Vivian Browne: My Kind of Protest

By Carolyn HefnerThe Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) presents Vivian Browne: My Kind of Protest, the first comprehensive museum retrospective of the artist, activist, and educator Vivian Browne (1929–1993). The exhibition highlights Browne’s contributions to 20th-century American art through her distinctive approach to color and form, her challenging of traditional categories of abstraction and figuration, and her work at the intersections of art and social commentary.  Bringing together 45 paintings and works on paper across several key series, including previously unknown works and ephemera from the artist’s estate, the exhibition uncovers the depth of Browne’s four-decade-long career and her enduring commitment to activism and education. The exhibition will be on view at the CAC from January 31 through May 25, 2025, followed by its presentation at The Phillips Collection from June 28 through September 28, 2025.With an expressive hand and expansive worldview, Browne navigated the Black Arts and Feminist movements with passion and purpose, joining artist groups that advocated for inclusion. Informed by what Browne described as “emotional landscape(s),” her paintings and prints address the politics of race and gender, respond to her international experiences, and reflect on her love of nature and ecological concerns.My Kind of Protest assembles works inspired...