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The exhibit "The Black Alchemists" opened at the Hall Branch on March 20, 2025. It focuses on 20th-century African American artists who used creativity to bring transformation within their community and society. The exhibit explores the work of artists from the 1930s to the 1950s, particularly the Black Renaissance figures such as William Edouard Scott, Marion Perkins, Gordon Parks, and Margaret Burroughs. These artists played a significant role in empowering people on Chicago’s South Side, despite societal resistance at the time.
"The Black Alchemists" provides insights into the challenges these artists faced and highlights the preservation of historical materials that narrate their stories. The exhibit showcases how their artistic practices empowered and transformed communities and still have an impact today. It narrates the influence of African American artistic alchemy on art and culture in Chicago.
The Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection presents this exhibit as the inaugural program of "Magnitude and Bond: Linking and Building Relationships Across Chicago’s Black Visual Art Collections". The project’s aim is to increase awareness and discoverability of African American art history archives at the Chicago Public Library while supporting emerging scholars of diverse backgrounds. The initiative is supported by the Getty Foundation and the Chicago Public Library Foundation.
Several public programs will accompany "The Black Alchemists" exhibit. On March 29, a presentation titled "The Power of Black Art in Archives" will take place at the George Cleveland Hall Branch. April Chambers, a Getty Fellow and the exhibit curator, will discuss artists of the Chicago Black Renaissance and the establishment of Black art institutions.
On April 17, a film screening titled "Tracing Our Path Through Bronzeville" will be hosted. Filmmaker and historian Reginald Rice, along with historian Lionel Kimble, will explore the cultural traditions of the Bronzeville community and the contributions of contemporary African American artists.
Additional events will be announced soon.
