FIA opening ‘Gateways to Black History & Art’ with new exhibition starting February 1

(Flint, MI) – The Flint Institute of Arts Museum + Art School is presenting Gateways: African American Art from the Key Collection, on view February 1 – April 26, in the FIA’s Hodge and Temporary Exhibition galleries.

Guided by questions of identity and self-discovery, this exhibition explores themes of history, resilience, spirituality and representation within the Black American experience. It features 77 artworks from 68 artists, with all works on loan from the personal collection of renowned Arts Administrator, Curator and Collector Eric Key.

The FIA celebrated the exhibition’s opening with the 19th Annual Community Gala on Saturday, January 31. Key headlined the event with a live talk in the FIA Theater, immediately followed by an exhibition preview and reception.

“Collecting art by African American artists has its conceptual beginning early in my development as a child,” said Key. “It began with the question: ‘Who am I?’ It was not until later that many of my questions would be answered, and it was the arts, art history and the history of people of African descent that began to give shape to my question.”

The museum also hosted a Meet the Collector event on Sunday, February 1, where guests had the chance to meet and chat with Key in the exhibition. This special opportunity was free and open to the public.

Underscoring the start of Black History Month, the Gateways exhibition aligns with the FIA’s mission to connect diverse communities through meaningful visual art experiences.

“Opening Gateways during Black History Month allows us to foreground artists whose work speaks powerfully to resilience, creativity and cultural legacy,” said Tracee Glab, FIA executive director.

Glab added: “This exhibition also extends beyond this celebratory month, creating opportunities for continued reflection, conversation and connection—exactly what the FIA strives to foster in our galleries.”

Within the exhibition galleries, the FIA Exploration Annex will invite visitors to explore abstraction. Hands-on activities will challenge visitors to experiment with line, shape, color, pattern, and contrast to see how an artwork can communicate feeling, memory and ideas through abstraction.

Gateways: African American Art from the Key Collection is organized and toured by International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC.

This exhibition is funded in part by a grant from The McCombs Family Flint Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

Guests requiring an accommodation or service may contact access@flintarts.org or 810.234.1695. Two weeks advance notice is preferred to received accommodation or service.

For museum hours, admission details, and related Black History Month programming, visit flintarts.org.