Reimagining African American Art

The Detroit Institute of Arts began collecting African American art in 1943. In 2000, the DIA established the Center for African American Art and in 2001 appointed the first curator dedicated to African American art in an encyclopedic American museum, signaling the museum’s ongoing support and celebration of African American art and history.

Now, for the first time since 2007, the museum is reinstalling its African American galleries to showcase new works in the DIA’s collection in concert with existing favorites. Reimagining African American Art will highlight the collection by moving the galleries to one of the museum’s most prominent spaces — directly adjacent to Rivera Court. This transformative reinstallation, opening October 18, 2025, traces the development of African American art from the 1800s, when a few African Americans overcame tremendous challenges to become professional artists, to the 1980s, when some began to receive more national and international recognition.

Tracing the evolution of African American culture, the collection provides a powerful lens into the lives, achievements, and resilience of Black artists. Four dedicated galleries will explore key historical movements, including the Harlem Renaissance, Social Realism, the Civil Rights era, and the Black Arts Movement. The reinstalled galleries will feature a variety of media — drawings, prints, photography, paintings, and sculpture.

For regular updates on artwork currently on view, visit the museum’s collection pages. Information on temporary gallery closures is available here.