Museums may be closed for the summer, but that doesn't mean we can no longer absorb and appreciate the art of women creators. (Open in new tab) Art has the amazing power to challenge, teach, and open our eyes to new perspectives.

"It's a wonderful way to challenge, teach, and open our eyes to new perspectives," says Isolde Brielmeyer, Distinguished Curator at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York (opens in new tab) and former Executive Director and Curator of Arts, Culture and Community at the Westfield World Trade Center, "and it's a great way to open our eyes to new ways of looking at the world.

Black women artists have been creating powerful work for centuries, but the mainstream art world has not always been an inclusive space. Says Brielmeyer, "We still have a long way to go in terms of inclusivity, equity, and equality." There are more and more opportunities for works by black artists to be shown in movie theaters." Below, we highlight just five of the many black women artists who are shaping the art world and defining the culture at large.

Saya Woolfolk's work often uses elements of science fiction and fantasy to expose and combat the truth of the real world we live in today (she has even designed an entirely fictional female race called the "Empathics" who often appear in her work). The dimensions depicted in her work are fantastical enough to make one pause, yet real enough to make one compare.

"There is definitely something utopian about the world she creates," says Breiermeier. She is creating this universe populated by hybrid figures who are a fusion of different cultural elements." Some of them relate to her own background." Indeed, Woolfolk's transnational background (born in Japan to a Japanese mother and mixed-race father who now resides in New York) has certainly influenced her distinctive style, her uniquely saturated graphic explorations.

Known for her paintings that center on the black female body, Self took the art world by storm faster than paint (her primary medium) can dry; after receiving her MFA from the Yale School of Art in 2015, her work has been exhibited from the Baltimore Museum of Art to Art Basal in Miami, She has exhibited everywhere from the Baltimore Museum of Art to the Art Basal in Miami. Self's work fetched record high prices, with one piece fetching $476,000 including fees (five times the original estimate). Her latest exhibit, "Out of Body," at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (open in new tab), can be seen before it closes on September 7 (due to COVID, admission is limited).

By blending "signs, symbols, and language" (opens in new tab) from everyday life, Delita Martin is able to piece together the stories of marginalized black women and represent them through striking figures. Generational connections and comparisons are also often depicted in her work, with mothers and grandmothers serving as muse for many of the figures. Her multi-layered prints are stained with bright colors (her favorite hue is blue, which she says best connects her to the spiritual world), and her subjects are larger than life and dominate the canvas.

Until we can view her work in person, enjoy her work virtually for now: the National Museum of Women In The Arts in Washington, D.C., has a solo exhibition called "Calling Down The Spirits."

April Bay's work is amazingly vibrant and full of bright energy. It is a joy to look at, but it also tackles difficult concepts, such as race within America's white supremacist system. (Open in new tab) "Her work is pleasing to the eye. But when you scan the surface and get into the details, you realize [the work] packs a powerful punch." Her collage-style work draws inspiration from global influences and serves as a cultural commentary on concepts including pop culture, feminism, social media, and Afro-futurism (including a series titled "Afro-Futurist Womanism" featuring the one and only Beyoncé). ), which functions as a cultural critique of concepts including the one and only Beyoncé.

Xaviera Simmons' body of work is extensive, and over the years she has experimented with a variety of media, including photography, video, performance, sound, and sculpture. Simmons' ability to manipulate different forms is transcendent.

"I don't think she feels she has to stick to a certain style or vision of her work," Brielmeyer says. 'That's great. Imagine that sense of freedom. Simmons shatters the notion that an artist must stay within her medium. Compelling and deliberate, her work (especially her photography) demands a long viewing time.