Skip to main content
A historic journey

"Museums are more than just physical places designed to house collections. Their purpose is to shape identity and memory." - Alice Procter

The Toledo Museum of Art invited eight artists from the Toledo Black Artist Coalition to curate an online exhibition from its collection. The following exhibition is a reflection on the selected works, the process and the curator's thoughts on Juneteenth.

 

 

Out of the Dark: A Historic Journey

JUNETEENTH: Out of the Dark A Historic Journey video

The Toledo Museum of Art is the crowning jewel of the City of Toledo and houses the objects of both ancient civilizations and works by the world's most respected contemporary artists. Within their walls, the viewer is given an opportunity to experience art and craft through a wide vantage of time. The Toledo Black Artists Coalition seeks to give voice to those legacies that live, not only in, but around their walls. TBAC recognizes the Museum's efforts in righting the wrongs of the statement of neutrality by the Director Adam Levine in response to the protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd. We also understand the importance of this exhibition within the context of the national movement to shine a light on the many years of calculated disenfranchisement and exclusion within the canon of art history.

Image cloud of the Out of the Dark curators' words
About TBAC

The Toledo Black Artist Coalition’s mission is centered around creating avenues of artistic agency through advocacy, education, and activism. Throughout history, the African American perspective in the arts has been omitted, leaving a void within many mainstream cultural institutions. In reality, Toledo, Ohio has a rich legacy of African American artists who formed collectives to provide resources and education within the greater community. The Toledo Black Artists Coalition is a new wave formed within the context of the current national and international movement to heal a nation traumatized by the effects of white supremacy embedded within every facet of society. It is our ongoing goal to create pathways for artists of color and combat racial inequality as it continues to manifest within and in relation to Toledo institutions of culture.

Visit Website»
About TMA

Since its founding in 1901, the Toledo Museum of Art has earned a global reputation for the quality of our collection, our innovative and extensive education programs, and our architecturally significant campus. Thanks to the benevolence of its founders, as well as the continued support of its members, TMA remains a privately endowed, non-profit institution and opens its collection to the public, free of charge. Our mission is to integrate art into the lives of people, and we are accountable to ourselves and to our community that each action TMA takes reflects our four core values of Diversity, Community, Innovation, and Trust.