Gallery: Works from the Black Arts Movement in Chicago

by WSM staff

A group of artists, musicians, dancers, poets, and writers in Chicago gave birth to the rich aesthetic based on Black American experience known as the Black Arts Movement (BAM). Below are just a few examples of their work.

Unite, 1971, by Barbara Jones-Hogu — Barbara Jones-Hogu | Unite, 1971 | Courtesy National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution

Towards Identity, 1970, by Nelson Stevens — Nelson Stevens | Towards Identity, 1970 | Courtesy The Art Institute of Chicago

Spiritual Celebration with Miles, Dizzy and Coltrane, 1992, by Kevin Cole — Kevin Cole | Spiritual Celebration with Miles, Dizzy and Coltrane, 1992 | Courtesy Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia

The Ballot or the Bullet, 1966, by Akili Ron Anderson — Akili Ron Anderson | The Ballot or the Bullet, 1966 | Courtesy artist

photo by Adger Cowans — Adger Cowans | photography | Courtesy AfriCOBRA

Portrait by Michael D. Harris in mixed media — Michael D. Harris | mixed media | Courtesy AfriCOBRA

Txai, 1994, by Napoleon Jones-Henderson — Napoleon Jones-Henderson | Txai, 1994 | Courtesy University of Texas Libraries, The University of Texas at Austin

Sankofa II, 1997–8, by James Phillips — James Phillips | Sankofa II, 1997–8 | Courtesy National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution

Painting of figures by Frank Smith — Frank Smith | Courtesy AfriCOBRA

Ceremonial Object, 1990 by Renée Stout — Renée Stout | Ceremonial Object, 1990 | Courtesy National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution

Read about a new documentary on BAM in Chicago from WSU Vancouver associate professors of English Thabiti Lewis and Pavithra Narayanan.