Black Art Library at The Drawing Center

A curated selection of books from the Black Art Library, a Detroit-based archive of over 800 volumes on Black artists and art history, presented as a reading room alongside Pope.L's exhibition.

Why go

Founded by Asmaa Walton in 2020, the Black Art Library functions as both a tactile community resource and living archive—this pop-up transforms The Drawing Center's bookstore into a dedicated reading space where visitors can engage directly with artist monographs, exhibition catalogs, and ephemera spanning Black art history.

What to expect

A curated collection of books available for reference and reading in The Drawing Center's bookstore, functioning as a community reading room. Furniture is on loan from Carl Hansen & Søn.

Things to know

• Black Art Library founded by Asmaa Walton in February 2020 with 7 books; now holds over 800 volumes.
• Collection spans artist monographs, biographies, memoirs, exhibition catalogs, art historical texts, and ephemera.
• Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Certainly an Act: Works on Paper by Pope.L.
• Asmaa Walton is a Detroit native and arts educator with an MFA in Art Politics from NYU Tisch.
• Black Art Library began while Walton worked at the Saint Louis Art Museum.

Plan your visit

The Drawing Center's galleries are temporarily closed for installation; Black Art Library opens June 26, 2026. The space functions as both a bookstore pop-up and reading room—visitors are invited to peruse, borrow, and stay while exploring the collection.