Beyond the Blues presents over 125 years of art by African American artists and about the African American experience, drawn from the collection of the Amistad Research Center. The 100 works in this exhibition illuminate the contributions and challenges faced by African American artists from the late 19th century to the present day. The works have been selected from the over 400 paintings, prints, and three-dimensional works of art that comprise the fine arts collection at Amistad. Ranging from the naturalistic vision of the late 19th century through varied 20th century artistic movements to the present day, the works presented in this exhibition reveal narratives of faith, history, society, and culture created by African American artists.

This website serves as an introduction to the exhibition by providing examples illustrating the range of media, subjects, and styles to be found throughout Beyond the Blues. It will also include links to events and programming related to the exhibition, and serves as a resource for educators interested in exposing students, both young and old, to the artistic heritage of the African American experience in the United States.