Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
The Bronzeville native and preeminent Black pop artist of his generation, Hebru Brantley, straddles the worlds of fine art, street art, and hip-hop—often name-dropped in rap songs and collected by Jay-Z and LeBron James. Brantley’s work restores innocence to depictions of Black youth, normalizes images of Black children at play, and suggests an entirely new mythology through the creation of Black superheroes. Brantley chats with Amanda Williams, an artist, and 2022 MacArthur Fellow who uses ideas around color and architecture to explore intersections with race. These artists visit the Institute of Design and Chicago Humanities for an upbeat, life-affirming chat about art, representation, and being Black in America.
This program is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city's artistic heritage and creative communities.
This program is funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art., This program is generously underwritten by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Donate now to support programs like this: chicagohumanities.org/donate
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org
Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities
Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities
Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanities
The Bronzeville native and preeminent Black pop artist of his generation, Hebru Brantley, straddles the worlds of fine art, street art, and hip-hop—often name-dropped in rap songs and collected by Jay-Z and LeBron James. Brantley’s work restores innocence to depictions of Black youth, normalizes images of Black children at play, and suggests an entirely new mythology through the creation of Black superheroes. Brantley chats with Amanda Williams, an artist, and 2022 MacArthur Fellow who uses ideas around color and architecture to explore intersections with race. These artists visit the Institute of Design and Chicago Humanities for an upbeat, life-affirming chat about art, representation, and being Black in America.
This program is part of Art Design Chicago, a citywide collaboration initiated by the Terra Foundation for American Art that highlights the city's artistic heritage and creative communities.
This program is funded by the Terra Foundation for American Art., This program is generously underwritten by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Donate now to support programs like this: chicagohumanities.org/donate
Explore upcoming events: chicagohumanities.org
Connect on Twitter: twitter.com/ChiHumanities
Connect on Facebook: facebook.com/chicagohumanities
Connect on Instagram: instagram.com/chihumanities
