New Exhibition at The Driskell Center Explores the Future of Black Art

Announcing our spring semester 2025 exhibition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWS RELEASE

NEW EXHIBITION AT THE DRISKELL CENTER EXPLORES THE FUTURE OF BLACK ART

College Park, Md. —The Driskell Center at the University of Maryland proudly announces the opening of “Future Histories: New Acquisitions at The Driskell Center,” an exhibition celebrating the dynamic growth and remarkable depth of the center’s art collections, archives and library. On view at The Driskell Center gallery from February 10 through May 9, the exhibition will open with a public reception on February 7 from 5 to 7 p.m.  

Since its founding, The Driskell Center has expanded its holdings to become an invaluable resource for understanding African American and African diasporic art. Visitors will experience the diversity and breadth of Black art represented by The Driskell Center’s vast permanent collections and see artworks and other materials that might otherwise be in long-term storage. This exhibition highlights materials acquired between 2018 and the fall of 2024, including books, archival materials and nearly 45 artworks on display here for the first time. But the exhibition’s organizers, Assistant Director of Exhibitions & Programs Abby Eron and Director Jordana Moore Saggese, also say this exhibition is an opportunity to think about the role that collections of Black art, particularly in a public university, play in creating a cultural history that will be accessible to future generations. As described by Saggese, “‘Future Histories’ is an exploration of the past, present and future of Black art.” 

As part of “Future Histories,” The Driskell Center invites the community to shape its future collection through a unique engagement initiative. Thanks to a partnership with Galerie Myrtis (Baltimore, Md.), visitors will have the opportunity to vote on the next artwork to be acquired by The Driskell Center. This democratic approach reinforces the center’s commitment to community involvement and its mission of creating a history reflective of shared values and diverse voices.

Curated by Abby Eron and Jordana Moore Saggese with design and installation by Korey Richardson and with curatorial assistance from Graduate Assistant JooHee Kim, the exhibition is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council (http://msac.org), the University of Maryland’s Arts for All initiative, and Galerie Myrtis.

Featured Artists

Ernesto Benítez

Milton Bowens

Margaret Burroughs

Selma Burke

Charles Burwell

Elizabeth Catlett

Zoë Charlton

Sonya Clark

Floyd Coleman

Tim Davis

David C. Driskell

Herbert Gentry

Vanessa German

Jerrell Gibbs

Paul Goodnight

LaToya M. Hobbs

robin holder

Martha Jackson Jarvis

Fabiola Jean-Louis

Hew Locke

Whitfield Lovell

Cássio Markowski

Delita Martin

E.J. Montgomery

Betty Murchison

Megan Lewis

Mary Lovelace O'Neal

Jefferson Pinder

Michael B. Platt

James Earl Reid

Korey Richardson

Deborah Roberts

Amber Robles-Gordon

Shinique Smith

Gilda Snowden

Hank Willis Thomas

Joyce Wellman

Deborah Willis

About The Driskell Center

The Driskell Center is a creative incubator at the University of Maryland dedicated to a world where Black artists exist at its center. We invite inquiry, experimentation and dialogue to reexamine histories and shape shared futures. 

The Driskell Center gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the gallery and all events is always free. For more information and to plan your visit see our website at https://driskellcenter.umd.edu/visit. 

For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Snyder at ssnyder3@umd.edu.

Image Credit: Deborah Roberts, “Keeping Watch,” 2019. Mixed media, 20.5 x 9.75 in. The Driskell Center, University of Maryland. Gift of Deborah Roberts/ Purchased with funds from the C. Sylvia & Eddie Brown Arts Acquisition Fund.