Elevation is home to a vibrant collection of art that celebrates the brilliance and resilience of the African diaspora. Each work invites reflection, offering guests a chance to experience history, identity, and imagination through the eyes of visionary artists.
(1891–1978) Lived and worked in Washington, D.C.
A trailblazing abstract painter and the first Black woman with a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum, Alma Thomas transformed color into pure joy. Her art reflects a lifelong pursuit of beauty, turning the everyday into the transcendent.
Wind, Sunshine, and Flowers — Bursts of color in rhythmic mosaics that suggest light in motion.
Air View of a Spring Nursery — An aerial-like vision of fields in harmony.
Watusi (Hard Edge) — A bold geometric abstraction, part of her series inspired by Matisse’s cutouts, but distinctly her own.
Eclipse — A radiant circular composition echoing celestial movement, a similar work of which is featured in the Obama Presidential Library.
(1859–1937) Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, lived much of his career in France.
The first African American painter to achieve international acclaim, Henry Ossawa Tanner infused his art with faith and light. His works at Elevation invite contemplation, grounding the collection in themes of faith, resilience, and transcendence.
The Good Shepherd — A tender rendering of care and guidance, suffused with golden light.
Abraham’s Oak — A meditation on faith, permanence, and the enduring presence of the divine.
(b. 1949) Lives and works in New York.
One of the most important American photographers of his generation, Frank Stewart captures the rhythm of everyday life with intimacy, framing both the ordinary and the profound with honesty and grace. His recent retrospective, Frank Stewart’s Nexus: An American Photographer’s Journey, 1960s to the Present, organized by the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., and traveling nationally, affirms his place as a defining visual storyteller of the African American experience.
Pounding the Fufu — A vivid celebration of African tradition and communal life.
George in the Doorway — A quiet, intimate portrait that transforms a fleeting moment into timeless observation.
Silhouette + Bone — A study in light and form, distilling human presence to its most elemental expression.
Walking the Bar — A celebration of movement and rhythm, echoing Stewart’s deep ties to the jazz community.
(b. 1971) Born in the United States, raised between Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and New York.
M. Florine Démosthène traverses identity, mythology, and the Black female form through bold, imaginative works. Her practice spans painting, collage, and sculpture, and her works are in major collections worldwide, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
What We Know & What We Don’t Know (Vase Face Sculpture) — A sculpture that merges face and vessel, symbolizing the body as both container and conduit of experience.
(1907–1969) Lived and worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
A prolific photographer who chronicled Black life in mid-20th-century America, John W. Mosley left behind a visual archive of resilience, community, and struggle. His photographs remain a vital testament to history, placing viewers directly in the presence of leaders and communities who shaped the fight for justice.
Civil Rights Demonstrators, August 2, 1965 — View of the crowd as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses demonstrators at 40th Street and Lancaster Avenue.
