The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on Tuesday launched a new publication — “Reckoning: Protest. Defiance. Resilience.” — that showcases visual art’s dynamic and potent role in African American history and culture.
Featuring nearly 100 artworks, this 224-page hardcover book explores how visual art has provided a rich outlet for protest, commentary, escape and perspective for African Americans. The publication is based on the museum exhibition of the same name, which opened in the museum’s Rhimes Family Foundation Visual Arts Gallery in 2021.
“Visitors emerge from the ‘Reckoning’ exhibition have found it a transformed and transformative space,” said Kevin Young, the museum’s Andrew W. Mellon Director. “‘Reckoning’ provides a testament to how artists and photographers have used their work to chart over a century of change, from the Harlem Renaissance to our current moment. The show journeys from defiance to acceptance, from racial violence and cultural resilience to grief and mourning, hope and promise.”
The exhibition and book consider art that exemplifies resilience in times of conflict, the ritual of creation and the defiant pleasure of healing. This visually stunning publication includes a wide range of mediums featuring Black artists such as Amy Sherald, Benny Andrews, Sheila Pree Bright, Bisa Butler, Charles Alston, Elizabeth Catlett, Shaun Leonardo, David Hammons and many more.
