MoMA’s 2022 Black Arts Council Benefit at The Museum of Modern Art on June 14, 2022 in New York City. Photo: Austin Donohue

Evening Will Feature a Performance by Grammy-Winning Jazz Sensation Samara Joy

The Museum of Modern Art’s Black Arts Council will host its annual benefit on April 3, celebrating the artists whose work the Council has supported for acquisition into MoMA’s collection over its 30-year history. The benefit will feature a performance by Grammy Award–winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy.

The Black Arts Council supports MoMA’s mission by centering Black perspectives on modern and contemporary art. Founded in 1993 as The Friends of Education by Dr. Akosua Barthwell Evans, Agnes Gund, and David Rockefeller Jr., the Black Arts Council at MoMA funds acquisitions by Black artists, supports educational programs on Black art, and creates opportunities for Black artists and arts professionals at MoMA.

The full list of artists being celebrated at this year’s benefit includes:

John Akomfrah

Benny Andrews

Romare Bearden

John Biggers

Sanford Biggers

Elizabeth Catlett

Willie Cole

LaToya Ruby Frazier

Charles Gaines

Ellen Gallagher

David Hammons

Barkley L. Hendricks

William H. Johnson

Norman Lewis

Glenn Ligon

Kerry James Marshall

Rodney McMillian

Robert H. McNeill

Zanele Muholi

Adam Pendleton

Howardena Pindell

Adrian Piper

Pope.L

Martin Puryear

Betye Saar

Accra Shepp

Gary Simmons

Bob Thompson

Kara Walker

Carrie Mae Weems

Charles White

Jack Whitten

Lynette Yiadom-Boakye

“On the occasion of our 30th anniversary, I’m proud to invite guests to a rare opportunity to join us for an evening that convenes and celebrates the Black artists who shaped the history—and evolving legacy—of the Black Arts Council at MoMA,” said Alvin Hall, Chair, Black Arts Council. “As we remember our evolution in this milestone year, I’m thrilled to welcome our founding supporters and vital collaborators—those visionaries who heralded our vital mission at MoMA, and who continue to invest in the cultivation, inclusion, and preservation of Black art and artists in the canon for generations to come.”

The evening will be highlighted by a special musical performance by Samara Joy in the Marron Atrium. With her Grammy Award–winning Verve Records debut Linger Awhile, the 23-year-old Bronx native makes her case to join the likes of Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday as the next jazz singing sensation recorded by the venerable label. On Linger Awhile, Joy introduces massive audiences to a slew of classic standards several times older than she is—cementing her status as perhaps the first Gen-Z jazz singing star. The New York Times praised the “silky-voiced rising star” for “helping jazz take a youthful turn,” while NPR’s “All Things Considered” called her a “classic jazz singer from a new generation.” In February 2023, Joy took home two Grammys, for Best Jazz Vocal Album and the auspicious Best New Artist award.

The evening will also feature a special dessert experience by Camari Mick, Executive Pastry Chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant, The Musket Room. In 2022 and 2023, Mick was a Semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef.

Proceeds from this benefit support the continued impact and influence of the Black Arts Council through acquisitions, exhibitions, and educational programing that cultivates and engages a diverse museum audience. Tables for the evening’s program and dinner range from $15,000 to $100,000, with individual tickets beginning at $1,500. Tables and tickets can be purchased online or by emailing blackartscouncil@moma.org.

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WHEN: Monday, April 3, 2023

7:00 p.m. Cocktails 8:00 p.m. Dinner

WHERE: The Museum of Modern Art, 18 W 54th St