The Rockwell Museum Presents ‘Gateways: African American Art from the Key Collection’

Opening during the Museum’s 50th anniversary year, the survey features works by more than 70 artists

Corning, N.Y. – Spanning 150 years of creativity, resilience and expression, “Gateways: African American Art from the Key Collection” offers a rich survey of African American art. The exhibition will be on view at The Rockwell Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate in Corning, New York, from May 23-Aug. 17, 2026. Presented as a centerpiece of the Museum’s 50th anniversary celebration and in alignment with America 250, “Gateways” explores the American experience through art that elevates historically underrepresented voices.

“‘Gateways’ reflects The Rockwell Museum’s commitment to frame the American story through diverse perspectives,” said Erin M. Coe, executive director of The Rockwell. “This exhibition underscores the vital role of collectors like Eric Key in shaping the art historical canon, while honoring the many ways Black artists have defined, challenged and expanded the story of America itself.”

Assembled by arts administrator, curator and collector Eric Key, the exhibition features more than 75 works by 71 artists, spanning painting, sculpture, photography, works on paper and many unique forms of mixed media. Visitors will encounter themes of life, music, representation, religion and politics through the work of some of the most influential Black artists in American art, from the 1880s to today. Highlights include works by Elizabeth Catlett, Richard Mayhew and Henry Ossawa Tanner, alongside contemporary voices such as Delita Martin and Al Burts.

“From luminous depictions of North Africa and bold explorations of color to striking modernist sculpture and intimate portraits, the exhibition brings together impactful artistic voices across generations,” said Amanda Lett, The Rockwell’s curator of collections and exhibitions. “These works explore both the joys and complexities of life in America, celebrating humanity in all its forms.”

Key began collecting African American art in the early 1990s, before many arts institutions began to grant these artists the belated recognition they enjoy today. Over decades, he grew his collection with the dual purpose of exploring his own identity while providing financial support to individual artists. His vision has been to preserve America’s Black experience in the arts and to benefit the many communities of which he has been a part — opening gateways for artists, African Americans and conversations about race, identity and America.

“Collecting art by African American artists has its conceptual beginning early in my development as a child. It began with the question, ‘Who am I?’ I would always ask this question to myself in high school and as a young adult. This question nagged at me for many years as I gained a better understanding of the world around me and the absence of people with skin color like mine in it. Or, better yet, the negativity about people of color. It was not until later that many of my questions would be answered, and it was the arts, art history and the history of people of African descent that began to give shape to my question,” stated Key.

“Gateways” provides a glimpse into personal observations on the evolution between the African American artist and the art world as told through Key’s own perspective. By bringing together artistic examinations of portraiture, landscape and abstract works, Key has established a collection that speaks to the breadth and diversity of the American experience.

“Gateways: African American Art from the Key Collection” is organized and toured by International Arts & Artists. This exhibition is made possible at The Rockwell Museum with generous support by Mary Spurrier.

ABOUT THE COLLECTOR

Eric Key: Born in 1957 in Smithfield, Virginia, Eric Key is an arts administrator, curator, investor and collector who—by his own admission—"can't draw a straight line." Currently director of the Arts Program at University of Maryland Global Campus, he came to UMGC in 2008 after serving for more than a decade as executive director of the Kansas African American Museum in Wichita. He also served as director of programs for the Black Academy of Arts and Letters, curator for the African American Museum Dallas and assistant curator of African American history at Old City Park, all in Dallas. Desiring to support African American artists and to help preserve the Black experience in the Americas in art, Key began collecting African American art in the early 1990s, simultaneously acquiring great and innovative artworks while supporting friends and the many communities of which he has been a part.

International Arts & Artists in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally, through exhibitions, programs and services to artists, arts institutions and the public. Visit www.artsandartists.org