Ed Clark, American, 1926–2019; Untitled (Bahia Series), 1988; dry pigment and acrylic; 29 3/8 x 32 3/4 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection, Gift of Ronald and Monique Ollie 130:2017; © Ed Clark / Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
The Saint Louis Art Museum continues its commitment to engage, include, and represent the full diversity of the St. Louis community through its exhibitions, programming, and events. Visit the Museum or search online to discover more than 300 works by artists of African descent in the Museum’s collection. Learn more about special events and exhibitions that focus on African and African American history and culture.
Art
Upcoming Exhibition: Narrative Wisdom and African Arts
A portrait of Chokwe society, this chair includes three sections of carved motifs that holistically communicate the chief’s power and responsibility over his people. The masks at the top represent the chief, the conical masks in the middle depict a protective figure that appears during boys’ initiation ceremonies, and the bottom rungs show scenes of daily life. The throne evokes the chief’s authority through its hierarchical structure and symbolism. The Chokwe chair will be on view in the Morton D. May and Louis D. Beaumont Foundation Gallery 117 through May, 2024. Later this year it will be featured in the ticketed exhibition Narrative Wisdom and African Arts.
Chokwe artist, Angola; Chief's Chair, 19th century; wood, brass, hide; 29 1/4 x 11 x 17 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Museum Purchase 7:1943
St. Louis Native: Oliver Lee Jackson
Acquired after a 2021–2022 retrospective exhibition titled Oliver Lee Jackson at the Saint Louis Art Museum, this large-scale painting centralizes the bursting hues, fast-paced brushstrokes, and spray-painted outlines against a light-pink background. Based on his association with the local Black Artist Group (1968–1972) and his artistic response to the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa (1960), St. Louis native Oliver Lee Jackson has reflected on civil rights in his work. However, this painting focuses on his interest in formal elements, such as colors, lines, and mark-making. Jackson’s indescribable colors evoke emotions, communicate power, and allow for opportunities to discover figures and gestures that emerge from continuous observation.
Oliver Lee Jackson, American, born 1935; “Painting (5.12.11)”, 2011; oil-based pigments, acrylic paints, silver and gold spray enamel on gessoed linen; 108 x 108 inches; Courtesy of the artist 2021.93; © Oliver Lee Jackson, Photo: M. Lee Fatherree
Recent Acquisition: Selika
Most likely named after a character in Giacomo Meyerbeer’s 1865 opera L’Africaine (The African Woman), Selika is an African queen. In this sculpture Pietro Calvi has forever portrayed her in a state of contemplation before she dies from suicide following her lover’s betrayal. Selika will be installed in February near another of Calvi’s theatre-inspired artworks, Othello. From the acquisition of Bust of a Man in 1990 to Calvi’s Selika in 2023, these sculptures are examples of the Museum’s ongoing commitment to increasing the representation and thoughtful presentation of Africans and African Americans.
Pietro Calvi, Italian, 1833–1884; Selika, 1874; marble and bronze; 38 x 19 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches; Saint Louis Art Museum, Bequest of Edith J. and C.C. Johnson Spink, Gift of the Ford Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Rice, Bequest of Pearl B. Wright, and Dr. Byron Mansfield Wagner and Jedonna Prince Wagner, all by exchange 6:2023
More African and African American art
These 8 artworks are a part of the Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Collection. They are currently not on view. We invite you to explore these works online or visit the Print Study Room to make an appointment to view them in person.
-
Sam Gilliam, American, 1933–2022
Half Circle Red More Information -
Ed Clark, American, 1926–2019
Untitled (Bahia Series) More Information -
Nanette Carter, American, born 1954
Slightly Off Keel #60 More Information -
James Little, American, born 1952
Study for the Surrogate More Information -
Sir Frank Bowling, English (born Guyana), born 1936
Fishes, Wishes and Star Apple Blue More Information -
Norman Lewis, American, 1909–1979
Untitled More Information -
Mary Lovelace O'Neal, American, born 1942
City Lights (Prophet with No Tongue) More Information -
View 1 more
Al Loving, American, 1935–2005
Zayamaca #4 More Information
Events
Audio Guide
Power of Place
This audio guide celebrates arts of Africa and the African diaspora, featuring diverse Black, African, and African American people, artists, and cultures. Listen to the director’s introduction, narrators from the Saint Louis Art Museum, and community voices.
Ongoing Programs
2024 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: Boldly Embracing a Legacy of Greatness
Since 2002, the Museum has honored the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with an annual program. This program is supported by the Dana Brown Endowed Fund for Education and Community Programs.
Kwanzaa Celebration
Learn about the traditions of Kwanzaa through a journey of the seven principles and a scavenger hunt featuring art from the Museum’s collection.
Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellowship
The Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellowship honors the pioneering artist’s legacy by providing opportunities to early-career museum professionals. The goal of the Fellowship is to promote greater access to the field for individuals from backgrounds that are historically and statistically underrepresented at American art museums.
Friends of
African American ArtCollectors Circle
We invite you to become a member of the Museum’s Friends of African American Art Collectors Circle. Quarterly programs offer the perfect opportunity for those who wish to expand their awareness of African American art of the past and present.
Support
This guide is supported by the Dana Brown Endowed Fund for Education and Community Programs.