Meet the Collectors
Dr. Kenneth Montague
The Wedge Collection
Toronto-based dentist and curator Dr. Kenneth Montague founded Wedge Curatorial Projects, an initiative that promotes Black artists through exhibitions, education, and collecting. His Wedge Collection includes works by Carrie Mae Weems, Barkley L. Hendricks, and Samuel Fosso. The collection has been exhibited in institutions like the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Toronto and most recently at the Saatchi Gallery in London, ensuring public engagement with Black visual culture.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz
The Dean Collection
Grammy award winning singer Alicia Keys and rapper/record producer Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean) have amassed a significant array of artworks by Black diasporic artists, including pieces by Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Lorna Simpson through their Dean Collection. Their exhibition, “Giants,” first showcased at the Brooklyn Museum in 2024, is now on view at the Minneapolis Institute of Art through July 13th, 2025, and highlights nearly 100 works that celebrate Black culture and critique societal issues. The exhibition reflects the Deans’ passion for supporting established and emerging artists while fostering important dialogues about art, culture, and identity.
Bernard Lumpkin
Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection
Bernard Lumpkin, a former television executive of both African-American and Sephardic Jewish descent, is a dedicated collector of contemporary African American art. His Lumpkin-Boccuzzi Family Collection focuses on emerging Black artists, such as Amy Sherald, Jordan Casteel, and Titus Kaphar. Lumpkin’s collecting journey began in 2009 after the unexpected death of his father. The collector wished to connect with his African heritage through art by supporting artists of colour to reflect his identity, ensure his children understand their heritage, and create a visual dialogue on Black identity. His collection has been displayed in museums like the Studio Museum in Harlem, and he co-authored Young, Gifted and Black: A New Generation of Artists, a book highlighting Black artists from his collection.
If you would like to learn more about these collectors and their vital role in expanding the visibility of Black artists, or about any of the artists mentioned, please send us a note.
