Black American Portraits

Black American Portraits

To complement the presentation of The Obama Portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald on tour from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG), LACMA presents Black American Portraits. Remembering Two Centuries of Black American Art, guest curated by David Driskell at LACMA 45 years ago, this exhibition reframes portraiture to center Black American subjects, sitters, and spaces. Spanning over two centuries from c. 1800 to the present day, this selection of approximately 140 works draws primarily from LACMA’s permanent collection and highlights emancipation and early studio photography, scenes from the Harlem Renaissance, portraits from the Civil Rights and Black Power eras, and multiculturalism of the 1990s. Black American Portraits chronicles the ways in which Black Americans have used portraiture to envision themselves in their own eyes. Countering a visual culture that often demonizes Blackness and fetishizes the spectacle of Black pain, these images center love, abundance, family, community, and exuberance.

Sign up to receive email updates about this exhibition, including alerts about ticket availability.

Due to popular demand, General Admission tickets for dates throughout the entire presentation of the Obama Portraits Tour at LACMA will be available starting Wed, Nov 17, for Members, and Thu, Nov 18, for the public, at 10 am PST.

Black American Portraits is presented in conjunction with The Obama Portraits Tour. The exhibitions are presented in adjacent galleries and both are included in General Admission.

Also Visit
Family Album: Dannielle Bowman, Janna Ireland and Contemporary Works from LACMA

A free exhibition at our off-site gallery four miles east of LACMA
Saturdays 1–4 pm | Nov 19–Jun 5, 2021 
Charles White Elementary School | 2401 Wilshire Blvd.

To complement the presentation of The Obama Portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald on tour from the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPG), LACMA presents Black American Portraits. Remembering Two Centuries of Black American Art, guest curated by David Driskell at LACMA 45 years ago, this exhibition reframes portraiture to center Black American subjects, sitters, and spaces. Spanning over two centuries from c. 1800 to the present day, this selection of approximately 140 works draws primarily from LACMA’s permanent collection and highlights emancipation and early studio photography, scenes from the Harlem Renaissance, portraits from the Civil Rights and Black Power eras, and multiculturalism of the 1990s. Black American Portraits chronicles the ways in which Black Americans have used portraiture to envision themselves in their own eyes. Countering a visual culture that often demonizes Blackness and fetishizes the spectacle of Black pain, these images center love, abundance, family, community, and exuberance.

Sign up to receive email updates about this exhibition, including alerts about ticket availability.

Due to popular demand, General Admission tickets for dates throughout the entire presentation of the Obama Portraits Tour at LACMA will be available starting Wed, Nov 17, for Members, and Thu, Nov 18, for the public, at 10 am PST.

Black American Portraits is presented in conjunction with The Obama Portraits Tour. The exhibitions are presented in adjacent galleries and both are included in General Admission.

Also Visit
Family Album: Dannielle Bowman, Janna Ireland and Contemporary Works from LACMA

A free exhibition at our off-site gallery four miles east of LACMA
Saturdays 1–4 pm | Nov 19–Jun 5, 2021 
Charles White Elementary School | 2401 Wilshire Blvd.

This exhibition is organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

Presented by

Principal sponsorship provided by Snapchat  

Major support provided by Janine Sherman Barrois and Lyndon J. Barrois, Sr.; Ina Coleman; Brickson E. Diamond; The Claire Falkenstein Foundation; Kristen Boggs Jaeger and Jeffrey Jaeger; Jill Lawrence and Paul Koplin in honor of Martha Koplin; Arthur R. Lewis; Janet Dreisen Rappaport; and D'Rita and Robbie Robinson.

Generous support provided by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®; Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation; Kimberly A. Blackwell; Lizzie and Steve Blatt; Rebecca and Troy Carter; Ava L. Coleman and Debra L. Lee; Far Western Region, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®; George and Azita Fatheree; Danny First; Foundation for Advancement in Conservation and Tru Vue, Inc.; The Gilford Family; Deon T. Jones; Gail and George Knox; Chrystal and Melvin D. Lindsey; Andrea Nelson Meigs and John Meigs; Issa Rae; Jason and Susan Riffe; Julie and Bennett Roberts, Roberts Projects; V. Joy Simmons, MD; Ryan Tarpley; Treehouse; Abbey Wemimo and Taylor Goodridge; Ric Whitney and Tina Perry-Whitney; and Dr. Francille Rusan Wilson and Dr. Ernest J. Wilson III.

All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by Meredith and David Kaplan, with generous annual funding from Kevin J. Chen, Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Emily and Teddy Greenspan, Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross, Mary and Daniel James, Justin Lubliner, Jennifer and Mark McCormick, Kelsey Lee Offield, Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield, Lenore and Richard Wayne, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto.

Image: Portrait of a Sailor (Paul Cuffe?), United States, circa 1800, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Purchased with funds provided by Cecile Bartman, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

• Nov 7, 2021–Apr 17, 2022
• Resnick Pavilion

When listening inside the exhibition, please be considerate of others and use headphones.

This exhibition is organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. 

Presented by

Principal sponsorship provided by Snapchat  

Major support provided by Janine Sherman Barrois and Lyndon J. Barrois, Sr.; Ina Coleman; Brickson E. Diamond; The Claire Falkenstein Foundation; Kristen Boggs Jaeger and Jeffrey Jaeger; Jill Lawrence and Paul Koplin in honor of Martha Koplin; Arthur R. Lewis; Janet Dreisen Rappaport; and D'Rita and Robbie Robinson.

Generous support provided by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®; Stanley and Joyce Black Family Foundation; Kimberly A. Blackwell; Lizzie and Steve Blatt; Rebecca and Troy Carter; Ava L. Coleman and Debra L. Lee; Far Western Region, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®; George and Azita Fatheree; Danny First; Foundation for Advancement in Conservation and Tru Vue, Inc.; The Gilford Family; Deon T. Jones; Gail and George Knox; Chrystal and Melvin D. Lindsey; Andrea Nelson Meigs and John Meigs; Issa Rae; Jason and Susan Riffe; Julie and Bennett Roberts, Roberts Projects; V. Joy Simmons, MD; Ryan Tarpley; Treehouse; Abbey Wemimo and Taylor Goodridge; Ric Whitney and Tina Perry-Whitney; and Dr. Francille Rusan Wilson and Dr. Ernest J. Wilson III.

All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by Meredith and David Kaplan, with generous annual funding from Kevin J. Chen, Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Emily and Teddy Greenspan, Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross, Mary and Daniel James, Justin Lubliner, Jennifer and Mark McCormick, Kelsey Lee Offield, Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield, Lenore and Richard Wayne, and Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto.

Image: Portrait of a Sailor (Paul Cuffe?), United States, circa 1800, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Purchased with funds provided by Cecile Bartman, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Installation Photography