Chandler painting in his studio at AAMARP.

Arnold Trachtman, “Spirit of ’76 (Louise Day Hicks and Ted Landsmark),” 1979. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy Childs Gallery, Boston.

From Feb. 12 through Aug. 2 the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston (ICA) is running “Say It Loud: AAMARP, 1977 to Now,” an exhibition of nearly 50 years of the work of artists affiliated with the African American Master Artists-in-Residence Program (AAMARP).

The exhibition is the first museum survey of AAMARP and it showcases more than 50 works by 39 artists. An ICA publication about the work of the AAMARP will accompany the exhibition.

Organized by Jeffrey De Blois, the ICA’s Mannion Family Curator, with Meghan Clare Considine, curatorial assistant at the ICA, the exhibition is a collaboration between an esteemed artistic institution and a cultural home that fosters art reflecting the inseparability of art and ideology.

The ICA curators worked on this exhibition with AAMARP founder Dana Chandler Jr. until his death in June 2025.

The ICA notes that the exhibition will feature “figurative and abstract painting, collage, woodworking, experimental textile art, street photography, public murals and more.”

Chandler, as an artist and activist, made transparent the challenges Black artists face in getting recognition. Famously in 1970, Chandler wrote the letter “A Proposal to Eradicate Institutional Racism at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts” to MFA director Perry T. Rathbone, copying the board of directors and the media.

“Through all the history of America, white museums have ignored, avoided and denied their obligation to portray the contributions of the black man to American history, be it cultural, scientific or aesthetic,” Chandler stated in the letter. “We find this museum no different. … We can’t believe that this is simple ignorance or unconscious racism — but we’ll soon know.”

Fifty-six years since that letter was sent, the ICA, one of the nation’s preeminent artistic venues, is opening a major exhibition of the work of Chandler and other Black artists.

“My hope is that the exhibition and publication will open many pathways for scholars and institutions to further study AAMARP and spotlight the incredible creative output of these artists,” De Blois told the Banner.

Artists whose work will be represented in the exhibition include Benny Andrews, Ellen Banks, Rudolph Robinson, Keith Morris Washington, Susan Thompson, Dana Chandler Jr. and Reginald Jackson.

Reginald Jackson, director of the AAMARP, spoke with the Banner about the upcoming exhibition and his organization..

Banner: Tell us about how the idea for the exhibition started and what viewers can expect to see.

Jackson: My sense is that the ICA recognized that it needs to catch up with the African American artists in a major way. The AAMARP’s 50th anniversary takes place in 2027. It was created by Dana Chandler, and we can say that this exhibition is a tribute to Dana. Viewers can expect to see a wide spectrum of creative genius that took place over a period of half a century.

How actively involved is the ICA in the artistic efforts of the AAMARP?

Very much so! Through its curatorial staff, in the last year or so, they’ve created an amazing catalogue. There is a consciousness looking towards actions. It would be wonderful if the exhibition demonstrates that in an economic way.

How do artists in the community get involved with the AAMARP?

We have a website, and we are currently looking for a way to expand our membership. We don’t have the resources to expand the space we currently have. We are on the lookout to collaborate — to increase our footprint after 50 years. We are considering the possibilities, that we might become more involved in our outreach. We are an institution limited in resources and economics. After 50 years, there really should be more ways to include young artists, and be able to make possible space that is very scarce in a city like Boston for artists to work in. Space is expensive.

What specific challenges is AAMARP facing in 2026?

Space for artists. And in order for us to be able to administer a program, we need resources to hire an administrative staff. Currently, we have no administrative staff; we are all volunteers carving out time from creative and personal time to the best of our abilities. We need resources.

IF YOU GO WHAT: “Say It Loud: AAMARP, 1977 to Now”

WHERE: ICA Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive in the Seaport District, icaboston.org

WHEN: Feb. 12 – Aug. 2, 2026

TICKETS: Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for students and $17 for those 65 and older. Entry is free for visitors 18 and younger as well as Boston Public School students.