African American Art History Initiative

Multi-Project Initiative

Making African American art history more visible to the public and accessible to the scholarly community worldwide

Black and white photograph of a shirtless Alvin Ailey wildly dancing with Carmen De Lavallade in striped costumes

Choreographer and activist Alvin Ailey in motion with dancer and actress Carmen De Lavallade, ca. 1950, Howard Morehead. Johnson Publishing Company Archive, Getty Research Institute. Courtesy Ford Foundation, J. Paul Getty Trust, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Smithsonian Institution

Photo: Howard Morehead/ EBONY Collection

About

Goal

The African American Art History Initiative (AAAHI)—a program of the Getty Research Institute—focuses on the history, practices, and cultural legacies of artists of African American and African diasporic heritage. AAAHI aims to provide a more robust and accurate history of American art, one that will have a decisive impact on the narrative of global culture.

Outcomes

The initiative's major areas include archive and library acquisitions, research projects and academic outreach, interpretive programming, education, and cataloging.

Background

About this Initiative

The African American Art History Initiative (AAAHI) was established by the Getty Research Institute to create a center for the study of African American art. The initiative has several major areas of activity, including acquisitions in Special Collections and the Library, as well as newly-created oral histories. It supports the generation of new knowledge through institutional research projects, internships, and fellowships in the Scholars Program. The initiative’s work is disseminated through exhibitions, publications, and public programs, and through partnerships with institutions across the country.

Grant Opportunity

Apply by October 1, 2024 for a residential grant for the 2025–2026 academic year

Apply Now

Projects in This Initiative

  1. Blondell Cummings: Dance as Moving Pictures

    Black and white photograph of person wearing light colored jumpsuit jumping in air with one leg bent and both arms up near head.

    Interdisciplinary look at the innovative work of choreographer and video artist Blondell Cummings

  2. Samella Lewis: World Building in African American Art History

    Black and white photograph of a female figure sitting on a chair in front of a chalkboard with a complicated line drawing of a color wheel, and various art works

    Bringing critical focus to the groundbreaking work of artist, curator, and scholar Samella Lewis

  3. From Vision to Archive: The Legacy of Paul R. Williams

    Williams sits behind a table and points something out on a 3D model of a house to another person sitting with his back to the camera.

    Bringing the work of this groundbreaking Southern California architect to the broader public

  4. Johnson Publishing Company Archive

    A woman wearing white shorts and t-shirt sits on the diving board of a backyard swimming pool.

    Celebrating and safeguarding a unique and precious record of American experience in the 20th century

Resources

News