Bill Hodges Gallery: Four Decades of Championing Black Art in New York City

For over forty years, Bill Hodges Gallery has stood as a vital force in the New York art

world, dedicated to celebrating and preserving the legacy of African American artists.

Founded at a time when Black creators were routinely excluded from mainstream

institutions and galleries, the Black-owned gallery has established itself as a trusted

destination for collectors, curators, scholars, and art patrons seeking deeper

engagement with the contributions of artists of African descent.

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Chelsea arts district, the gallery oOers a rare and rich

opportunity to explore works that have helped shape American art history—works too

often overlooked or marginalized by traditional institutions.

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“This gallery is not just about showing art,” the gallery’s team notes. “It’s about cultural

preservation, education, and ensuring that future generations know the stories and

legacies behind these important works.”

 

Over the years, the gallery has featured and championed iconic artists including Norman

Lewis, Romare Bearden, Edmonia Lewis, Elizabeth Catlett, and Beauford Delaney—

visionaries whose work pushed boundaries and redeWned the American artistic

landscape.

 

Since 1993, the gallery has published more than thirty exhibition catalogues and has

played a key role in placing signiWcant works in major museum collections. These include:

Museum of Modern Art, NYC – Norman Lewis, Phantasy II and Untitled (1949)

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. – Norman Lewis, Untitled (Alabama)

Toledo Museum of Art – Joshua Johnson, Unidentified Gentleman and  Unidentified  Lady

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts – Norman Lewis, Redneck Birth

 

Beyond exhibitions, Bill Hodges Gallery functions as a space for education, dialogue,

and community engagement, providing a platform that continues to amplify voices

historically silenced in the art world.

 

Currently on view through August 29, the gallery’s “Spring Into Summer” exhibition

features powerful works by Jacob Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Agustín Cárdenas,

Chester Higgins Jr., Richard Hunt, and others. Visitors are encouraged to experience the

depth, energy, and cultural signiWcance of these artists’ works.

 

Bill Hodges Gallery is located at 529 W. 20th Street, Suite #10E (between 10th and 11th

Avenues). The nearest subway stations are 14th Street & 8th Avenue (A-C-E lines) and

23rd Street & 8th Avenue (C-E lines). The gallery is open Monday through Friday from

10 AM to 6 PM, and Saturdays by appointment only.

 

For more information, call (212) 333-2640 or email info@billhodgesgallery.com