The Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA) is currently hosting "Roll Call: Two Hundred Years of Black American Art," a landmark exhibition that celebrates the enduring legacy of Black artists and chronicles the evolution of the museum's own collection. Running from September 26, 2026, through January 17, 2027, this significant presentation is part of the BMA's 75th-anniversary celebration. It not only affirms the presence and impact of Black artists but also highlights the pivotal role of community advocacy in shaping the museum's holdings, including the pioneering efforts of local artist Corietta L. Mitchell.

Celebrating Two Centuries of Black American Art: The 'Roll Call' Exhibition

"Roll Call: Two Hundred Years of Black American Art" is a major exhibition and publication project organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art. It brings together works by artists of the African diaspora, spanning two centuries, to tell a comprehensive story about artistic excellence and community advocacy, according to the Birmingham Museum of Art. The exhibition features works by more than 250 Black American artists now included in the museum’s permanent collection, reflecting a dual narrative of Black American art and the Birmingham Museum of Art itself. Graham C. Boettcher, the R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, noted that the exhibition measures how far the museum has come, acknowledging the cumulative impact of artists, curators, and community members whose decisions and advocacy have expanded what is represented in the collection. This presentation offers an opportunity to reconsider key works alongside more recent acquisitions, providing insight into how the museum's holdings have developed over time.

A Curatorial Journey: Exploring Four Thematic Sections

The exhibition is organized into four thematic sections, each designed to expand the narratives told by the collection and trace the development of Black American art across time. Curator Jade Powers explained these themes, which include: * The Ground We Stand On: This section focuses on foundational moments in the museum’s history, including early and significant acquisitions of work by Black artists. Powers described it as an exploration of how these initial acquisitions became fundamental to the museum's history, according to The Birmingham Times. * Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility: This theme highlights the crucial role played by community organizations and individual advocates—ranging from museum staff and city leaders to everyday residents and local artists—in shaping the museum’s collection. * What Freedom Feels Like: Artists in this section explore lived experience through various visual languages, from figuration to abstraction, offering reflections on daily life, self-expression, and political consciousness. Powers noted that this theme is a testament to how artists conceptualize freedom. * In the Heart of It All: The final section considers the significance of place, featuring works inspired by Alabama and Birmingham that connect local histories to broader cultural and national contexts. These sections collectively aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of the artistic production and cultural history rooted in Birmingham and extending nationally.

Corietta L. Mitchell: A Birmingham Pioneer's Enduring Legacy

A significant local connection within the broader narrative of Black American art is Corietta L. Mitchell, who holds the distinction of being the first Black artist to have a solo exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art. In 1963, despite the segregationist laws enforced by Birmingham’s Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene “Bull” Connor, which restricted Black visitors to the museum to only one day a week and prevented the exhibition of Black artists' work, Mitchell broke through this barrier. Her modest 1963 solo exhibition, held on a Sunday evening, featured seven oil paintings and five prints and attracted nearly 600 people, as reported by The Birmingham Times. This event blazed a path for hundreds of Black artists whose work would later be exhibited at the museum. Mitchell, a multitalented artist, singer, pianist, and educator, was also a leader in the cultural life of Birmingham’s Black middle-class communities and directed programming for children at the A.M. Bown Center, providing cultural opportunities often denied to them. Despite her pioneering exhibition, the museum did not acquire any of Mitchell’s work for its permanent collection at that time, reflecting systemic biases of the era. However, the "Roll Call" exhibition now honors works by more than 250 Black American artists, including those from Birmingham, in the BMA's permanent collection. The museum is actively pursuing efforts to find and include Mitchell’s art, determined to honor her legacy within its expanded collection.

Experiencing 'Roll Call': Dates, Location, and Publication

"Roll Call: Two Hundred Years of Black American Art" is on display at the Birmingham Museum of Art from September 26, 2026, through January 17, 2027. Tickets for the exhibition are $19.71, with members receiving a 50% discount. City of Birmingham employees are also eligible for a free Duo-level Museum membership, which provides a discount on tickets. To further engage with the exhibition's content, a fully illustrated publication accompanies "Roll Call." This publication expands on the artists and histories presented in the exhibition, offering deeper context and scholarship on every Black American artist represented in the Birmingham Museum of Art’s collection, which spans from the early nineteenth century to the present day. The publication, also titled "Roll Call: Two Hundred Years of Black American Art," is available for purchase.

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