Daughter of Harlem Faith Ringgold Gets a Major Retrospective at the New Museum

Faith Ringgold, "Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach," 1988, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

A major retrospective of Faith Ringgold's art opens today at the New Museum, spanning more than 50 years of the Harlem-born artist's work.

"Faith Ringgold: American People” features three floors of art exploring favorite themes, from Black life to political protest.

Faith Ringgold, "Early Works #25: Self-Portrait," 1965, Brooklyn Museum

The exhibit kicks off with Ringgold's early Black Light portraits and ends with her joyful story quilts from the French Collection.

Deep in the heart are some of her most famous political pieces, like "American People Series #20: Die," which is now in the Museum of Modern Art's collection.

Faith Ringgold, "American People Series #18: The Flag Is Bleeding," 1967, National Gallery of Art

While 91-year-old Ringgold currently lives in New Jersey, her formative years in Harlem had a major impact on her work.

Many of her earliest story quilts are set in Harlem, including the “Tar Beach” series that she eventually turned into the famous children’s book.

Faith Ringgold, "Jo Baker’s Birthday: The French Collection Part II, #10," 1993, Saint Louis Art Museum

"Faith Ringgold: American People" is up through June 5; Thursday nights (7pm-9pm) are pay-what-you-wish and can be reserved in advance.

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