Echoes in Our Bones: The Empowering Legacy of Black Women Artists in American Art and Culture

Echoes in Our Bones
The Empowering Legacy of Black Women Artists in American Art and Culture
Curated by Judith K. Brodsky and Rhinold L. Ponder
On View: Saturday, August 29 – Saturday, October 3, 2026
Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 9 from 5-7pm
Panel Discussion: Thursday, September 17 from 5:30-6:30pm at Princeton University Art Museum.

Echoes in Our Bones will explore how themes of identity, history, and cultural resilience have endured and transformed across generations. The exhibition examines how these artists have explored and expanded the ideals articulated in the Declaration of Independence, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”, using art as a powerful vehicle for expression, resistance, care, and community. Pairings of artists from past and present generations will include Faith Ringgold and Bisa Butler, Selma Burke and Allison Saar, Mary Lovelace O’Neal and Julie Mehretu, Betye Saar and Tschabalala Self, Carrie Mae Weems and LaToya Ruby Frazier, Laura Wheeler Waring and Jordan Casteel, Elizabeth Catlett and Kara Walker, and Howardena Pindell and Shinique Smith. Through these connections, the exhibition will not only showcase individual artistic voices but also trace a lineage of creative expression that has contributed to shaping and defining American art.