Many provincial galleries like Bradford, Rochdale, Coventry, and Birmingham were ahead of the game in either collecting or exhibiting, while the metropolitan Tate Gallery and the British Museum failed to show interest in diversifying art collections.
The V&A was late to the table in diversifying art collections but acquired more works on paper by black artists than the British Museum or the Tate, with acquisitions including works by artists like Sonia Boyce and Lubaina Himid.
The V&A's prints and drawings collection houses works by many black artists, including Gavin Jantjes' Freedom Hunters, commemorating the Soweto massacre, acquired in the early 1980s.
Retrospective collecting is important, but should not overshadow support for emerging young artists, ensuring a balance in recognizing both historical and contemporary contributions to art.
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]