2024 Citywide African American Artists Exhibition

The Citywide African American Artists Exhibition, a collaboration between the University Museum at Texas Southern University and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston is always a highlight of Houston’s cultural calendar.

This biennial exhibition offers artists of the African Diaspora a platform to share their work with a larger audience.

Curated by Christopher Blay, director of public programs at the National Juneteenth Museum, the 2024 exhibition was a visually and emotionally compelling experience.

Award-Winning Works

Before diving into the selected works, I have to say I’ve never been a fan of giving out awards for art.

Art isn’t a competition.

It’s deeply personal and subjective, shaped by the lived experiences, emotions, and perspectives of both the artist and the viewer.

Pitting artists against one another feels counterintuitive to the purpose of creative expression.

While the jury made its selections, every artist in this exhibition brought something valuable to the table, and I appreciated each piece on its own merit.

The juried awards went to the following pieces:

First Place: Sir Charles II – A dignified, commanding portrait that captures its subject with strength and precision.

Sir Charles, II, 2024 by Afi Ese

Second Place: Green with Envy – A visually striking exploration of desire and aspiration, using the color green to convey emotion.

Green with Envy, 2024 by John Gilcrest

Third Place: Circle of Trust – A layered and intricate portrait that speaks to resilience, trust, and family.

Circle of Trust, 2023 by Eddie Filer Jr.

Other pieces that received special recognition included Fragenntation and Our Bookcase which stood out in their own right.

Curator’s Choice

Jesus Pieces

Blay’s personal selection, Jesus Pieces, was a thought-provoking exploration of religious iconography and its intersection with contemporary culture.

The Pieces That Stood Out to Me

Walking through the exhibition, I found myself drawn to certain pieces that told powerful stories of Black joy, mental health, history, and everyday life in a way that felt deeply personal and alive.

Rickale West’s Covered Layers of Generational Trauma

Covered Layer of Generational Trauma, 2024 by Rickale West

This was one of the most powerful pieces in the exhibition for me.

West spent a year layering paint onto the canvas, each layer representing a moment, a memory, a burden carried from past generations.

Generational trauma isn’t abstract for me—it’s something I’ve lived, something I’ve worked to unlearn. Seeing those faces emerge from the layers of paint felt like a release, like an exhale I’ve been holding in for years.

Patricia Henderson’s Let the Music Play

Let the Music Play, 2022 by Patricia Henderson

Patricia Henderson’s Let the Music Play is a heartfelt tribute to deceased Black musicians.

As a quilt, it continues a tradition of stitching together stories, pain, and resilience in fabric and thread.

Quilting is a way of preserving history and holding on to the voices of those who came before us. I still have some of the intricate quilts my grandmother made and I treasure each one. Like those quilts, Let the Music Play feels like a living memory that future generations can enjoy.

Jaymes Earl’s Opulence V

Opulence V, 2023, by Jaymes Earl

This work, made with pins and embroidery floss, was an exercise in precision and patience. There was something deeply meditative about it and I was impressed by the skill it took to make such an elaborate piece. The word opulence is fitting because it exuded a sense of unapologetic Black regalness and strength.

Oluseyi Soyege’s Taste of Life

Taste of Life, 2024, by Oluseyi Soyege

This colorful fabric collage reminded me of pieces at The Gite Gallery, an African art gallery in Houston. The mix of textures and materials gives it a tactile quality, and the innocence of the child gives the piece a touch of emotion.

Quentin Pace’s All Night Long \ Around the Way Girl

All Night Long \ Around the Way Girl, 2023, by Quentin Pace

A love letter to hip-hop, this piece radiated nostalgia. Paying homage L.L. Cool J’s Around the Way Girl, Pace captured the essence of the fly, confident Black women who have always set the standard. The vibrant colors enhance the story to create a visual mixtape.

Final Thoughts

The 2024 Citywide African American Artists Exhibition reaffirmed something I’ve always believed.

Art is our history, our resistance, our celebration, and our love language.

Every piece in this exhibition contributed to a larger narrative about what it means to be Black, to create, to remember, and to dream.


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