The ICON Board of Directors wishes to acknowledge the tragic treatment of so many of our BIPOC* brothers and sisters through patterns of systemic racism and privilege that have persisted for generations. Eliminating these inhumane and socially destructive traditions is a challenge to which all American institutions and all of us as individual Americans must rise. One immediate and ongoing action the Gallery can take is to celebrate the outstanding artistic contributions of BIPOC artists by highlighting their presence at the National Gallery of Art. The NGA collection includes biographies and works of many artists, including:
- Romare Bearden
- Elizabeth Catlett
- Roy DeCarava
- Aaron Douglas
- Sam Gilliam
- Joshua Johnson
- Jacob Lawrence
- Glenn Ligon
- Kerry James Marshall
- Joseph Norman
- Gordon Parks
- Henry Osawa Tanner
- Alma Thomas
- James Van Der Zee
- Kara Walker
- Carrie Mae Weems
- James Lesesne Wells
- Charles White
*BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, & People Of Color. An acronym of long overdue relevance.
