African American Museum exhibit ‘Shared Vision’ will feature works by world-renowned artists

The African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) will showcase its newest exhibition, “Shared Vision: Portraits from the CCH Pounder-Koné Collection,” featuring paintings from the personal collection of award-winning actress, CCH Pounder. Opening Sept. 14, the exhibition was curated exclusively for AAMP and is a collection of contemporary art that spans the African diaspora. 

“This exhibition has been two years in the making, and we’re honored to welcome these stunning works to the Museum,” said Dr. Ashley Jordan, President and CEO of AAMP, in a statement. “Through this exhibition, not only are we able to highlight the incredible artists who created these pieces, but we’re also able to showcase the depth and breadth of CCH Pounder’s collection and the global perspective it provides. I’d like to thank CCH Pounder and her team for working with us to create this exhibition and share it with the community.”  

On view through March 2, 2025, “Shared Vision” will feature more than 40 works in a wide range of media by world-renowned artists, including Bisa Butler, Elizabeth Colomba, Samella Lewis, and Lezley Saar, and emerging art stars such as Luke Agada and Alex Peter Idoko. The artists in the exhibition share the breadth and depth of the African diaspora through notions of beauty, identity, autonomy, and power. 

In addition to her prolific acting career, CCH Pounder has been extensively involved with the arts as a patron, collector, gallery owner, and museum founder. Originally from Georgetown, Guyana, Pounder’s collection consists of Caribbean and African artists and artists of the African diaspora.  

“I am so pleased to be sharing these curated pieces from my collection with the African American Museum in Philadelphia,” said CCH Pounder. “The collaboration with AAMP, of selecting the works for this exhibit, has been a creative partnership of a ‘shared vision’ to feature distinct artists from around the world. It excites me to see how these images will move, inspire, and provide insight for thought-provoking interactions between generations of all ages.” 

In 1993, Pounder and her husband, the late Boubacar Koné, founded and built the Musee Boribana, the first privately owned contemporary museum in Dakar Senegal, which they gifted to that nation in 2014. Pounder’s personal collection contains over 500 works of art from which the pieces in “Shared Vision: Portraits from the CCH Pounder-Koné Collection” were selected. 

To mark the opening of the exhibition, AAMP will host a conversation with CCH Pounder on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 3 p.m. The event will be open to the public and free for AAMP members or included with admission to the museum. Pre-registration for the event is required. 

“The works on display offer a unique glimpse into Pounder’s vision as an art collector and her dedication to celebrating and sharing these masterpieces, particularly with Black museums,” said Dejay Duckett, Vice President of Curatorial Services at AAMP. “’Shared Vision’ is a powerful examination of Black presence and identity, and we’re excited for our audiences to experience the exhibition and take part in this important conversation.”  

For information and to purchase tickets, visit aampmuseum.org.