The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center opened a new exhibit that features paintings from the collection of Award-winning actress and art collector CCH Pounder.
Pounder is known for her decades-long career in film and television, with roles on such shows as NCIS: New Orleans; The Shield; Sons of Anarchy; ER; The X-FILES, and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, among others. Film credits include Home Again; Rain; Prizzi's Honor; Postcards from the Edge; Orphan; Avatar; and her breakout role in Bagdad Café.
The exhibit "Diaspora Stories: Selections from the CCH Pounder Collection" displays 24 works of art from Pounder's extensive collection. The exhibition centers the imagery of Black people in quotidian narratives, portraiture, spirituality, and history. The works of art displayed are by some world-renowned artists. Chicago artists represented in the exhibit include Harmonia Rosales, Yashua Klos, and Ebony G. Patterson, born in Jamaica but currently based in Chicago. The exhibition consists of artwork from the late actor and Tony Award-winning stage director and costume designer Geoffrey Holder, a noted painter.
Pounder's interest in art was living amongst artists, singers, and dancers. Pounder would have artists come to her home to show their artwork. "I lived in an artistic community. Paintings would be laid out to view while eating different types of food. If you didn't have any money to buy a piece of art, you would make a trade for a painting," says Pounder.
Pounder describes her collection under the umbrella of diasporic contemporary art. "I have living artists, from those in their 90s to artists just coming out of college," says Pounder.
In 1993, Pounder and her late husband, Boubacar Koné, founded the Musée Boribana, the first privately owned contemporary museum in Dakar, Senegal. "We opened a museum with 34 pieces. It was amazing that it even happened. It became a real little gem in Senegal," says Pounder. When Pounder's husband passed away, he willed it to the nation in 2014.
Pounder has loaned several pieces from her collection at selected organizations, universities, and museums, including The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, MI, and Xavier University in New Orleans.
DuSable Museum hosted a conversation with CCH Pounder and the opening of the exhibit. Moderators were Perri Irmer, President and CEO and Dr. Kim L. Dulaney, Vice President of Education and Programs.
Guests were amazed and loved Pounder's approach and the beauty reflected in her collection.
Husband and wife Jimmy and Tori Stewart say the entire showcase is refreshing to see black artists worldwide. "Miss Pounder is amazing. My wife and I were talking about what she has done and brought here to Chicago, which we could emulate worldwide and build off of with other new ideas of preserving and promoting black artists," says Jimmy.
Tori Stewart, an artist, says that when it comes to art, black people need to claim their own and don't wait until non-black people say their artwork is good. "We don't wait for them to cherry-pick what they think is good about us. It made total sense how I can be more intentional about what I promote and who I support,” says Stewart.
Pounder's advice for up-and-coming art collectors is to support your community. "Support artists at local art fairs and cultural events. You may never know what they will become later."
Diaspora Stories: CCH Pounder Collection will run through July 16, 2023. For more information, go to https://www.dusablemuseum.org.
