Bowie’s Overdue Recognition Art Gallery Is Dedicated To Black Art

BOWIE, MD — A Black-owned art gallery in Bowie is working to spotlight nearly 40 African American artists, displaying the work of the Black community whose history, music, art and more have been overlooked and historically excluded in the United States.

Bowie Town Center’s Overdue Recognition Art Gallery displays hundreds of designs ranging from cultural to socially conscious and political pieces.

Overdue Recognition Art Gallery was established by Jackie and Derrick Thompson. The married couple’s passion for art and desire to give African American artists a platform for their work led to the creation of the gallery.

Jackie Thompson said, “After viewing the DMV area for African American art, we saw the need for the art gallery, and wanted to represent artists — African American artists — and give them a venue to showcase their excellence.”

The art gallery opened in 2004 in the Old Town section of Bowie and relocated to Bowie Town Center in 2017.

When the Thompsons decided to come up with a name for the art gallery, they explored several options, including incorporating Thompson in the name or naming it after a street, but they really wanted to showcase the purpose of the art gallery in its name.

“We really wanted to show our mission of representing African American artists,” Jackie Thompson told Patch. “We came up with Overdue Recognition because you know, for so long, our peers had been getting all of the recognition in the museums and things like that, and we wanted to be the grassroots and give our artists the recognition that they deserve.”

Besides acknowledging African American artists, the Thompsons said they hope their gallery will bring the community together to celebrate and admire the plentiful art pieces.

“One of our things we like to say is, 'Our gallery is your gallery,'” Jackie Thompson said. “We love it when the children come in and see images of themselves, and we do enjoy being a part of the community. Art for the community is beneficial on so many levels, politically, you know, it brings the community together.”

Take a Virtual Tour Through Overdue Recognition

Overdue Recognition Art Gallery is at 15402 Emerald Way in Bowie. The gallery is open on Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.

If you are interested in learning more about Overdue Recognition Art Gallery, visit their webpage.