The story of a special residency program

In 1977, artist, educator, and activist Dana C. Chandler, Jr. (1941-2025), also known as Akin Duro, founded a special artist residency program at Northwestern University in Boston: the African American Master Artists-in-Residence Program (AAMARP) is the first and only program of its kind open exclusively to Black artists. The program was influenced by the Black Arts Movement and offered a »living focus« on »the diverse dynamics of African American aesthetics«, as Chandler described it. The AAMARP not only served as an exhibition space for art, but also hosted dance performances, readings, film screenings, and workshops, among other things. Today, the program continues to be supported by Northeastern University and functions as a multigenerational collective of thirteen artists.

With the exhibition Say It Loud: AAMARP, 1977 to Now, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston looks back on participating artists from past years. The show runs from February 12 to August 2.

The following artists are participating in the exhibition: Benny Andrews, Ellen Banks, Gloretta Baynes, Calvin Burnett, Ambreen Butt, Dana C. Chandler Jr., Jeff Chandler, Allan Rohan Crite, Milton Derr, Sharon Dunn, Marlon Forrester, L'Merchie Frazier, Tyrone Geter, Ricardo »Deme5« Gomez, Paul Goodnight, Reginald L. Jackson, Michael Jones, Shea Justice, Kofi Kayiga, Khalid Kodi, Marcia Lloyd, Vusumuzi Maduna, Bryan McFarlane, Stanley Pinckney, Hakim Raquib, James Reuben Reed, Rudolph R. Robinson, Renée Stout, Edward Strickland, Susan Thompson, Arnold Trachtman, Wen-ti Tsen, Barbara Ward, Keith Morris Washington, Don West, Rene Westbrook, John Wilson, Richard Yarde, and Theresa-India Young.