

1970

The Albany-based grassroots organization Black Arts, Inc. (BAI) is founded by Margaret Cunningham and John Carter “for the purpose of providing a vehicle for community involvement in bringing the works of Afro-American artists in the visual and performing arts before the public,” as Cunningham wrote in an introduction to the catalog for Empire State Exhibition by Black Artists ’72. In addition to organizing that exhibition, they organized two festivals featuring local Black painters. BAI is the model for the later formation of BDA.

1972

Empire State Exhibition by Black Artists ’72, New York State Capitol, October 7–October 29 Organized by the Exhibit Committee of Black Arts Inc., of Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, it is the first exhibition by Black artists to be held in the New York State Capitol building.

1975 Black Dimensions in Art is formed as a volunteer-run nonprofit organization committed to supporting and representing Black artists in the Capital Region. Founding members include: Margaret Cunningham, John Carter, Miki Conn, Shirley Hillman, Anne DeRamus Brown, Luther Cannon, Gregory Freelon, Harriet Gibbons, Linda Jackson-Chalmers, Anona Joseph, Arthur Mitchell, Clarence Parker, Florence Parrish, Velma Pryor, Catherine Reavis, Joseph Roberts, Gloria Seymour, Dolores Spellman, James Stamper, Robert Stewart, and Barbara Zuber.

1976 Black Artists in Historical Perspective: A Bicentennial Exhibit, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, February 14–April 4 Traveled to: Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, May 1–May 31 The first major exhibition curated by BDA, Black Artists in Historical Perspective presented more than 50 artworks and artifacts and ensured Black skill and creativity were included in the region’s US bicentennial celebrations. BDA President Margaret Cunningham wrote in the catalog’s foreword: “As we approach the Bicentennial celebration of this country amid discussions concerning the merit or significance of the Bicentennial celebration to Black people, we cannot escape the desire to proclaim

loudly the accomplishments and contributions of our forefathers, created under the most impossible conditions. They not only tilled the soil and sang the spirituals, but formed the wrought iron grills, made the furniture, carved the mouldings, hewed the beams for the elegant mansions that they built and in many ways brought beauty and comfort to a new land, using skills developed in their homeland. This country did not evolve without the pain and tears, the fighting spirit and the creative abilities of Black men and women.” Empire State Plaza opens to the public, July 1–4.

1977 Amistad I, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany Amistad II, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, June 19–July 24 This traveling exhibition featured work by Black artists in the United States from 1765 to 1975.

1978 Black Artists in Historical Perspective Part II, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 7–November 19

1981 Contemporary Black Artists Invitational ’81, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, February 15–March 29

Marcus Kwame Anderson (born 1976, Kingston, Jamaica) Vibrations 1: Trevor, 2025 Ink and gouache on paper Courtesy of the artist

Traveled to: Rensselaer County Council on the Arts, Troy, May 3–May 30 The Forms & Colors of Haiti: A Survey of Modern and Primitive Haitian Art, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, July–September

1982 A Woman’s Perspective: A Collection of Works by Black Women Artists, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, opens December 7

1983 Juanita Ballinger, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, February 1–February 28

1984 Afro-American Impressions of Africa, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, January 20–February 9 Traveled to: Empire State Plaza, Albany, February 16–March 1 Emerging Artists ’84, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, and Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza, Albany, December 1, 1984–January 27, 1985

1985 Southern Roads/City Pavements: Photographs of Black Americans by Roland L. Freeman, Empire State Plaza, Albany

Organized by the International Center of Photography in New York in 1981, this exhibition traveled to at least a dozen venues.

1986 Tisumingo Series: Watercolors by Yusuf A.K. Rasheed, LRC Gallery, Marvin Library, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, February 1–28 Tribute - Robert Blackburn, Empire State Plaza, Albany

1987 The Art of Richard Hunt: Sculpture, Prints, and Drawings, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 3–November 16

1988 Paintings & Drawings by Arthur Coppedge, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 15–November 13

1989 Vincent D. Smith: Passages East/West, A Retrospective—1964–1989, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 15–November 13

1990 The Drawings and Paintings of Wallace X. Conway, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 21– November 16

Romare Bearden (born 1911, Charlotte, North Carolina; died 1988, New York, New York) In the Garden, published 1980 Lithograph Tang Museum collection, gift of Ernesto Ostheimer via London Arts Group, 1982.95

1991 Story Masters: Drawings, Paintings and Sculpture by Barry R. Irving, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 20–November 20 October 26: A Beaux-Arts Ball Larry Johnson, Jr., LRC Gallery, Marvin Library, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, February 1–28

1992 Artists of African Descent, Leo W. O’Brien Federal Building, Albany, February Jazz Dimensions ’92, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 18–November 22 October 17: A Beaux-Arts Ball

1993 Celebrity Art Auction and Tea Fundraiser, held at the Loudonville home of H. Patrick Swygert, president of the University at Albany, June 13 Francelise Dawkins: Womb-dancing, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 16–November 28

1994 Local Afro-American Artists, Office of Civil Rights, Albany, and the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center, Albany, February 1–28 Capital District Spring Expo and Schenectady County Fair: African-American Heritage and Culture Exposé, Altamont, June 3–11 Ashley Bryan, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 17–November 27

1995 Black History Month Exhibit, Hudson Valley Community College Library, Troy, January 28–February 28 Expressions of the Spirit, Macedonia Baptist Church, Albany, February 4–26 Works by Margaret Cunningham: A Retrospective Exhibit, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 14–November 26

1996 Black History Month Exhibit, Hudson Valley Community College Library, Troy, January 23–February 23

D. Colin (born 1983, Bridgeport, Connecticut) The Only Way Is Through, 2024 Acrylic on canvas Courtesy of the artist

The Paintings of I. Joseph, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 20–November 24 BDA’s Emerging Artists program, which connects local artists with schoolchildren, empowering them to experience first-hand the value that art can have in their lives, is established.

1997 Black History Month Exhibit, Hudson Valley Community College Library, Troy, January 23–February 27 Sponsored by the Black Student Alliance An Exhibition of Works by African American Artists in Celebration of Black History Month, Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Albany, February 4–21 Exhibition of Works by African-American Artists in Celebration of Black History Month, Troy High School Main Lobby and Library Media Center, Troy, February 7–28 The Family…: A Juried Show, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 19–November 21

1998 BDA Artist Showcase, 1545 New Scotland Avenue, Slingerlands, June 18–21 Otto Neals…one man, many mediums, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 17–December 6 An Exhibition of Art Works by Local African American Artists in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.

1999 An Exhibition of Works by African American Artists in Celebration of Black History Month, First Presbyterian Church, Albany, February 14–21 An Exhibition of Works by African American Women Artists of the Capital District, Macedonia Baptist Church, Albany, March 14–28 Spiritual Essence: Three Dimensional Works by Geraldine McCullough, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 2–November 21 Myths and Fables of the African Diaspora, Jerry Burrell Gallery at the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Schenectady Traveled to: Albany International Airport Gallery, Albany Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts, Blue Mountain Lake Langston Hughes Community Library and Cultural Center, Queens Public Library, Corona

2000 Crossroads, Lulu’s, Albany, January 18–February 28 Traveled and was renamed Crossroads II: Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Albany Stephen Tyson: Mixed Media on Paper, Acrylic on Canvas, LRC Gallery, Marvin Library, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, January 31–March 2 Sankofa: An Exhibition Celebrating 25 Years of Black Dimensions in Art, Inc., Albany International Airport, Albany, August 12–November 17

Miki Conn (born 1944, Brooklyn, New York) Potter, 1960s Woodblock print, artist’s proof Courtesy of the artist

Stanwyck Cromwell (born 1947, Georgetown, Guyana) Sanctified Mangoes (1), 2023 Oil on canvas Courtesy of the artist

Through Our Eyes, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, November 8, 2000–January 7, 2001

2001 Treasures in Black Dimensions, Jerry Burrell Gallery at the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Schenectady, April 20–June 15 Art/Journey: Artist-Student Partnerships, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, December 11, 2001– February 10, 2002

2002 McKever & Kids: Photographs by Donald McKever and His Students from the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Jerry Burrell Gallery at the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Schenectady, January 13–March 5 Black History Month, Art Associates Gallery, Inc., Albany, February 7–29 Vessels for the Human Spirit: Recent Works by David MacDonald, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, November 15, 2002–February 15, 2003

2003 Beaux Arts Ball, Best Western Sovereign Hotel, Albany, November 7

2004 Reflections in Spirit, Life, Art…Warren L. Harris, Sr. (1917– 1988): An African-American Artist, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, January 17–March 17 Quilters Forum, held in conjunction with the exhibition Let It Shine: Improvisations in African-American Star Quilts, New York State Museum, Albany, February 7 Beauty Marks, Beauty Wounds: Recent Works by Francelise Dawkins, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, October 24–November 21 Elder Grace: The Nobility of Aging, New York State Museum, Albany, October 29, 2004–April 7, 2005 Organized by the New-York Historical Society, the exhibition presents more than 50 photographs by New York Times photographer Chester Higgins Jr. of Black Americans in celebration of the beauty and energy that’s possible while aging. Beaux Arts Ball, Yono’s at the Armory Center, Albany, November 5

2005 The Multidimensional Nature of Black Art: A Workshop, Bulmer Telecommunications Center, Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, June 11 Hosted by BDA and the Hudson Valley Community College Black Student Union Metamorphosis: Then and Now, Works by Stanwyck Cromwell, Schenectady Museum, September 10–December 18

Margaret Cunningham (born 1919, Brooklyn, New York; died 2016, Schenectady, New York) Title unknown, 1970s Metal baking tray on wood Courtesy of Miki Conn

Beaux Arts Ball, KeyCorp, Albany, November 4

2006 Driven to Abstraction: Works by Contemporary American Artists, New York State Museum, Albany, January 28–March 26 Through the Lens, Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, March 3–26 Routes: Pathways of Migration, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, September 9–October 31 Guided by Imagination, Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, September 21–October 15 Emerging Artists, Hamilton Hill Arts Center, Schenectady, July 9–31 Students from Mont Pleasant Middle School, Schenectady, worked with artists Francelise Dawkins and Stanwyck Cromwell to learn and improve their art-making skills; their work was then exhibited. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Emerging Artists program to support regional youth in the arts. 5th Annual Beaux Arts Ball

2007 The Highwaymen: Florida’s African-American Landscape Painters, Saratoga Automobile Museum, Saratoga Springs, January 14–March 14

Jacqueline Lake-Sample presents a talk about the history of the Florida Highwaymen, February 10 Seasons of Change, Capital Repertory Theatre, Albany, July 1–August 31 A Woman’s Touch, Schenectady Museum, Schenectady, September 8–November 11 Expressions in Blue: A Feeling A Place A Color A Sound, New York State Museum, Albany, November 17, 2007– March 18, 2008 6th Annual Beaux Arts Ball, New York State Museum, November 2

2008 Youth Quilting Project, Trinity Institution, July 21–24, 28–30 White Gardenia Jazz Cafe, The State Room, Albany, July 27 1st Annual Artist Retreat, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, August 2 Stitches in Cloth, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, October 1–31

2009

Barack Obama becomes the first Black President of the United States, January 20. Moods of Nature, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, August 8–31 Harlem Arts Alliance and Black Dimensions in Art Bus Ride and Reception, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, August 8

Francelise Dawkins (born 1951, Paris, France) Exposed Belonging, 2025 Textile collage Courtesy of the artist

Summer Youth Arts Program, with artist/instructor Catherine Reavis and assistant artist Anita Wilson. Students ages 8–12 went on a field trip to Washington Park, Albany, for inspiration from nature; they used found objects to make paper and wrote an essay about their creative experiences.

2010 Deep Waters, Deep Threads: A Quilt and Textile Exhibition, April 4–22 The White Gardenia: Sizzling Sounds of the Motown Era, The State Room, Albany, July 18 Trash to Treasure: 2nd Annual Upstate/Downstate Artist Retreat & Exchange, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, hosted by Harlem Arts Alliance and Black Dimensions in Art, August 14 Furlong on Music: Works by Bill Furlong, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, November 13

2011 The White Gardenia, The State Room, Albany, July 17 The Artists’ I: Multi-Media Exhibit, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, August 1–September 1 Retreat for artists and children aged 8–12, August 13 Traveled to: New York State Museum, Albany, October 8–15 Organized by BDA as part of the nine-day MoHU Festival. Its name an amalgamation of the Rivers Mohawk and Hudson, the MoHU festival celebrated the region’s diversity and vibrancy.

Daesha Devón Harris (born 1979, Saratoga Springs, New York) Breathe now a freeman’s breath! And claim your Liberty in life Or Freedom in your death!, summer 2018 From the series Just Beyond the River: A FolkTale Chromira print, mounted, and spectacles with etched glass framed in ash Courtesy of the artist

Barkley Hendricks (born 1945, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; died 2017, New Haven, Connecticut) Dexter Gordon, 2008 Digital print Tang Museum collection, gift of the Ann and Mel Schaffer Family Collection, 2017.22.16

Black Dimensions in Art, Inc., is awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the State of New York, Executive Chamber, signed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, August 6. Summer in the City: Youth Talent Exhibition, Albany Barn, Albany, October

2012 The White Gardenia, Hilton Garden Inn, Troy, July 15 JazzPop and Beyond 2012: Works by Bill Furlong, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, August 1–31 Summer in the City: Youth Talent Exhibition, Albany Barn, Albany, September 1–30

2013

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is founded by activists Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida. Expressions in Healing: A BDA Board Exhibit, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, Schoharie, June 1–30 Expressions in Healing: A Day Long Retreat to Wellington’s Herbs & Spices in the Catskill Mountains, Wellington’s Herbs and Spices, bus trip from Harlem State Office Building, June 22 The White Gardenia, The Crossings of Colonie, Loudonville, September 8 Opposites Attract, African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region, Albany, November 1–December 13 First Edition: Art Collector’s Calendar, 2013–2014 18-Month Calendar is released.

2015 19th Annual Black History Month Creative Expressions Context Awards Program, Stephen & Harriet Myers Middle School, Albany, February 8 Many Rivers: Black Dimensions in Art, Inc. Celebrating 40 Years, Saratoga Arts, Saratoga Springs, October 3– November 7

2016

Margaret B. Cunningham, co-founder of BAI and BDA, founder of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center, and resident of the Capital Region for nearly sixty years, dies at age 97, December 24.

ransome (born 1961, Rich Square, North Carolina) The Block, 2021 Acrylic and collage on wood Courtesy of the artist

2017 Art & Words—A Marriage: An Exhibit of Book Cover Art in St. Martin, Sheer Restaurant Gallery, Philipsburg, Saint Martin, May 31–June 4 Polo an Expression: 20 Years of Saratoga Polo, Clifford Oliver, Photographer, African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region, Albany, July 25–September 5

2018 BDA on Beekman, Living Resources Arts, Saratoga Springs, August 8–September 19 14th Annual Summer in the City Youth Talent Exhibition, Albany Barn, Albany, September 7

2019 23rd Annual Creative Expressions Context Awards Program, New York State Museum Cultural Education Center, Albany, February 10 Black Dimensions in Art: Celebrating Over 40 Years, lecture and art program, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, February 10 Illustration and the Word, Albany Barn, Albany, April 1–28 BDA on Beekman, Living Resources Arts, Saratoga Springs, August 16–November 6 Music-Infused: An Exhibit of Textile Collages by Francelise Dawkins, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, September 23–November 8 Art through the Microscope, Lally Mohawk Room, SUNY Schenectady County Community College, Schenectady, April 2019–April 2024 Summer youth art workshop for children aged 7–12, in collaboration with SUNY Schenectady and Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region

2020

Black Lives Matter protests and marches take place around the country, including in the Capital Region, beginning in May and throughout the summer. Numerous community action groups in the Capital Region organize marches and political actions, with many BDA members in leadership roles: Saratoga Black Lives Matter, All of Us, Troy 4 Black Lives, Citizen Action of New York, New York State Poor People’s Campaign, and MLK Saratoga. These groups support one another in a shared fight to end racism at local, national, and systemic levels. The Troy Rally for Black Lives brings together 11,000 people to peacefully celebrate and affirm Black life, June 7.

Robert Reed (born 1938, Charlottesville, Virginia; died 2014, New Haven, Connecticut) Plum Nellie, One, One, One, 1971 Acrylic on canvas Tang Museum collection, gift of Linda Karshan, 2019.53.2

Stephen J. Tyson (born 1956, New York, New York) A Watchful Gaze, 2002 Acrylic on canvas Courtesy of Francelise Dawkins

BDA on Broadway, Pause Gallery, Troy, January 31–March 22 BDA family and friends paint a mural in advance of the first “Shine a Light for Darryl” event, Frederick Allen Lodge and Saratoga Arts, Saratoga Springs, August Unrest: Artists Addressing the Challenges of This Time through the Power of Visual Expression, Albany Barn, Albany, November 9–December 7 The exhibition title Unrest is inspired by the many protests and political actions that took place in the Capital Region and throughout the nation in 2020 and in the decades prior as generations fought for Black liberation.

2021 HERstory Exhibition: Reflection of the African Diaspora, African American Cultural Center of the Capital Region, Albany, March 17–April 30 BDA teams up with the Co-Creation Initiative, organized by the John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS) at Skidmore College to begin building and organizing their archive and recording oral histories of past and current BDA members, May 2021–May 2025

Beneath the Drinking Gourd: Charting a Course for Youth Expression, Albany Barn, Albany, June 19–28 A retrospective sampling of works created in 2011– 2020 by Capital Region youth during BDA Summer Youth Art Camps, an annual art collaborative with Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region, Inc.

2022 HERstory: The Women in Our Lives, Art Associates Gallery, Inc., Albany, February 4–28 Artists of the African Diaspora: The Gathering, Albany, September 18: photographer Robert Cooper re-creates the iconic 1958 photograph A Great Day in Harlem by Art Kane, (which featured Black jazz musicians), with Black creators of the Capital Region on the front stoop of the Underground Railroad Education Center, the former home of abolitionists Stephen and Harriet Myers.

Art and the Environment, an open-air camp organized in collaboration with the Macedonia Baptist Church, Albany, and The Nature Conservancy, Albany, at Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Albany; Christman Sanctuary, Delanson; and Saratoga Lake Floating Classroom, Saratoga Springs, July 10–12

2023 Colors of the Rainbow, Honest Weight Food Co-op, Albany, January 28–February 28 Up South: Reflections on the Great Migration by ransome, Opalka Gallery, March 7–April 22 “Rapp Road: A Story of Migration,” talk by Pastor Clarence Samuel Johnson, accompanied by Macedonia Baptist Church of Albany Gospel Choir, March 25 HERstory: We Speak, Albany Barn, Albany, April 7–24 Youth Art Show, The Fish Market, Troy, August 12–27 The Evidence of Things Unseen: Artworks by Royal Brown, Spring Street Gallery, Saratoga Springs, August 23–October 27 “Living with Orisha: Walking the Path of African Spirituality,” discussion with Awo Onianya Aikulola (Miki Conn), September 30 Art workshop: Ships from Found Objects, October 14 Life thru the Lens, Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, September 1–October 27

2024 “African Americans and the Arts,” presented at the Albany County Legislative Black Caucus and moderated by BDA Board Member Jacqueline Lake-Sample, February 1 Our Story: 4th Annual Black Art Exhibition, The Fish Market, Troy, March 1–April 30

Jack Whitten (born 1939, Bessemer, Alabama; died 2018, New York, New York) Study for Lapsang and Chinese Sincerity #6, 1975 Pastel on paper Tang Museum collection, gift of Anne and Arthur Goldstein. 2016.25.2

2025 Silent Songbird: Art by Quill Harrison, Alice Moore Black Arts and Cultural Center, Albany, February 1–28 Clifford Oliver, presented in collaboration with the City of Albany Cultural Department, City Hall, Albany, February 1–28 Our Story: Unsealed Voices and Spirits, 5th Annual Black Art Exhibition, Albany Barn, Albany, March 3–31

Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow, The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, May 31–November 2 For Liberation and for Life: The Legacy of Black Dimensions in Art, Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany, August 23–December 31 – Notes: All locations are in New York State unless otherwise listed. The Schenectady Museum, listed above, has also been known as the Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium, and is now called the Museum of Innovation and Science. The date for Heritage Mountain …: Struggle for Freedom in America, possibly held in a legislative office building in Albany, is unknown. In 1977, exhibitions began to be held regularly at the Hudson Valley Community College. When known, these exhibitions are listed in the timeline, though there were likely others for which documentation has not been located.

BDA has exhibited work by more than 375 artists over the last 50 years. Zhyleah A. Abbott-Hocalar • Denelle Abel • Fern Allen • Kenneth A. Allen • Marcus Kwame Anderson • Benny Andrews • Juanita Ballinger • Edward M. Bannister • Anthony Barboza • Richmond Barthé • I’Jazz Bashshar • Romare Bearden • Arthur Leon Beatty • Carolyn Bembry • Alberte Bernier • Creighton Berry • Dawoud Bey • John Biggers • Camille Billops • Black News Typographers • Robert Blackburn • Betty Blayton • Aaron Bohrod • Diane Bollman-Buyer • Danielle Boodoo-Fortuné • Nita June Borland • Fernando Botero • Skyonna Boyce • Starmoni Boyce • William Braxton • Aleathia Brown • Carla Brown • James Brown • Marcus Brown • Rose Brown • Royal Brown • Takenya Brown • Takeya Brown • Ashley Bryan • Loic Bryan • Rube Bute • Don Byron • Cozbi A. Cabrera • Roslyn Cambridge • Kimberly Camp • Nanette Carter • William PK Carter • Elizabeth Catlett • Dana Chandler • Robin Chandler • R. Gregory Christie • Ed Clark • Gregory Coates • Ja’Deana Cognetta-Whitfield • John Coleman • D. Colin • Louis Collins Ejeh • Miki Conn • Wallace X. Conway • Robert Cooper • William Y. Cooper • Arthur Coppedge • Eldzier Cortor • William Cosper • Janel Crandall • Stanwyck E. Cromwell • Sharon Cropper • Moses T. Cross Bundy • Walter Culbreth • Bernard Cully • Dr. James Cunningham • Fern Cunningham • Margaret Cunningham • Harry L. Davis • Francelise Dawkins • Avel deKnight • James Denmark • Daesha Devón Harris • Bianca DiLella • Demetrius Dickerson • Joe Dominique • Eugene Downs Jr. • Monet Sharae Drake • Paula Drysdale Frazell • Prefete Duffaut • Robert S. Duncanson • James Dunlop • Adolphus Ealey • Kemoh Edwards • Mikel Elam • Michele Elliott • Obaro Enes • Benigh Enous • Karen Eutemey • John Farrar • Elton Fax • Tom Feelings • Todd Ferguson • Ralph Fleming • Frederick Flemister • Miriam B. Francis • Ernest Frazier • Gregory Freelon • Allan Randall Freelon Sr. • Roland L. Freeman • Bill Furlong • Laura R. Gadson • Calida Garcia • Herbert Gentry • Joseph Jean Gilles • Joseph Gilmore • Peter Giscombe • Nefertiti Goodman • Paul Goodnight • Thomas Gomillion • Victor Grant • Lefu Gu • David Gumbs • Lisa Hamilton • Warren Hamilton • John W. Hardick • Gaylord Hassan • Gretchel L. Hathaway, Ph.D • Delores Ashley Harris • Geoffrey Harris • Valorie Jo Harris • Warren L. Harris Sr. • Nyteaha Harrison • Quill Harrison • Miki Harper • Verna Hart • Dante Haughton •Palmer Hayden • Mara Hearney • Fay Helfer • Reyna Henderson • Jean Herve • Chester Higgins Jr. • Freida High Wasikhongo Tesfagiorgis • Laura Hilliard • A. C. Hollingsworth • John Holyfield • Wayne Hopwood • Deanna Howard • Robert Charles Hudson • Richard Hunt • Clementine Hunter • Claudia J. Hurst • Bill Hutson • Barry Irving • Deborah Jack • Jerry Jack • Linda Jackson-Chalmers • Lord Jamar • Amos James • Gar Jefferson • Katrina Jeffires • E’lan Jenkins • Jamillah Jennings • Millicent Johnnie • Femi Johnson • Larry Johnson • Malvin Grey Johnson • Najaai Johnson • Oliver Johnson • William H. Johnson • Joshua Johnston • Ben F. Jones • Lois Mailou Jones • Lyric Jones • I Joseph • Kim Kaiser • James Kelly • Harriet Forte Kennedy • Liana Kim • Hollis King •

David Kobelt • Chief Isaac Olu Komolafe • Raven Lacy • Sundiata Lake • Jacqueline A. Lake-Sample • Lionel Laurenceau • Joseph-Jean Laurent • Catherine Lawal • Jacob Lawrence • Edmonia Lewis • Robert Lewis • Ben Looney • Jocelyn Lopez • Jooelin Lopez • Najai Lopez-Patterson • Al Loving • David MacDonald • Elston Mackey • Keith Mallet • Thomas A. Malloy • Jonathan Mannion • Manuel Marcarrulla • Elizabeth Marques • Eugene James Martin • Barry L. Mason • Carole Maugé-Lewis • Raymina Mays • Geraldine McCullough • Bryan McFarlane • Thelma McGough • Donald Mckever • Jerome B. Meadows • Jerry Meadows • Virgilio Mendez • William Miles • Don Miller • Jaiohha Monal Lewis • Fred Moody • Doris Moore • Sister Gertrude Morgan • Mari Morris • Fatima Moseley • Ras Mosera • Suzette Moses • Archibald A. Motley • Patricia Murray • Carlton Murrell • Livingston Musaka • Al Napper • Ebun Zoule Nazon-Power • Otto Neals • Nefertiti • El-Wise Noisette • Tammi Lee Oak • Antoine Obin • Clifford Oliver • Ademola Olugebefola • Neiman Ortiz • Chase D. Owens • Oscar Page • Courtney A. Parkin • Jaylia Parson • William Malik Penn • Jackie Peters-Cully • Lawrence Philip • Delilah Pierce • Andre Pierre • Fernand Pierre • Howardena Pindell • Horace Pippin • Larry Poncho Brown • James A. Porter • Joella Pratt • Melanie Printup Hope • Yusuf A. K. Rasheed • Lee Ransaw • ransome • Barry Reaves • Catherine E. Reavis • Jeffrey Glenn Reese • O. Richard Reid • Roland Richardson • Faith Ringgold • Yasmine Rivera • Michael Roach • Joseph Roberts • Maurice D. Robertson • Peter L. Robinson Jr. • Natasha Robles • Bernie Robynson • Andre Rochester • Shanely Rodriguez • Angelo Rombley • Gina Rombley • Lucille Sally • Natasha Samuels • Raymond Saunders • Augusta Savage • Cherry Schroeder • Aniya Scott • Rhonda Scott • William E. Scott • Monica Seaberry • Carole Shannon • Sherry Shine • George Simmons • Titianna Simms • Coreen Simpson • Merton Simpson • Minitria Elizabeth Slade • Albert A. Smith • Kevin Smith • Merline Smith • Vincent D. Smith • William E. Smith • Iman A.K. Soloman • Elizabeth Spirig • Winosha Steele • Ashby Stevens • Rex Stewart • Red Swan Jr. • Henry O. Tanner • Ahimsa Teabout • Evelyn Patricia Terry • Joel Tineo • Eric Treece • LaVonne Tucker • Leo Twiggs • Stephen J. Tyson • Gerard Valcin • James VanderZee • Tina Walston Raggio • Corine Walker • Takeyce Walter • James L. Wells • Charles White • Inissia White • Iyona White • Jack White • Emmett Wigglesworth • Aliviya Williams • Emerson E. Williams • Herbert T. Williams • Justin Williams • Yacob Williams • Grey Williamson • Philemonia Williamson • Anita Wilson • Ellis Wilson • George Lewis Wilson • John Wilson • Michael Wilson • Frank Wimberley, Jr. • Nyiana Mone Wimberly • Viola M. Wood • Hale Woodruff • Jesse Wright • Onjena Yo • Barbara Zuber • Elizabeth Zunon • Ahmon • Ahnira • Akira • Alana • Alexis • Ayden • Christian • Dianu • Dy’Maya • Elienia • Eliezer • Eliselia • Heelar • Holiday • Jaden • Jaeda • Jasai • Jayden • Josea • Kalia • Key’Monii • Kylah • Makala • My’on • Nahjaleek • Navonna • Nola • Princeston • Sadieonna • Sanii • Saniyah • Savanah • Shawn • Shiloh • Sky’Lynn • Toniesha • Yohance •

Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow is organized by Rebecca McNamara, the Frances Young Tang ’61 Associate Curator, in collaboration with BDA members Marcus Anderson, D. Colin, Miki Conn, Daesha Devón Harris, Jacqueline Lake-Sample, and Stephen J. Tyson, with support from Angela Beallor, Documentarian in Community Co-Creation in Skidmore’s John B. Moore Documentary Collaborative. The exhibition was also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. All images reproduced in this brochure are scanned from the Black Dimensions in Art Archive, unless otherwise noted. Timeline and artist list compiled by Rebecca McNamara with Izzy DeSantis, the Kiki Pohlad ’13 Curatorial Assistant; Lauren Attwell ’26; Kayla Moody ’25; Kia Rogers ’25; and Black Dimensions in Art. Building the BDA archive is an ongoing process. Titles, dates, and locations of exhibitions and programs and artist names are listed as completely and accurately as possible at the time of publication. Typefaces: Exposure by 205TF and Diatype by Dinamo Printer: Mixam Design: Hilary duPont, Tang Museum