The iron "Whites Only" swimming pool sign from Selma, Alabama, dating back to 1931, starkly illustrates the era's racial segregation and discrimination. This historical artifact symbolizes the oppressive Jim Crow laws that enforced racial barriers in public spaces.
Signature fusion of urban expressionism and folk art. The horses, are a recurring symbol in his work, represent freedom, movement, and resistance. Created with bold, layered brushstrokes on reclaimed wood, the piece embodies themes of liberation and struggle, often inspired by the energy and challenges of inner-city life.
This Bongo mask, intricately carved and vibrantly painted, reflects just how important art was to the Bongo peoples' heritage. A Central African piece known for its expressive features and elaborate designs, it serves a ceremonial purpose and is often used in rituals to connect with ancestral spirits.
This Bongo mask, intricately carved and vibrantly painted, represents the artistic traditions of the Bongo people of Central Africa. Known for its expressive features and elaborate designs, it serves a ceremonial purpose, often used in rituals to connect with ancestral spirits.
This rare mask could belong to the Gurunsi, Boba, or Bwa ethnic groups in Burkina Faso, one of the oldest agricultural groups in that region. They believed in strictly preserving the spirits, which brought balance to a world humans disturb. Each mask is unique, channeling these spirits for performances, celebrations, and harvest rituals.
The vintage "Black Jockey Boys" bank is a collectible item depicting a stereotype of African American jockeys, often characterized by exaggerated features and playful expressions. While intended as a whimsical decoration, it reflects the racial caricatures prevalent in the early 20th century.
The Black likeness featured on vintage Cream of Wheat cans represents a historic portrayal of African American culture in advertising. Often depicting a smiling chef, this imagery reflects the era's complex relationship with race and representation in the food industry.
This painting from the Leo Psam Collection is a textbook example of the colorfully vibrant scenes artists create when depicting Caribbean art. The Haitian art showcases a busy market scene with people selling fruit and customers inquiring and purchasing them.
This painting from the FAMU Black Archives/Caribbean Art Collection has limited identification for precise attribution. The vibrantly-painted piece depicts a Haitian village scene and features an unclear inscription in red, cursive font on the lower right corner that could be the artist’s signature.
The red and yellow vintage Jolly Negro bank features a caricature of a smiling Black man, embodying the racially insensitive stereotypes prevalent in early 20th-century America. Designed as a coin bank, it reflects the era's problematic representation of African Americans in popular culture.
The vintage black and red Jolly Negro bank depicts a smiling Black figure, exemplifying the racially insensitive stereotypes common in early 20th-century America. This ceramic bank was designed to encourage saving while reflecting a troubling portrayal of African Americans in popular culture.
The vintage red and white Jolly Negro bank features a cheerful caricature of a Black man, reflecting the racial stereotypes common in early 20th-century American culture. This coin bank, characterized by its bright colors and playful design, embodies the problematic portrayals of African Americans during that time
The Kouba masks showcase the rich artistic heritage of the African Kouba culture. Each mask features unique carvings and vibrant colors, reflecting the community's spiritual beliefs and social values. One mask may represent ancestral spirits, while the other might embody specific cultural ceremonies.
The Kouba mask, originating from the Congo, is a striking cultural artifact known for its intricate carvings and vibrant colors. It was traditionally used in rituals and ceremonies and represents ancestral spirits.
This untitled painting from the FAMU Black Archives/Caribbean Art Collection has limited identification for proper attribution. However, the vibrant blue, green, and orange paint jumps out of the frame, showcasing a glimpse into life in the Caribbean.
This untitled painting from the FAMU Black Archives/Caribbean Art Collection has limited identification for proper attribution. While it appears to be the same artist from the collection, this piece depicts a village scene with bright orange lighting basking from a setting, or rising, sun – a contrast from the blue paintings seen earlier.
This untitled painting from the FAMU Black Archives/Caribbean Art Collection has limited identification for proper attribution. It features a lush green scene, complete with a cascading blue waterfall and four people strolling in it.
This untitled painting from the FAMU Black Archives/Caribbean Art Collection has limited identifiers for proper attribution but is associated with Dr. James Eaton and Frank Pinder Collections. The piece is of a boating community sailing in the ocean and features an illegible inscription on the lower left corner that could be the artist’s signature.
This work by Earl Jones is an abstract, desert landscape of barren trees, emerging from red and orange rings in the ground. Jones was a student at Texas Southern in the mid-1970s and was taught by artists and instructors like Dr. John T. Biggers and Professor Carroll Harris Simms. Biggers frequently urged his students to draw inspiration from nature and their immediate surroundings.
This unique 3D painting by Richard Atkinson, a Jamaican-born artist, could only be achieved through paper mâché. Belonging to the Leo P. Sam collection, the piece features a woman in white picking what appears to be fruit but could be flowers, from a tree.
The Yaka mask, traditionally crafted by the Yaka people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is known for its striking design and vibrant colors. Often used in initiation ceremonies and cultural performances, the mask features exaggerated facial features that convey power and spiritual significance.
This wooden sculpture has faded paint, but the features – including scarification marks and large ears – are still prominent. The Yoruba people of Nigeria made this mask to honor their ancestors in masquerade ceremonies, known as Odun Egungun (egungun meaning “power concealed”), meant to maintain the spiritual morality of previous generations.
