The Harlem Renaissance Annual Talk: Shaping Black Art

Date: Friday, January 30, 2026
Time: 7–9pm
Location: The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue

Artists and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance wrestled with a defining question: What kind of art should Black artists create? Painter William H. Johnson—whose practice spanned Nordic landscapes, modernist portraits, and vivid depictions of Black life—became central to this debate.

In this talk, Dr. Dalila Scruggs, Augusta Savage Curator of African American Art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM), traces Johnson’s artistic journey and the critical responses that shaped his reputation. She also reflects on SAAM’s stewardship of the world’s largest Johnson collection, and how the museum has carried his legacy from the rise of the Black Arts Movement to today.

This talk is made possible by the Making History, Making Change Lecture Series, which explores the American experience as the nation marks it’s 250th anniversary. The Making History, Making Change Lecture Series, a project of Smithsonian Affiliations, is supported in part by the Dreier Family Foundation, the UHL and KK Foundation, Vaishali Shah Chadha and Family, and Michael Vu and Meridel Bulle-Vu.

$10, $5 for members (includes 1 complimentary beverage) | Tickets

Schedule

7:00pm–8:00pm | Talk by Dalila Scruggs
8:00pm–9:00pm | Reception

Should you need an ADA accommodation to participate in a University event, program, or activity or need to request materials in an accessible format, please contact FIU's Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Accessibility (CRCA) at 305.348.2785 or accommodations@fiu.edu. All requests for ADA accommodation or accessible materials for this event must be submitted to CRCA at least seven (7) business days prior to the event or at the earliest possible opportunity.

Banner image: Painting (detail), I Baptize Thee, c. 1940. William H. Johnson, artist. Oil on burlap. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Harmon Foundation, 1967.59.977.