Art by African Americans in the MFA: Virtual Tour

The story of African Americans in the visual arts has closely paralleled their social, political, and economic aspirations over the last four hundred years. From enslaved craftspersons to contemporary painters, printmakers, and sculptors, they have created a wealth of artistic expression that addresses everyday experiences, such as exclusion from dominant cultural institutions, and confronts questions of identity and community. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has one of the most significant collections of works by African American artists in the nation, and many acquisitions were made possible by the MFA’s Heritage Fund for a Diverse Collection. Click through for a chronological survey of the collection.