The art collection of Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys and Grammy-winning rapper and producer Kasseem Dean, known as Swizz Beatz, debuted earlier this year at the Brooklyn Museum. It will now continue to tour as part of the 'Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys' exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
The exhibit in Atlanta will run from Friday, September 13, 2024, through Sunday, January 19, 2025.
The couple has been supporting Black artists. Around 115 artifacts are shown in the exhibition, including 98 significant works of art by artists from the Dean Collection, such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Arthur Jafa, Esther Mahlangu, Amy Sherald, Lorna Simpson, and Kehinde Wiley. The collection also has the most privately owned pieces by Gordon Parks.
"Our mission has always been about making art accessible to everyone and showcasing these GIANT artists. We realized quickly that meant this collection had to travel to communities across the country and the world. We are so pleased that Atlanta and the High Museum of Art is the first stop on the GIANT tour," the couple said.
Dean shared that ATL is important to his story since he went to Stone Mountain High, Redan High, and Open Campus. He said he started DJing at Atrium and Club Flavors' parties as a kid, so bringing Giants to the High is an Art homecoming for him.
The show, broken into different sections, will highlight the couple's artistic endeavors and various facets of the collection's creation.
'On the Shoulders of Giants' features the artwork of creators who have left an indelible mark on the world, and 'Giant Conversations' will delve into societal challenges affecting Black people. Large-scale pieces from the collection are exhibited in another area called 'Giant Presence,' including 'Catfish' (2017) by Nina Chanel Abney.
According to ArtNews, Keys said there are far too many artists, such as musicians, painters, sculptors, and dancers, who have unfortunately contributed so much to the culture and have died with nothing. She noted that artists care about living artists and the just due they receive.
