Subject Area
Art History/Criticism/Conservation
Abstract
This thesis examines the Southwest Black Artists Collective (SBAC) as a site of
Afro-diasporic kinship, artistic production, and spatial intervention within the Desert
Southwest. Operating within a region where Black populations are comparatively small
and institutional support is diffuse, SBAC emerges as both a response to and a
reconfiguration of the regional artistic landscape. The Collective constructs an affirming
community through shared artistic practice, exhibitions, and the maintenance of The
Projects/Space in Tucson, Arizona, where public engagement and private creative
exchange coexist.
Drawing on theories of human ecology, this study expands existing frameworks
by introducing the concept of Afro-modern ecology, which accounts for the role of
geography alongside time in shaping Black diasporic experience. Within this framework,
the Desert Southwest functions not merely as a backdrop but as an active participant in
the production of Black cultural life. SBAC operates within an interstitial space between
collective and kinship, where shared labor, care, and embodied knowledge structure both
artistic output and communal belonging.
This project combines close visual analysis of artworks and exhibitions—
particularly the recurring exhibition (be)loved—with archival research and institutional
histories. It situates SBAC within a broader lineage of Southwestern artist collectives
while demonstrating how SBAC departs from these precedents by foregrounding Black
diasporic experience and relationality.
Ultimately, this thesis argues that SBAC redefines the geography of Black art by
establishing the Southwest as a critical site of Afro-diasporic modernity. Through their
practices, the Collective transforms space into a medium of kinship, care, and artistic
expression, expanding the interpretive scope of both art history and Black studies.
Degree Date
Spring 5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Art History
Advisor
Anna Lovatt
Second Advisor
Elyan Hill
Third Advisor
Tashima Thomas
Number of Pages
110
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Petty, Bradley L., "The Southwest Black Artists Collective: Afro-Modern Ecology, Kinship, And Collectivity In The Desert Southwest" (2026). Art History Theses and Dissertations. 28.
https://scholar.smu.edu/arts_arthistory_etds/28
Included in
Africana Studies Commons, American Art and Architecture Commons, Art Practice Commons, Contemporary Art Commons, Interdisciplinary Arts and Media Commons, Theory and Criticism Commons
