Consumed: Black Art & Subjectivity

Following a pandemic-era surge in demand for Black portraiture, recent market shifts have raised important questions about cultural value, representation, and institutional priorities. This roundtable brings together artists and scholars to reflect on the forces shaping how Black subjects are depicted and received both historically and in contemporary art.

Anchoring the conversation are two recent acquisitions by MMA: a 19th-century portrait of Frederick, a formerly enslaved man, and a contemporary self-portrait by D’Angelo Lovell Williams. Together, these works provoke reflection on identity, agency, and the shifting narratives of Black visibility in American art. This program is made possible in part by the Mississippi Humanities Council under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.