Dear Friends,
Imagine having a collection of fine art so vast, you’ve never seen all of it, or even most of it, in one place. So when Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, aka Mr. and Mrs. Kasseem Dean, walked into the Brooklyn Museum’s new exhibition, Giants, it must have been a thrilling moment for them. And still, the 100 pieces gracing the halls are but a portion of their entire world-class art holdings.
The full title is Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys. According to the exhibition notes, “Giants” refers to the renown of the artists of the exhibition, their canon-expanding impact and their monumental works. Boldface names like Derrick Adams, Arthur Jafa, Kehinde Wiley, Lorna Simpson and Mickalene Thomas are just some of the contemporary legends on display.
Swizz Beatz, a highly successful music producer, began collecting art as a teenager and joined forces with Keys when they married. But it was during a walk-through of a 2015 Kehinde Wiley exhibition, when Beatz learned that most of Wiley’s collectors were not people of color, that their focus shifted to living (and often marginalized) diasporic artists.
Back then, the importance of collecting was not understood by many of their Hip Hop peers. But they were taking the long view — preserving works that would become the cultural currency of their generation, building on the legacy of 20th-century artists like Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Augusta Savage and Lois Mailou Jones.
The Deans took things up a notch when, in 2017, they served notice to the art world by launching the brilliant No Commissions series of large-scale global exhibitions. Being shown in these exhibitions ensures that the artists — not galleries, museums or art fairs — take home 100% of their sales.
Collecting helps emerging artists stay the course in their careers, providing much-needed financial support. It validates their artistry to themselves and the world. The integrity of a well-curated collection increases in value over time for artists, collectors, museums and the cultural legacy of a civilization. One story in the exhibition brought that home.
The exhibition’s poster features a drawing by the Nigerian-American artist Toyin Ojih Odutola. A few years ago, Beatz paid a visit to the artist’s studio to take a look at her work. By this time, the Dean Collection was well-known among artists. To be included was already seen as an honor.
As he wandered around the space, he noticed an unfinished piece in the trash. He asked about it. Odutola dismissed it. But Beatz took it out of the trash for a further look. When Odutola saw his interest, she challenged him to help her finish it by directing what should be added.
The completed drawing, done with pencil, charcoal and pastels, captures in vivid colors the background, her clothing and her skin as though applied by painted brush strokes. When the two completed the piece, Odutola had ample justification to claim her spot in the collection.
Curated by Kimberli Grant, the Dean Collection is one of several exhibitions I’ve savored at the Brooklyn Museum, which is itself building on an important legacy.
In 1923, it was one of the first U.S. institutions to exhibit African cast-metal and other objects as art, rather than as ethnological artifacts. Its commitment to diversity is a century long and displays an appreciation for art and culture that is more than skin-deep.
The exhibition runs to July 7, 2024.
Support Black Art!
As you may know, March On is evolving to become more than a film festival. We are using our platforms this week to elevate Black artists. Our special fundraising exhibition is now live online at the Black Art In America (BAIA) Gallery.
We invite you to explore a stunning collection of Black fine art, available online today through Saturday, June 8th. This is your chance to support important programming through art.
March On!
Isisara Bey
Artistic Director
The March On Washington Film Festival