The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC) presents the 10th annual 2024 Art of Soul! Juried Art Show.

Participants and winners will be recognized at the Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio on Saturday, October 19, 2024. You can also visit the NAAMCC to see this and our other exhibitions Wed.–Sat., 9 a.m.–4 p.m. The event is included with museum admission: $6/adult, $5/senior, $3/ages 6–17, Free/Ohio History Connection & NAAMCC members. Please RSVP for the exhibition opening reception by Wed., October 9, 2024.

The exhibition will run from October 19 through March 1, 2025.

The Art of Soul! Juried Art Show is an adaptation of the NAAMCC original exhibit called Soul! which opened in 2009. Artists from across the United States and beyond submit their work to the juried art exhibition. The Art of Soul! Juried Art Show highlights the diversity, skill and perspective of all dimensions of African American history and culture throughout the United States and the Black diaspora.

The 2024 theme is Social Justice and Black Joy. In celebration of the show’s tenth year, we are introducing the NAAMCC Legacy Award, which will be given to a pioneering artist whose extensive career in the field has served as an inspiration to others. Visitors and our social media followers will also be able to vote for the People’s Choice award. More information on the People’s Choice award voting process will be announced on October 19.

A panel of national and regional art professionals are serving as jurors. We are excited to announce the 2024 Jurors:

• Steve R. Allen is an Atlanta-based artist internationally recognized known for his bold use of color and ability to create in myriad styles. He has traveled extensively internationally with his work. His work hangs in world capitals and many prestigious art collections from Athens, Greece to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Beijing, China as “official” artist for the U.S. Olympic Committee. His work has appeared at eight (8) Olympic Games. His works are also installed at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
• Chenoa Baker is an independent curator, wordsmith, cultural strategist, and descendant of self-emancipators. She teaches a curatorial practice course at Massachusetts College of Art and Design and previously was the Associate Curator at ShowUp. In addition, she’s consulted on several exhibitions, such as Gio Swaby: Fresh Up at the Peabody Essex Museum and Touching Roots: Black Ancestral Legacies in the Americas at MFA/Boston.
• Michelle Brandt, Founder & Owner of Brandt-Roberts Galleries, is a graduate of The Ohio State University. She is a dedicated arts leader and advocate in the Columbus community, having served for six years on the Short North Alliance’s board of directors and as the Short North Art’s District’s public art chair. Most recently, she served as the artist’s liaison to artist Janet Echelman’s monumental public work, entitled Current, installed in downtown Columbus.

For more information, visit ohiohistory.org/naamcc, email [email protected] or call 800-752-2603 ext. 0.

The Art of Soul! Opening and Awards Ceremony and catalog printing are partially supported by PNC Bank.