Black Artists of DC Frequently Asked Questions

  • The mission of the Black Artists of DC is to educate and enrich the local, regional and global community to the cultural heritage and contemporary practices of artists of African descent. This is achieved by sponsoring public exhibitions, educational programs and community events that increase the awareness and documents of the various forms of visual expression.

  • The purpose of Black Artists of DC is to create a Black artists’ community to promote, develop and validate the culture, artistic expressions and aspirations of past and present artists of Black-Afrikan ancestry in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. BADC will accomplish this by governing and organizing ourselves to:

    • Meet on a scheduled basis

    • Learn and teach the disciplines of artistic expression

    • Share resources

    • Produce, exhibit, document, validate, continue and conserve our artistic legacy

    • Promote collaborative and collective expressions

    • Create a cooperative trans-generational training ground for artists

    • Support each other’s activities and accomplishments

    • Create an advocacy for Black artists through community and political activity

    • Connect with the creative energy of our creator/ancestors for the development of our work, our people and the extended world community

    • Support activities that are in the best interest of the group and the individuals within the group

    • Identify with Afrikan world development

    • Create and support a market for the art created by people of Afrikan descent

    • Was the first group of Black artists invited to Miamai Art Basel to exhibit in the Design District and Lyric Theatre

    • Organized over 30 exhibitions, many with full color catalogs

    • Original Fine Art Postcard Fundraiser (for 4 years)

    • Has acted as a feeder for Black artists into MFA programs

    • Has fought for apprentice programs to introduce Black Artists to Public Art

    • Continues to make our members aware of opportunities in Washington DC, the US and abroad

    • Has a residency program offering a stipend and free studio space

    • Imar  , Silk Screen Artist

    • Zoma Wallace, Scholar and Curator 

    • Josh Myers, Associate Professor of Africana Studies in the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University.

    • Anoa Gibson-Hunter, Physician’s Assistant, Medstar

    • Cheryl Edwards, Curator

    • Sarah Gordon, Curator

    • DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

    • Shante Gates, Mixed media Artist

    • Kerry James Marshall, Painter

    • Renee Stout, Assemblage Artist, painter

    • Alva Beander, FRICS, FRSA, MBA. Appraiser

    • Sam Gilliam, Abstract Painter

    • Legacy Building

    • How to Price your Work

    • The Pros and Cons of Gallery Representation

    • Tools Every Artist Needs AND How to Use Them Properly
      - Hand Toolsa
      - Power Tools                          

    • Holding it Together: Learning about archival adhesives

    • Creating an Inventory

    • How to Size and Maintain Photographs on Your Computer for Exhibition Applications

    • Silk Painting

    • Monoprints

    • Lithography

    • Painting Through Printmaking

    • How to Write an Artist Statement

    • Developing an Elevator Talk