BLACK FINE ART MONTH 2025 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Black Fine Art Month was entered into the Congressional Record in 2019 by Congresswoman Robin Kelly. BFAM has since been celebrated in cities across the country, shining a spotlight on the creativity, innovation, and legacy of Black artists. In today’s political climate, when cultural erasure is being advanced at the highest levels, this recognition is more vital than ever.
Please support these art events happening across the globe and join Pigment International for the Pigmented Black Fine Art Faire, October 30 — November 2 at the Zhou B Art Center. Get your VIP tickets today.
See the full calendar here.
PIGMENT INTERNATIONAL AND THE AURORA AFRICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE ADVISORY BOARD KICK OFF BLACK FINE ART MONTH 2025
Kick off Black Fine Art Month (BFAM) with an opening night celebration featuring a vibrant display of art during Aurora First Fridays on October 3 at the Crystal House. Meet and greet artists Paul Branton Dada Soulface, and Black Lenoir during the reception from 6 p.m. — 8 p.m. The Crystal House is at 59 S. LaSalle Street.
H-DAP’S 3RD CONVENING DRAWS RECORD NUMBER OF HBCU PARTICIPANTS AT SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
The HBCU Digital Art Project (H-DAP), founded by Morgan State University alum Valerie Cooper, hosted its 3rd Convening, September 23–24, 2025, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s McMillan Education Center in Washington, D.C. The gathering welcomed a record number of participants from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), affirming H-DAP’s growing impact and reach in the preservation and promotion of African American Art and African Tribal Art held in HBCU collections.
The convening was opened with remarks from Dr. Jane Carpenter-Rock, acting director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, who welcomed the group and emphasized the importance of partnerships that elevate and sustain American art by Black artists within national institutions. Tarsha Calloway, Arts Facet Chair for the Magnolia (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, welcomed the group on day two and emphasized the importance of both the arts and HBCUs to her organization.
Coinciding with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Week, the two-day convening featured hybrid programming that allowed both in-person and virtual participation. HBCU presenters shared insights from the “H-DAP 20 Questions Survey”, that highlighted the depth of the collections and how digital tools and platforms are reshaping access to, and engagement with, African American art and archives.
This year’s record-setting cohort included representatives from:
- Alabama State University
- Bowie State University
- Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
- Claflin University
- Meharry Medical College
- North Carolina A&T University
- Prairie View A&M University
- South Carolina State University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Winston Salem University
In addition to HBCUs, cultural partners such as local chapters of The Links, Incorporated, and The Society, Incorporated, played an active role in the week’s convening, underscoring the collaborative spirit of H-DAP within the Black community nationwide.
With this convening, H-DAP not only celebrated its largest cohort yet — 10 participating HBCUs — but also strengthened its role as a catalyst for dialogue, research, and digital innovation across HBCU Art Collections. The energy and ideas exchanged during the two days point to a promising future for H-DAP, the institutions it supports, and the American art canon overall.
The 4th convening is confirmed for December 2025 at Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library. For general information or criteria for the HBCU on-boarding process, please contact: hdap.hbcuart@gmail.com or call (203) 253–0294.
LET’S UPLIFT ENSLAVED PETER ON OCTOBER 1 IN RECOGNITION OF BLACK FINE ART MONTH
On October 1, Pigment International asks all readers to post the image of Whipped Peter on your social platforms. Let us begin Black Fine Art Month — a national recognition entered into the Congressional Record — by honoring his story on October 1. The photograph, preserved in the Library of Congress, was among the first to demonstrate how photography, a then new technology, could shift public consciousness. Today, through the technology at our disposal, we can ensure that Peter’s courage and sacrifice continue to shape the narrative of America.
WHAT TO DO
On October 1, as we kick off Black Fine Art Month, we ask YOU to join us:
➡️ Share the historic image of Whipped Peter on your social platforms.
➡️ Add your voice to honor his courage and legacy.
➡️ Stand against the rewriting and removal of our history.
Peter’s photo — housed in the Library of Congress — proved the power of photography to change minds and move nations. Let us use our platforms in the same spirit.
🖤 Post. Share. Remember. Resist.
#WhippedPeter #BlackFineArtMonth #HonorPeter #OurHistoryMatters
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