A Tribute to Black Soho Inside a New York Art Fair
Historic archives are displayed alongside works by Emma Amos, David Hammons, Vivian Browne, and more in a presentation at Independent 20th Century.
In the winter of 1988, artist Emma Amos shared her enthusiasm for her expanding archive with her friend and fellow artist Camille Billops. Billops and her husband, James Hatch, purchased a loft in Manhattan in 1973, which became their home and a repository for Black artistic history. Over the years, their collection grew to include over a thousand artists and an assortment of ephemera such as periodicals, scripts, photographs, and audiotaped interviews.
The Billops-Hatch Collection now features in the "Black Soho" exhibition at the Independent 20th Century fair, co-produced by galleries RYAN LEE and Salon 94. The exhibition, which is on view through Sunday, September 27, showcases artworks by Amos, Billops, Vivian Browne, David Hammons, Ed Clark, Norman Lewis, Frederick J. Brown, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, all of whom were influential figures in the Soho neighborhood.
Gallerist Jeff Lee of RYAN LEE Gallery explained that they drew inspiration from Billops and Hatch's community-oriented approach, aiming to recreate the vibrant atmosphere of their shared loft, which had served as a gathering space for major and emerging artists alike.
Written by urgent.news from Hyperallergic's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
