"Blak Art Galleries"by Abdullah Oblongata
Acrylics, Marker, Paper on canvas.
Size 20inx24in
Price: www.kha-tees.com

This piece was inspired by a documentary (24 Hour a Day Life) I watched about the 1968-1971 Protest of the Whitney Museum of American Art by several famous black artists including Faith Ringold and Romare Bearden.

After seeing this Documentary I had conflicting views because on one hand these black artists deserved to be seen by the public but on the other hand they all could of got together and rented out or bought there own space and showed there own work to the public. I lean more to the latter because I think we as black artists still have this mind that unless "white establishments" acknowledge us we're not worthy as an artist.

This is not a protest piece more like a refocus piece for us as blak artist and patrons of black artist to come together and create so many black owned art galleries and museums that we wouldn't need anyone to give us symbolic gesture of inclusion.

We would be creating a new black economic class based on our monies going to artists and going to each of these galleries and museums. We would be our own self sustaining art eco system. We're not telling white people not to buy black art but we are saying we should own the galleries and other art institutions where all people buy black art.

This new understanding of black owned art establishments is slowly happening now but this needs to be highlighted more. So in this actual painting I've written on the actual canvas over 20 black owned Art galleries, Museums and art spaces from NYC, ATL, LA and Chicago. ( I also put on the back of canvas that I put a list on the front) lol