New Britain Museum Of American Art To Celebrate Black History Month

By Jeniece Roman, The Bristol Press

January 25, 2022

The New Britain Museum of American Art will celebrate Black History month with a variety of events throughout February.

These events will include a Virtual Open Mic, a Youth Creative Contest, Gallery Talks, permanent collection art installation, and other virtual and onsite offerings to celebrate Black History Month. Families can participate in a themed in-gallery scavenger hunt throughout the month. The museum will feature prolific Black artists from the Museum’s permanent collection including Charles Ethan Porter, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Faith Ringgold, and Betye Saar.

From its Permanent Collection, the museum will feature People and Places in America, 1960s to Today, from now until May 01, 2022. The installation features work from the 1960s to the 2010s and explores depictions of people and places in America through a range of mediums including sculpture, print, collage, photography, and painting.

The NBMAA will host two Spotlight Gallery Talks to highlight works of African American artists in the collection. The Gallery Talk: Spotlight on Tanner, Porter, Duncanson, with Lisa Williams on Feb. 2 from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. The Gallery Talk: Spotlight on Radcliffe Bailey, with Jasmine Dejackome on Feb. 16 from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.

The NBMAA’s Community Advisory Group will host two programs to commemorate Black History Month: Virtual Open-Mic and Youth Creative Contest. This year’s theme is “Three Be's: Be courageous. Be resilient. Be empowered.”

The Virtual Open-Mic will take place Thursday, Feb. 24 from 6- p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Interested participants should submit video, audio, or photo samples no later than Feb. 18. The museum will select artists and performers to present and discuss their works during the live program.

Youth Creative Contest entrants should submit videos, photos, written materials, and/or audio files by Feb. 18. Artists will have the opportunity to be featured in a contest compilation video on the Museum’s website and social media channels, which is set to launch Feb. 24. The museum will select artwork to be displayed at Gallery 66 in New Britain.

Interested participants can register through the link on the website nbmaa.org. Participants can contact Stephanie Strucaly at strucalys@nbmaa.org for more information about either program.