In the 1960s and 70s, the Washington Color School brought national attention to innovations in abstraction by DC artists. While white male artists dominated the mainstream art scene in the mid-twentieth century, African American artists were no less prolific at that time. Today, museums and institutions across America seek to correct the historical and contemporary record by showcasing those artists overlooked in their time.
In honor of Black History Month, Bethesda Fine Art brings together four Black Washington DC artists: Eglon Daley, Sam Gilliam, Carroll Sockwell, and Kenneth Victor Young. This group represents a succession of Washington artists spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, who each pushed the boundaries of contemporary art whether through abstract or figurative works.