Available July 2026
Edited by Kellie Jones and Tumelo Mosaka
The transformative impact of Black curators on American art and museums since the 1970s as told by the visionaries at the forefront of the change.
The relationship between Black Americans and U.S. art museums has historically been fraught and hard-won. In the late 1960s, the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition and other groups organized protests at major art museums, calling for the inclusion of Black artists and curators. Such advocacy led to acquisitions and exhibitions by Black artists at important institutions and spurred the establishment of museums and cultural organizations promoting Black art and culture. Today, Black curators hold significant positions at institutions nationwide. Black Curators Matter illuminates this critical history by spotlighting figures who have transformed the art world since the 1970s.
This book presents illuminating conversations between six pioneering curators—Lowery Stokes Sims, Deborah Willis, Richard J. Powell, Kellie Jones, Thelma Golden, and Franklin Sirmans—and a new generation of professionals, including Ashley James, Kalia Brooks, Aaron Bryant, Thomas Jean Lax, Rujeko Hockley, and LeRonn P. Brooks. Capturing the voices and experiences of Black curators, these discussions highlight their achievements and provide guidance for future generations aiming to diversify and enrich the cultural landscape. This volume reexamines the curatorial field to reveal the transformative strategies, critical interventions, and boundary-breaking exhibitions that reshaped American art museums toward greater inclusivity and experimentation.
Kellie Jones is the Hans Hofmann Professor of Modern Art in the Department of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University. Tumelo Mosaka is the Mellon Arts project director for the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Columbia University.
“With a powerful selection of interviews and a sharp editorial framework, Black Curators Matter is a must-read for anyone invested in equity in the arts.”
—Professor Dorothy Price FBA, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art and Critical Race Art History
“Unique, compelling, and highly informative, Black Curators Matter invites readers to celebrate and learn from six influential professionals whose work has shaped the curatorial field. This essential volume explores the recent history of curating and highlights the lasting impact of Black curators on art history, the museum visitor experience, and the careers of countless artists.”
—Eddie Chambers, Goldabelle McComb Finn Professor in Art History, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
176 pages
7 x 10 inches
56 color and 15 b/w illustrations
ISBN 979-8-88712-014-0
paperback
Getty Publications
Imprint: Getty Research Institute
2026