Photographs by Corrado Serra.

“Here at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, visual art plays a vital role. Paintings, sculptures, and works on paper allow the visitor to see how artists viewed and interpreted their world, beginning in the early years of the 19th century with Joshua Johnson, and continuing through to the present with contemporary artists such as Chakaia Booker and Jefferson Pinder. The artists do not see themselves as historians, and most of the works do not illustrate life so much as they comment on it in a visual language of the artist’s own making. While the works may delight and stimulate our senses, each, in its own way, also contributes to our understanding of an era.” —  Introductory Wall Text

Visual Arts Gallery curators are Tuliza Fleming and Jacquelyn Serwer.