The (In)Visibility of Four Black Women Artists: Establishing a Support Network, Defining Obstacles, and Locating Self through Art

Abstract

In the early 1970s, the Feminist Art Movement in the United States began to promote primarily White women’s art; and the 1970s Black Arts Movement promoted Black male artists. However, neither movement catered to the needs of Black women artists. As a Black feminist artist born in the United States and feeling isolated from Black women artist support networks, in this essay, I bring visibility to the Black Feminist Art Movement in the 1970s; and explore how to rebuild a supportive community for Black female artists in current times. I interviewed four Black women artists who ranged in age from 40 to 67 years. Their narratives convey their experiences and feelings of abandonment by mainstream galleries and museums and isolation as artists due to their race and gender. I argue that there is a need for greater visibility of contemporary Black women artist, which requires a support network to achieve exhibition in mainstream galleries and museums.