HPL News - Visit Us at Houston Public Library

Black Art Library
On view at the African American Library at the Gregory School
April 16, 2022 - June 25, 2022

Independent curator and arts educator Asmaa Walton founded Black Art Library in February 2020 as a digital project to mark Black History Month. During her studies and time working in museums, Walton noticed a lack of Black visual artists in both her art history curriculum and on the walls of museums. Black Art Library aims to help people learn more about Black art and artists outside of formal art institutions, which can feel restrictive and intimidating.

The project has turned into an interactive exhibition and resource. The ever-expanding collection includes over 500 anthologies, art books, children’s books, exhibition catalogues, artist memoirs, artist biographies, and other art-related ephemera. Although Black art and artists have historically been excluded in mainstream art history, museum collections, and galleries, Black Art Library is accessible for everyone: art lovers, art novices, children, and historians are all welcome.

Follow the Black Art Library on Instagram @blackartlibrary

Exhibit is free and open to the public.

Exhibits dates are subject to change.

About the Curator

Asmaa Walton is a Detroit native, arts educator, and ardent developer of the Black cultural archive. Walton received a BFA in art education from Michigan State University in 2017 and an MA in Art Politics from New York University Tisch School of the Arts in 2018. In 2019, Walton was appointed Romare Bearden Graduate Museum Fellow at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Her current mission is to have a permanent space for Black Art Library in Detroit.

This exhibition is generously supported by:

City of Houston

The Houston Public Library

The Houston Public Library Foundation

The African American Library at the Gregory School

Recent Posts

In the News: HPL's Mercedes Clarke featured on Great Day Houston

HPL Division Manager Mercedes Clarke spoke to Debra Duncan on Great Day Houston yesterday about the Career Online High School Program. You can watch the interview here....

Texas Libraries Bridging the Digital Divide

We are thrilled to share that CEET was prominently featured in a recent article by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC)! This recognition highlights the team’s dedication, innovation, and outstanding contributions to advancing educational technology and services within our community. Congratulations CEET for this well-deserved recognition! Read the full article....

The Houston Public Library remains the beating heart of our community

Watch Video NowDear friends: I am excited to share something that is close to my heart with you today. On this #GivingTuesday, I invite you to join me in supporting Houston Public Library (HPL), one of the largest and most dynamic library systems in the United States. HPL reflects the vibrant diversity and rich cultural heritage of our city. Houston Public Library is a public treasure that belongs to all of us. Each year, millions of Houstonians walk through our branches, TECHLink centers, and History Research Centers while millions more take advantage of our digital platforms. YOUR support makes possible so many opportunities to enrich our community. Here are just a few examples:1,000 Books Before KindergartenResearch shows that children who are exposed to reading early are better prepared for academic success. HPL is committed to helping children and their families with the resources needed to succeed.Camp STREAMEvery summer, HPL hosts a technology-driven camp for hundreds of middle and high school students where they learn about coding, digital design, and engineering. Business ResourcesWhether starting a business or launching a new career, HPL provides the resources to help individuals be successful and contribute to the local community.Thanks to YOUR generosity, HPL fosters a lifelong love of reading and learning, by strengthening communities and bringing people together.You can make a difference by giving a gift today.https://www.houstonlibraryfoundation.org/?form=donateThank you for supporting Houston Public Library. I hope to see you at one of our locations or events.Sincerely,Sandy GawDirector, Houston Public Library ...

Citywide Search for Houston's Next Poet Laureate Set to Take Place in Program’s 12th Year

The City of Houston is searching for its next poet laureate. In its 12th year, the Poet Laureate program has selected six poet laureates to represent Houston. The program celebrates Houston's rich culture and diversity through the work of a Houston poet who serves as the city's ambassador for the literary arts. During a two-year appointment, the poet laureate makes several guest appearances at special events and completes a community outreach project. The poet laureate will receive an honorarium of $20,000 through the City Initiative grant program funded by a portion of the city's Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) and serve from April 2025 through April 2027.The role of the Houston Poet Laureate is to stimulate poetic impulse, foster appreciation of poetry in all its forms, and serve Houston residents and visitors with expressions of culture through words. Each Poet Laureate for the City creates a signature Community Outreach project. The current Poet Laureate, Aris Kian Brown, is creating "Space for Us: Afrofuturism and the Poetic Imagination," a multidisciplinary exhibition utilizing the Black historical archives, multilingual poetry, and community interviews to imagine and demand the future of a liberated Houston. Previous Poet Laureate projects include: • Space City Mixtape, a mixture of spoken word narratives of Houston residents set to music by Russel Gus (Emanuelee "Outspoken" Bean, 2021-2023) • Bayou City Broadsides, artistic displays of lines from poems of everyday Houstonians (Leslie Contreras Schwartz, 2019-2021) • Emerge, 11 community performance poetry videos highlighting various Houston neighborhoods (Deborah "D.E.E.P." Mouton, 2017-2019) • Houston's Favorite Poems, a published anthology of residents' favorite poetry (Dr. Robin Davidson, 2015-2017) • Creation of the Houston Poet Laureate's social media platforms (Gwen Zepeda, 2015-2017)The application deadline is midnight on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 11:59 PM CST. Submissions from poets, authors, writers, and spoken word artists are welcome.The guidelines, term requirements, and application portal for the Houston Poet Laureate are available here.The Houston Poet Laureate Selection Committee, a panel of poets, scholars, and literary experts diverse in age, ethnicity, and experience, will review eligible applications. Non-voting members of the Committee include Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs Director Necole Irvin and Justin Bogert of Houston Public Library. The Committee will interview finalists in early February, and the selection of Houston's next Poet Laureate will be announced in April in celebration of National Poetry Month.The program is coordinated by the MOCA and HPL and funded through the Hotel Occupancy Tax, which is dedicated to the arts....