New Exhibition Coming Soon
Rhythmic Abstraction: The Art of Arthur Monroe
October 11, 2024 - January 20, 2025
Monroe’s works reflect his participation within several of the major cultural movements of the twentieth century.
Born in the Bedford Stuyvesant District of Brooklyn, New York in 1935 he was steeped in the NY School of Abstract Expressionism, studying with Hans Hoffman, rubbing shoulders with
Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline,and hanging out at the Cedar Bar. Following his service in the Korean War in the 1950s, Monroe moved to California’s Bay Area entering the
heart of the Jazz and Beat scene of writers, musicians, poets, and painters. Lawrence Ferlinghetti gave him his first one-person show at City Lights Bookstore in North Beach.
Blue Lotus Artists' Collective (BLAC) is a non-profit gallery space dedicated to supporting and uplifting Black Artists. Located on the ground floor of the historic Pioneer Building in downtown Tucson, Arizona, our gallery is a place where the community can come together to celebrate, appreciate and see the art and talent of Black Artists. The gallery was founded in 2022 after several meetings of Tucson artists and arts advocates to ascertain how to promote Black Artists who are often underrepresented in museum and gallery settings. A smaller group, who now comprise the board members of BLAC, determined to address the issue first hand by creating this artists’ collective. Willie Bonner, local artist, chose the Blue Lotus to represent the effort. The Blue Lotus is a water lily native to Africa that grows even in muddy and nutritionally poor conditions that was cultivated by the Ancient Egyptian civilization and had great importance in their religious devotions.
Like the Blue Lotus, Black Artists have arisen from harsh and inhospitable environments to thrive, create and bring beauty and wonder to the world.