Discover Black Artists, Black Jewelry Artisans, and Black Museum Exhibits.
Cincinnati’s Black-owned art galleries showcase the talent of African American artists and celebrate Black culture through contemporary masterpieces and historical reflections. These dynamic spaces highlight fine art, artifacts, and sculptures, offering a rich blend of artistic expression and cultural narratives. Visitors can explore Black art in galleries, museums, and African American history walking tours.
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Cincinnati Black-Owned Art Galleries
A.R.T. Art Resource Team
506 Wyoming Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45215 (Wyoming)
A Black woman-owned art gallery that sources and curates artwork for residences and businesses nationwide. The painting studio is located within the gallery, where many abstract, modern paintings on canvas are hanging and available for purchase along with other Black artists. A.R.T. Art Resource Team is known for sourcing contemporary original art pieces and prints at all price points.
Joseph Clark Gallery – Arts of Africa
4038 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45223 (Northside)
A Black-owned art gallery showcasing traditional and contemporary art and artifacts from Sub-Saharan Africa, including statues, sculptures, masks, textiles, and ceramics. The collection, curated by longtime collector Lowery Joseph Clark, highlights the history, cultures, and ethnic groups of sub-Saharan West Africa. Featured artworks represent Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.
Cincinnati Black-Owned Jewelry Art Retailers
IMGBAT – Jewelry, Art & Engraving
25 Village Square, Glendale, OH 45246 (Glendale)
A Black-owned retailer offers unique necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, chains, and custom-engraved items inspired by sci-fi, fantasy, and mythology. Each piece of jewelry comes with a laser-engraved metal card featuring its name and origin story. The items are available online and at a new storefront in Glendale, Cincinnati.
Related Article: Public Art and History Tours for African Americans in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Black Artists and Public Art
Artworks
Artworks is a Cincinnati nonprofit that creates community-based public art and provides career opportunities for artists of all ages. Artists have designed and installed more than 50 public art exhibits that tell the untold stories of African Americans’ contributions to the rich history and vibrancy of the greater Cincinnati region.
Black Art Speaks
Black Art Speaks is a non-profit, membership-based art collective that promotes Black culture, social justice, and expression by uplifting Black artists’ voices through every art form. The team consists of artists united by a vision to improve Cincinnati and the rest of the world. See the Cincinnati Black Lives Matter mural and other art pieces.
Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame
The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame honors the legacy and untold stories of music artists, songwriters, producers, and musicians from Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and Southwest Ohio. This international, state-of-the-art, outdoor interactive attraction is a permanent tourism destination and music corridor along the Ohio River Banks.
Cincinnati/NKY Museums Featuring African American Art Exhibits
Behringer-Crawford Museum
1600 Montague Rd, Covington, KY 41011 (Northern Kentucky)
The museum offers a small exhibit on the first floor highlighting Pullman Porters. The exhibit features photographs and advertisements, a railroad car toilet (1930), a sleeping room bathroom sink (1930), and a railcar sleeping room bathroom mirror and lamp (1930). The museum also features a waste can and razor depository (1930), a Norman Rockwell painting (1950), a Pullman car berth lamp (1925), a traveler’s trunk (1900), and a brass luggage rack from a Pullman car (1930). A replica of the Black Brigade Flag is also on display on the third floor.
Cincinnati Art Museum: Multiple Black Pieces
953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (Mt. Adams)
The African Art Collection at the Cincinnati Art Museum
The museum acquired the Steckelmann collection of nearly 1,300 objects in 1890, forming the core of the museum’s holdings. The museum’s African collection focuses on objects from central and western Africa. Objects are chosen for aesthetic merit, reflecting the region’s rich artistic traditions. General admission and parking are free, and lunch in the cafe is always delicious.
The Two Sisters Painting at the Cincinnati Art Museum
The Two Sisters piece is part of Wiley’s 2012 series of paintings, An Economy of Grace. The oil-on-linen painting is massive, nearly nine feet tall, and features two African American women in white gowns. Previously, the artist Kehinde Wiley created a portrait of former president Barack Obama that showcased the ability to paint Black people in naturalized ways.
Related Article: Black Artists making Cincinnati’s art scene thrive
Contemporary Arts Center: Jayson Musson
44 E 6th St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (Downtown)
Jayson Musson created “His History of Art” for a 2022 artist residency at The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM). “His History of Art” uses humor to explore and critique commonly studied works of art. Musson— who wrote and directed the series and performed onscreen as “Jay,” attempts to educate a skeptical puppet sidekick, Ollie. Jay and Ollie journey through time, from the prehistoric era to the present, and ask the art historical icons questions.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
50 E Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (The Banks)
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is the preeminent cultural learning center for inclusive freedom — locally, nationally, and globally. Several permanent exhibits are showcased, and the Freedom Center also hosts a variety of special traveling exhibitions throughout the year.
Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center
1201 Linn Street, Cincinnati, OH 45203 (West End)
ROMAC is the home for Cincinnati’s African American history collection from the 1800s to the 1960s. The art center provides infrastructure and stability to emerging artists and entrepreneurs and elevates the capacity of professional artists. In conjunction with art and history exhibitions, cultural and heritage programs, theatrical performances, and educational programs, the ROMAC will be a pipeline for creatives of color for the region’s branding and design community. Hours are by appointment.
Taft Museum of Art: Duncanson Murals
316 Pike St, Cincinnati, OH 45202 (Downtown)
The Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Program was established in 1986 to honor the achievements of contemporary Black American artists working in various artistic disciplines. Enjoy the intimate setting of the circa 1820 historic house and modern museum wing and grab a bite in the Lindner Family Café. Admission is free on Sundays and Mondays.
Related Article: Upcoming African American & Black Events in the Midwest
As the exploration of Cincinnati’s Black-owned art galleries, museums, and walking tours end, keep the spirit of cultural appreciation and community connection alive. Sustain the momentum by attending upcoming exhibitions, participating in guided tours, and supporting local artists. Involvement enriches experiences and fosters a vibrant and inclusive arts community in Cincinnati.
In addition to the Black Artists, Museums with Black Exhibits, and Black Jewelry Artists, The National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) is a private, not-for-profit institution committed to celebrating the art heritage of the African American and African diasporan cultures in the visual and performing arts.
Join in celebrating creativity, diversity, and the spirit of cultural exploration in Cincinnati’s African American art scene, where seasoned art enthusiasts and curious newcomers will find boundless inspiration.
The Voice of Black Cincinnati is a media company designed to educate, recognize, and create opportunities for African Americans. Want to find local news, events, job postings, scholarships, and a database of local Black-owned businesses? Visit our homepage, explore other articles, subscribe to our newsletter, like our Facebook page, join our Facebook group, and text VOBC to 513-966-3328.
Images provided by business websites, the Cincinnati Art Museum website, the Taft Museum of Art’s website, the National Underground Railroad Museum website, Yelp reviews, ROMAC’s website, Artworks’ website, The Harriet Beecher Stowe House Instagram, the OTR Museum website, the Contemporary Art Museum website, and the Behringer-Crawford Museum.
Thank you sooo much for this wealth of information on black experience/expression.
A lot of these exhibits I knew nothing about. I am going to make a point of going to some of these outlets. The VOBC is such a wonderful resource. Thanks again!🙌🏾🙏🏾