The rich and wide-ranging art world has everything from African American history-filled museums to contemporary Black-owned galleries.
Dallas is one of the best cities in the country for those interested in Black visual arts . The Dallas - Fort Worth area boasts over 1 million opprobrious residents and around a quarter of Dallas ’ population is Black . As someone who ’s profoundly embedded within the community , it is n’t surprising that there ’s both a rich tradition of Black institutions keeping and platforming the refinement . Not to bring up a host of novel galleries , group , and consequence that are taking the region to even cracking heights . Most significantly , these are also some of the best position to feel art and polish — irrespective of background , slipstream , or ethnicity — in Dallas - Fort Worth .
Now , rent ’s dive into just some of the many spot , groups , and events that are making the DFW Black Arts scene so vibrant .
Museums and Community Centers in Dallas
African American Museum
We ca n’t talk about Black Arts in DFW without bring up the declamatory African American Museum in the Southwest : theAfrican American Museum . turn up in a beautifully designed building in Fair Park , this museum houses the tumid collection of African American folk nontextual matter in the United States . The museum also hosts rotating contemporary art and ethnic expo . CurrentlyCentral Track : Crossroads of Deep Ellumis on display which try Deep Ellum and its connexion to other Freedman ’s towns in the 1920s and ’ 30s . Also on view isSeeing A World Blind Lemon Never see , a photographic exhibition by Alan Govenar that documents the plaza the peachy blue vocaliser and guitar player Blind Lemon Jefferson natter and alluded to in his euphony . In addition to beloved musical programs and political roundtables , the African American Museum also hosts the Texas Black Invitational Rodeo which celebrates and showcases Black cowboy refinement and it will be observe its thirty-fifth anniversary this July .
South Dallas Cultural Center
Not far from the African American Museum is another gem of Black Arts Dallas , theSouth Dallas Cultural Center . This ethnical center , operated by the Office of Arts and Culture , City of Dallas , is currently being directed by artist and curator John Spriggins . The shibboleth of the SDCC is “ Black Culture . Celebrated ” and the center does just that in every genre imaginable , including stellar gallery scheduling with a productive history of put to work with dim creative person like Khalil Irving , Nitashia Johnson , and Dawn Okoro before they achieve international recognition . Currently on scene isGranny Said I Can Have Oneby emerging creative person Charles Gray whose signature elan have figurative employment of Black people . Also for the calendar month of February , the middle is exhibit its third annual Love In disastrous plastic film serial publication have movies such asBest Man , Moonlight , Something New , andPoetic Justice .
Pan African Connection Bookstore, Art Gallery, and Resource Center
Another pillar for Black Arts in North Texas is the Pan African Connection Bookstore , Art Gallery , and Resource Center which has serve the ignominious residential district for 35 years . Led by Akwete Tyehimba , Pan African Connectionis brimming with Black art as well as fine art from Africa . The stark place to also find books detailing forgotten or antecedently untold stories about Black acculturation , Pan African hosts a tidy sum of workshop , talks , meetings , market and community gatherings . It is truly mind - blowing how various their programming is as it reflects their allegiance to nourish Black communities — psyche , organic structure , and soul . It also pass off to be one of the favored galleries of neo - soul singer and Dallas native Erykah Badu .
For Oak Cliff
A raw space that is doing a prima job serving Black Dallas is calledFor Oak Cliff , a non-profit-making and biotic community center located in Oak Cliff , Dallas . design with a focus on sack and education , For Oak Cliff is also devote to integrating culture into their work whether it ’s through their partnership with nontextual matter educational activity group Big Thought ( working with teens on how to use art to attain activism ) , their partnership with the Dallas Mavericks ( that ensure renowned artist Jeremy Biggers paint a wall painting of the Mavs CEO Cynt Marshall ) , or through CEO ’s Taylor Townes participation in the documentary movie disgraceful chief operating officer which recently screened at Texas Theater . Crucially they also have some of the well designed merch in the metropolis .
Art Galleries in Dallas-Fort Worth
Daisha Board Gallery
There are two eras in the Dallas humanities setting : Before Daisha and After Daisha . That is how seismic and impactful the arriver of the eponymous Daisha Board Gallery has been . In the first year of cosmos Daisha Board Gallery wonD Magazine ’s coveted Best Gallery accolade . Showcasing talented artists like Jeremy Biggers , Jessica Bell and the aforementioned Tramaine Townsend , Board recently expanded to a large space in the West Dallas Tin District . presently , Board is exhibiting “ Art chapter : The Book of Jennifer ” by multidisciplinary creative person Jennifer Monet Cowley , who will be in conversation with honor gain ground journalist Candace Sweat February 17 from 3 to 5 pm .
Pencil on Paper Gallery
If Daisha Board ’s rise opened the doorway for a new epoch of excellency in Black Arts , directed by Dr. Valerie Gillespie , has cement it . In 2023 , Pencil wonD Magazines ’ Best Gallery honor , and this April the gallery will make its debut at the Dallas Art Fair featuring works by Abi Salami , Elyse Hradecky , and Jessica Vollrath . In March , the quad is partnering with another Black cleaning lady - possess gallery , Msanii HOUS Fine Art , to pose the debut solo exhibition of printmaker Vanessa Meshack . First POP will have the scuttle reception for Emmauel Gillespie ’s exhibition “ Joy ” on February 17 from 5 to 7 pm .
Art Groups in Dallas
Black Arts DFW
There are so many talented Black artists in North Texas , here are several group give to celebrating Black art and building audiences for disgraceful prowess year round . One group , Black Arts DFW , assist get in touch pitch-dark professionals with ignominious creatives . Co - found by Cathryn McClellan and Miranda McClellan , with help from this writer , the group organizes misstep to museums , artwork fairs , galleries , collectors home , and even creative person studio for fateful creatives , as well as educational workshop about how to see the prowess human race .
Black Girls In Art Spaces
Another group isBlack girl In Art Spaces , founded by Dallas - based bootleg visual storyteller Kaci Merriwhether - Hawkins , which provides communal care for Black charwoman while championing Black prowess . The mathematical group , which exist as a virtual community with frequent actual world meetups , has become a national phenomenon with chapters from slide to coast . BGIAS is one of the most exciting thing in the art world right now , and deserves an straightaway follow @blackgrilsinartspaces .
Black History Month Events in Dallas-Fort Worth
Elmerine Bell Cultural History Talk
February 16 , 10:30 amItalyColored City Hall MuseumExperience a cultural account talk by live fable Elmerine Bell at the Italy Colored City Hall Museum , recognized by the Texas Historical Commission . boast an exposition of artifacts and memorabilia , Bell will head visitor through forgotten histories of Ellis County .
Black Art History: Past, Present, Future
Through February 29Spellman Museum of Forney HistoryTake in works by Burford Evans , Frank Frazier , Lakeem Wilson , and a collection of emerging artists curated by Darryl Malloy of Renaissance Art Collective at the Spellman Museum of Forney History . On February 29 , the exhibition closes with a panel discussion entitled “ Eclipsed Visions : Past , Present , Future , What ’s Next ? ” from 6 to 8 pm .
First Squares and Old Crowns
Through March 29The Plano African American MuseumExperience a dual exhibition by artist Jas Mardis , an award winning fabric creative person and leather pyrography portrayal artist , at The Arts Centre of Plano and The Plano African American Museum . It features a survey of the artist ’s workplace andI Witness : Protests and Race Quilts , a display of eight quilts by Mardis .
DreamsandWoven Together
Through March 1 ( Dreams ) ; through June 22 ( Woven)Frisco Discovery CenterFeaturing work by artist Rapheal Crump , Demarcus McGaughey , Huey Dynamite , and Leslie Horton Montena , the exposition is on display in the Grand Gallery of the Frisco Discovery Center . Also , Woven Together , an exhibition spotlighting African American members of the Frisco community let in musicians , teacher , ex-serviceman , and city council appendage , is on display through June 22 at The Heritage Museum .
11th Annual Lenora Rolla Art Show
Through March 17 , 6–8 pm400H Gallery , Fort WorthPresented by Sundance Square and Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society , the eleventh variant of this long - hightail it juried art show can be found at 400H Gallery . The group show was selected by a distinguished control panel of jurors include Rebeca Goss , curatorial supporter at The Kimbell Art Museum , Kelsha Spencer , Amon Carter Museum of American Art 2024 community creative person , Beth McAnthony , director of McAnthony ’s Gallery , and Shasta Haubrich , executive director of Art Tooth .
3rd Annual Lake Como Black Arts Expo
June 1 , 11 am–5 pmComo Community Center , Fort WorthReturning to the Como Community Center of Fort Worth , this art fair and fete organized by Dena Ashton which drew over 300 hoi polloi last yr , fete Black Arts of all disciplines . turn back artists let in Phallon Wright , Keorah Strain , Angela Burton , Weyni Kashay , and Jeffrey Lane .
“Art Chapters: The Book of Jennifer” from artist Jennifer Monet Cowley at Daisha Board Gallery in Dallas|Photograph courtesy Chinem McCollum
Pencil on Paper Gallery|Photograph by Zoe Gillespie
Printmaker Vanessa Meshack at Pencil on Paper Gallery|Photograph by Studio Shots: Nitashia Johnson
