Visual art, architecture, and material culture produced by people of African descent dates to the colonial period in the Americas. This course is a survey of more than two centuries of artistic achievement, from 17th century ceramics, textiles, and wooden carvings to mid-20th century painting, prints, photography, and sculpture. We will study the variety of aesthetic practices developed by Black artists, the social and political contexts of these artworks' making, and writing about the work published in reviews, monographs, and narrative histories.