New York museums are presenting a wave of major exhibitions focused on African American art this spring and summer, many running through fall 2025. Solo shows include the largest-ever surveys of Rashid Johnson at the Guggenheim Museum, Amy Sherald at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Jack Whitten at the Museum of Modern Art. The Drawing Center hosts the first museum exhibition dedicated to Beauford Delaney's drawings, while the Brooklyn Museum presents the first museum show for sculptor Nancy Elizabeth Prophet. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, highlights include the newly renovated Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, a Lorna Simpson painting exhibition, a roof garden installation by Jennie C. Jones, and the Costume Institute's "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exploring Black dandyism.
This coordinated presentation of African American artists across multiple premier institutions marks a significant institutional commitment to broadening the art historical canon. By featuring both established figures like Lorna Simpson and under-recognized artists such as Nancy Elizabeth Prophet, these exhibitions address historical gaps in representation and bring diverse narratives to wide audiences. The prominence of these shows—including the first comprehensive survey of Simpson's painting practice and the first Delaney drawing exhibition—signals a sustained shift toward centering Black artists in major museum programming, with implications for scholarship, collecting, and public engagement.