Painted BLACK
A collection of this size regarding the black image in art is
a rarity. This exhibit is special
not only in the size of the collection or in the eras it spans, but
also in its depiction of AfricanAmericans across those years.
“These are works of historical significance because they
reveal attitudes about race over
an extended period of time,”
said Peter Blume, director of the
David Owsley Museum of Art,
Ball State University in Indiana and curator of the exhibi-
“These are works of historical
significance because they
reveal attitudes about race over
an extended period of time”
—P e t e r B l u m e
tion. Earlier works in the survey
often treat African-Americans
more as objects propagating a
stereotype. This slowly changes
as the 20th century progresses
and the artists represent their
subjects with more complexity and understanding. Viewers
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who come to see Painted Black,
will see how black images
change from the patronizing
depictions during the Civil War
and Reconstruction to the proud
portrayals during the second
half of the 20th century.
“It’s very important to re-