Young, Gifted, and Black

Young, Gifted and Black

JANUARY 23 – MARCH 29

About the Exhibition

Hanes Art Gallery at Wake Forest University is pleased to announce Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art, an exhibition that highlights artists of African descent whose work explores identity, politics and art history from January 23 – March 29, 2025. 

The exhibition gathers and elevates an emerging generation of contemporary artists who are engaging with the work of their predecessors while finding different ways to address the history and meaning of Blackness in their work. The group includes well-known artists David Hammons, Kerry James Marshall, Mickalene Thomas, Henry Taylor and Kara Walker, as well as a younger generation gaining wider recognition, including Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Sadie Barnette, Cy Gavin, Arcmanoro Niles, Jennifer Packer and others. The survey is organized around four themes — dramatic use of color, reclamation of the color black, materiality (nontraditional materials), and an expanded idea of portraiture.

“I‘m thrilled to be partnering with Hanes Art Gallery at Wake Forest University to bring ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ to North Carolina,” said Bernard Lumpkin. “As America wrestles with race and racism, and debates about equality and inclusion in the world take on greater urgency, this exhibition assesses how artists today are shaping the way we think about identity, art and history. The cutting edge, contemporary voices in ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ are a great fit for Hanes Art Gallery, whose mission is to present challenging and engaging artwork.”

This exhibition is courtesy of the Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art and is curated by Antwaun Sargent and Matt Wycoff. Presented at Hanes Gallery with support provided by June Sabah ’73, MBA ’77, Allan Shapiro, and Wake the Arts.

Featured Artists

Derrick Adams, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Sadie Barnette, Kevin Beasley, Nayland Blake, Jordan Casteel, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Caitlin Cherry, Bethany Collins, Cy Gavin, Alteronce Gumby, Chase Hall, Allison Janae Hamilton, David Hammons, Kenyatta A. C. Hinkle, Lonnie Holley, Tomashi Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Samuel Levi Jones, Jarrett Key, Deana Lawson, Glenn Ligon, Eric N. Mack, Kerry James Marshall, Troy Michie, Wardell Milan, Narcissister, Arcmanoro Niles, Clifford Owens, Jennifer Packer, Adam Pendleton, Christina Quarles, Andy Robert, Latoya Ruby-Frazier, Jacolby Satterwhite, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Gerald Sheffield, Lorna Simpson, Sable Elyse Smith, Vaughn Spann, Henry Taylor, Chiffon Thomas, Mickalene Thomas, William Villalongo, Kara Walker, Nari Ward, D’Angelo Lovell Williams, Wilmer Wilson IV and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye

About the Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection

The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection features a range of contemporary artworks in all media. Established and emerging artists of African descent predominate, with a special emphasis on younger voices of the last 25 years and those who have historically been underrepresented in collections, exhibitions and museums. This private collection is spearheaded by Bernard Lumpkin, an art collector, patron, educator and advocate. The Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection is the subject of a bestselling book — Young, Gifted and Black: A New Generation of Artists (DAP, 2020) — and a nationwide traveling exhibition.