M. Charlene Stevens (Photo: Ruben Natal-San Miguel)
As protests for racial justice continue, the art world has responded by featuring the work of black artists and exalting the influence of the Black Lives Matter movement on the art industry. Almost overnight, Twitter and Instagram has become flooded with lists of black galleries, black artists, and black musicians whose projects you can support. However, one black art dealer and critic, M. Charlene Stevens, remains suspicious.
“I find a lot of it insincere when I see emails from these galleries saying ‘Thank you for donating to these causes,’” Stevens said. “But black lives need careers. How many black people do you plan on hiring for leadership positions this year? That’s a real change.”
