In celebration of hip hop’s profound and lasting influence on culture and society, the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) is presenting the groundbreaking exhibition, The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, until September 29, 2024. We caught the exhibit earlier this year in St. Louis and it is not to be missed by any music lover.
This multimedia exhibition features over 100 works from some of today’s most influential artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Roberto Lugo, Carrie Mae Weems, William Cordova, Hassan Hajjaj, and Hank Willis Thomas. Fashion brands like Cross Colours and Vivienne Westwood will also be showcased, alongside an array of music memorabilia.
Dr. Jason Rawls, a prominent figure in hip hop studies and assistant professor at The Ohio State University, curated the exhibition. Dr. Rawls is renowned for his contributions to hip hop education and his work as a music producer for artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, and the Beastie Boys. Quoting hip hop pioneer Grandmaster Caz, Dr. Rawls says, “Hip Hop didn’t invent anything. It reinvented everything.” This, he notes, reflects hip hop’s resourceful and innovative mentality that continues to shape art and culture.
Co-curated by Asma Naeem, Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director at the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA); Gamynne Guillotte, former BMA Chief Education Officer; Hannah Klemm, former Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM); and Andréa Purnell, SLAM’s Community Collaborations Manager, The Culture delves into the origins of hip hop in the 1970s as a cultural expression of Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx youth. It highlights hip hop’s transformative impact on contemporary art, technology, and the marketplace.
The exhibition is displayed in the Western & Southern Galleries (232 and 233) at CAM. Tickets are priced at $12, with discounts for students, children, and seniors, and a $2 savings for online purchases. CAM members enjoy free admission, while nonmembers can access the exhibition for free on Thursday evenings from 5–8 p.m., and during special events like Art After Dark and CAM Kids Day.
The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century is a collaboration between the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Art Museum, supported by the Ford Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation, and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Locally, the exhibition is presented by The Ragland Family Foundation and P&G, with additional sponsorship from Triversity Construction, the PNC Charitable Trust, and media partner The Wiz. The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalog with contributions from over 50 artists, scholars, and curators.