Spiral (arts alliance)

Spiral was a collective of African-American artists initially formed by Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff on July 5, 1963.

Initially the group was concerned with logistical issues, such as obtaining buses to travel to the March on Washington in the summer of 1963.

Soon afterward, their efforts turned toward aesthetic concerns, including what author Ralph Ellison called a "new visual order.

The exhibition was in part a response to the trend of major art institutions to overlook the work of African-American artists.

The exhibition looks at the way the Spiral collective came into its own during a period of American history full of unrest, and the varied visual responses of African-American artists.