DALLAS, TX.- Opening today at the African American Museum, Dallas, “Frank Frazier – The Visionary, The Advocate, The Artist” charts the 60-year career of one of America’s most influential modern artists. The exhibition follows Frazier’s epic and polarizing career as he changes artistic styles and explores mixed media, all while leaving his mark on the global art world. The exhibition will feature more than 30 paintings and drawings from the Dallas-based artist’s public and private collections. Free and open to the public, the exhibition will run through June 27, 2023, at the African American Museum, Dallas in historic Fair Park (3536 Grand Ave., Dallas, 75210).

Frazier’s works encompass the personal and the political, the abstract and the figurative, and the joy as well as the tragic in his images. Frazier’s work is greatly influenced by domestic and world affairs, from war and tragedy to humanities, activism and political movements. As a Vietnam and Purple Heart veteran, Frazier is familiar with war and many of his works detail his own experiences while serving.

The exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to explore narratives of the African Diaspora while engaging in works that connect ancestral history with the contemporary world. The works of Frazier illustrate traditions in daily life, culture, history and the impact of one’s commitment to the arts. Frazier’s ability to capture Black life, struggles and joy enables viewers to connect in an aesthetic exploration of the power of reclamation and knowledge of one’s history perfected through the art of storytelling.

Born in Harlem, New York, the self-taught artist focuses on the movement of Black art in the country.

"I’m concerned about the future of the Black artist, the lasting effect of our work on our own children,” said Frazier. “It’s important that we, as artists, make some statements to affect change."

A sculptor, painter and collagist, Frazier uses a variety of mediums to create affordable art, which has been featured in books, television series and films such as “Waiting to Exhale,” “Coming to America,” “Frank’s Place” and “Bustin’ Loose.” His art has been exhibited at the African American Museum of Nassau County, Hempstead, New York; Armour J. Blackburn University Center, Howard University, Washington, D.C.; Martin Luther King Jr. Branch Library, Dallas; and the Brooklyn Museum, New York City.

“Throughout his life, Frank Frazier used his complex art to advocate for important issues facing African Americans,” said Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, deputy director and COO of the African American Museum, Dallas. “We are honored to exhibit his extraordinary collection this spring and hope our visitors will be inspired to learn more about his contributions and how they helped shape our history.”

“Frank Frazier – The Visionary, The Advocate, The Artist” is organized by Emmanuel Gillespie, senior curator and owner of Pencil on Paper Gallery. Assistants to the curator are Fatima Marsch and Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney.