Freedom Dreams
April 12, 2026- August 9, 2026
Barnes Foundation
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
As Philadelphia and the nation prepare to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, Freedom Dreams brings together powerful works by artists in film, video, and installation that invite viewers to immerse themselves in the memories, dreams, and histories of Black Americans.
The exhibition features works by Arthur Jafa, David Hartt, Garrett Bradley (2019 Creative Capital Awardee), Ja’Tovia Gary (2019 Creative Capital Awardee), and Tourmaline, all exploring history, archives, and cultural memory. Freedom Dreams highlights the fluid boundary between past, present, and future and encourages viewers to reflect on how Americans of color have shaped identities and created spaces of resistance, joy, and resilience in the face of systemic oppression. The exhibition is co-curated by Maori Karmael Holmes, Chief Executive and Artistic Officer of BlackStar Projects, and James Claiborne, Fleischner Family Vice President for Engagement at the Barnes.
Bradley Garrett
Love
Garrett Bradley uses video and photography as mediums for exploring socio-economic injustice, human conflict, and illuminating the beauty that is plainly in view.
Gary Ja'Tovia
The Evidence of Things Not Seen
Ja’Tovia Gary is an artist and filmmaker based in Dallas whose work seeks to liberate the distorted histories through which Black life is often viewed while fleshing out a nuanced Black interiority.