The Mead Art Museum at Amherst College is currently hosting two concurrent exhibitions celebrating Black art. The first is 'Kwame Brathwaite: Revolutionary Movements,' a photography exhibition showcasing the work of the late photographer Kwame Brathwaite, curated in partnership with his family. The second is the ninth annual Black Art Matters exhibition, featuring works by current Amherst students, organized in collaboration with several campus cultural organizations.
These exhibitions matter because they actively center and celebrate Black artistic expression and legacy within an institutional setting. The Brathwaite show preserves and promotes the work of a pivotal photographer who championed Black beauty, while the student-led BAM exhibition provides a vital platform for emerging Black artists to explore identity, history, and resistance, fostering dialogue and representation for the campus and wider community.