Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys

Hey Nicia Travels family! Happy Black History Month!

One thing about me, imma go to a museum. Specifically, Brooklyn Museum.

In honor of this month, the Brooklyn Museum announced their new exhibit. It’s called the Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys and it’s opened until July 7, 2024. What better way to celebrate Black History Month and attend First Saturdays, but also get tickets for this new exhibition.

Not sure if y’all remember, but Swizz Beatz had an art exhibit in the Bronx back in 2016 and I attended that as well. It was called The BACARDÍ x The Dean Collection 'No Commission' Project. The project brought together the many disparate strands of contemporary visual art with established and up and coming artists. in a triumphant display of creativity. The aim behind the project, of course, is to showcase the work of a wide-range of global artists while giving them a platform to sell their work and keep 100% of the money—hence, No Commission.

I’ve always admired his eye for artwork and knew that him and Alicia Keys would drop some gems with their ‘Giants.’ The first major exhibition of the Dean Collection, Giants showcases a focused selection from the couple’s world-class holdings. The Brooklyn Museum’s presentation spotlights works by Black diasporic artists, part of our ongoing efforts to expand the art-historical narrative. 

“Giants” refers to several aspects of the Dean Collection: the renown of legendary artists, the impact of canon-expanding contemporary artists, and the monumental works by such creators as Derrick Adams, Arthur Jafa, and Meleko Mokgosi. Immense pieces—including the largest ever by Mokgosi—are paired with standouts such as Parks’s seminal photographs, Wiley’s revolutionary portraits, and Esther Mahlangu’s globe-bridging canvases. With these ‘Giant’ conversations, it’s examining our society and celebrating Blackness.