Boston Celebrates Allan Rohan Crite with Dual Exhibitions at Gardner Museum and Athenaeum

October 23, 2025 – January 19, 2026
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Boston Athenaeum, Boston, MA

Boston honors the legacy of Allan Rohan Crite (1910–2007), a pioneering African American artist, through two concurrent exhibitions: Allan Rohan Crite: Urban Glory at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Allan Rohan Crite: Griot of Boston at the Boston Athenaeum. Both exhibitions are on view from October 23, 2025, to January 19, 2026, highlighting Crite’s dedication to depicting Boston’s Black and multicultural communities during times of urban transformation.

Urban Glory at the Gardner Museum features approximately 130 works—including oil paintings, watercolors, lithographs, and collages—focusing on neighborhoods like Roxbury and the South End. The exhibition is co-curated by Diana Seave Greenwald and Professor Theodore C. Landsmark, Crite’s friend and collaborator. An accompanying installation of original collages by artist Ekua Holmes, a mentee of Crite, celebrates Black childhood and everyday life.

Griot of Boston at the Boston Athenaeum showcases Crite’s works that blend spiritual themes with depictions of daily life, reflecting his role as a storyteller in the African tradition. Both institutions have co-published Allan Rohan Crite: Neighborhood Liturgy, a comprehensive book on the artist’s career. Additionally, the Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University will host Allan Rohan Crite: Neighborhood from February 4 to July 31, 2026, featuring works from both exhibitions.

For more information, visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s website: Exhibitions at Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and Boston Athenaeum Celebrate Allan Rohan Crite | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Images courtesy of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Press Media Kit