Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, “Blue Dancer” (detail), 2017. Tunji Adeniyi-Jones.Works from one of the nation’s most celebrated private contemporary art collections will be exhibited at the University of Alabama at Birmingham this fall.
UAB’s Abroms‑Engel Institute for the Visual Arts will present “Young, Gifted and Black: The Lumpkin‑Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art,” featuring more than 40 works. This nationally traveling exhibition highlights established and emerging artists of African descent from the past 35 years, offering a vibrant range of voices, ideas and approaches.
AEIVA will launch the exhibition Friday, Oct. 3, during the 2025 UAB Arts Block Party, presented by the UAB Center for the Arts, with a free public reception from 5-7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to explore the galleries, enjoy live music and experience these powerful works as part of this community-wide celebration. The evening will feature remarks from collector Bernard Lumpkin and AEIVA Senior Director John Fields beginning at 5 p.m.
Jazz artists Endea Owens and The Cookout will headline the 2025 Arts Block Party, a night of music, art and celebration. Read more.
AEIVA has a long-standing commitment to showcasing the significance of private art collections, which play a vital role in shaping the cultural ecosystem, Fields says.
“‘Young, Gifted and Black’ continues this legacy by celebrating the breadth of vision and lived experience embodied in the Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection,” Fields said. “This exhibition highlights the influence of collectors as cultural stewards and affirms AEIVA’s values of artistic excellence and community relevance.”
Artists featured in the exhibition are Derrick Adams, Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Sadie Barnette, Kevin Beasley, Nayland Blake, Jordan Casteel, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Caitlin Cherry, Bethany Collins, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Cy Gavin, Alteronce Gumby, Chase Hall, Allison Janae Hamilton, David Hammons, Kenyatta Hinkle, Lonnie Holley, Tomashi Jackson, Rashid Johnson, Samuel Levi Jones, Jarrett Key, Deana Lawson, Glenn Ligon, Eric N. Mack, Kerry James Marshall, Troy Michie, Wardell Milan, Narcissister, Arcmanoro Niles, Clifford Owens, Jennifer Packer, Adam Pendleton, Christina Quarles, Andy Robert, Jacolby Satterwhite, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Gerald Sheffield, Lorna Simpson, Sable Elyse Smith, Vaughn Spann, Henry Taylor, Chiffon Thomas, Mickalene Thomas, William Villalongo, Kara Walker, Nari Ward, D’Angelo Lovell Williams, Wilmer Wilson IV and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.
The Lumpkin‑Boccuzzi Family Collection of Contemporary Art, assembled by Bernard I. Lumpkin and Carmine D. Boccuzzi, is recognized nationally for its focus on artists of African descent and its commitment to emerging voices. Works from the collection have been featured in major museums, but “Young, Gifted and Black” is the first traveling exhibition devoted entirely to sharing this remarkable body of work with audiences across the country. The collection reflects Lumpkin and Boccuzzi’s belief in art as a catalyst for dialogue, education and social engagement.
AEIVA is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free and open to the public. Visit uab.edu/aeiva for more information.
