Museum exhibit features emerging Black artists

A prestigious national art competition has called Dallas home for nearly 50 years, serving as a launch pad for Black artists.

Why it matters: The Carroll Harris Simms National Black Art Competition and Exhibition at the African American Museum showcases the work of emerging Black artists.

Catch up quick: The annual competition began in 1976 as a way for the museum to build an art collection and provide Black artists a platform to showcase their work.

• Previous winners include renowned Dallas-area artists Jeremy Biggers and Sedrick Huckaby.

The big picture: The competition is named after artist and educator Carroll Harris Simms, who taught at Texas Southern University in Houston.

• Each category winner receives a $1,000 prize, and the Best in Show artist earns a solo exhibition in the two years following the competition.
• Nearly 50 artworks from over 160 submissions are featured this year.

If you go: The free exhibit is open now through July 26 at the Fair Park museum.