New Mexico painter Kim Wiggins has been revered over the years for compositions that are filled with a tapestry of colors and forms. He also is recognized for his research and stories that yield thought-provoking and historically focused artwork. Last year, his Los Angeles-based dealer, Maxwell Alexander Gallery, was approached by the NAACP to connect with Wiggins on a special project focusing on historical scenes of Black America. An unveiling of the four paintings took place as part of the Dayton Art Institute’s Reflections in Time: Dayton Unit NAACP Celebrates History exhibition that was curated by Elijah Rashaed, Dayton Unit NAACP Curator. The show, which has 16 works exhibiting from an array of artists, is on view through September 10.

“An old man driving a mule team leads cadence in a song of deliverance. Hardworking laborers, both young and old, men, women and children celebrate the power and strength of community. These are the matriarchs and patriarchs of future American business owners, entrepreneurs and visionaries. Educators, musicians, politicians, artists and engineers will all flow from their loins. Faith, grit and determination are seen in their faces and are symbolized through the winding path leading to a distant church on the hillside behind them. They have been chained, but their will is unbound. Their fight for freedom is legendary. Their spirit is as free as the soaring birds taking flight directly behind them.”

“The Cheniere Caminada Hurricane of 1893 devastated the Louisiana and Mississippi Delta Region. It has been documented as the third deadliest hurricane in the continental U.S. Many families of color were forced to ride out this horrendous storm. These forgotten souls were intentionally left behind to aid in the clean up and rebuilding after the massive deluge.”

“Here in this dramatic painting, an isolated family clings to each other as the hurricane bears down on them. Storm surge waters swell and lap at the rooftop as desperate creatures join them in an iconic quest, clinging to each other as the only lifeline. Mankind’s determination for survival and deep love of family are all represented in these heroic, Rodin-inspired figures.”

“A shooting star streaks across a star-studded sky filling lives with promise and hope. The heavy evening air is filled with music as a preacher prays over a child in this nighttime revival meeting. Eyes are lifted toward heaven as people build their faith by praying, singing and dancing. Music and faith have played a major role in influencing the lives of multitudes of Black Americans over the years.”

“The painting, Homecoming Reunion, is filled with life, joy and color. An affluent family farm is the setting for this engaging celebration as a radiant sunrise peeks over the top of the Wichita Mountains bringing to life a new dawn. Trees are in blossom, people are visiting, young ones are playing and happiness abounds everywhere you look. In the foreground, three beautiful children engage the viewer along a rambling split-rail fence as Magpies, the symbol of good luck and fortune, fly among the radiant sunflowers nearby. The sunflower represents the perfect flower and is known for its close loyalty to the sun, for it symbolizes adoration and beauty. How fitting then that these winsome children play among the flowers. Here we see family members arriving at a fertile farm in the rolling foothills of the Wichita Mountains of Southwestern Oklahoma. In the early part of the 20th century, Black Wall Street played a major role in the economic advancement of businesses owned and operated by Black Americans in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area. Family wealth was not only found in metropolitan areas but expanded into the surrounding communities such as the charming homestead seen here.”

“Due to Jim Crow laws at the time, there was a boom in Black-owned businesses as blacks were forced to do business only with one another. Stores, cafes, banks and farms were all set up in record time in these segregated but often affluent communities. This painting celebrates the golden age of black entrepreneurship in America from 1900 through the 1930s. Although we have far to go as a nation, we celebrate the incredible men and women of color who continue expanding free enterprise and autonomy in America through constant innovation and hard work.”

This story appeared in the August/September 2023 issue of Southwest Art magazine.

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