The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, presents 'Say It Loud: AAMARP, 1977 to Now,' an exhibition celebrating nearly fifty years of the African American Master Artists-in-Residence Program (AAMARP). Founded in 1977 by artist and activist Dana C. Chandler Jr., AAMARP emerged from Boston's Black Arts Movement as a residency and cultural hub for Black artists. The show features over 50 works by 39 artists across painting, collage, photography, textiles, murals, and sculpture, tracing themes of identity, liberation, diaspora, and belonging.
This exhibition matters because it foregrounds the enduring legacy and continued relevance of one of the longest-running residency programs dedicated to Black artists in the United States. Rather than a nostalgic retrospective, 'Say It Loud' positions AAMARP as a living, dynamic force in contemporary art, emphasizing collective imagination, resilience, and self-determination. At a time when Black cultural histories demand renewed visibility, the show serves as both an exhibition and an act of remembrance, affirming the program's role in shaping artistic practice and political consciousness.