Derrick Adams’ Works at Penn Station and The FLAG Art Foundation

Derrick Adams 1970 – present

Brooklyn-based artist, Derrick Adams, has focused his art on the joy of relaxation in the Black community. To that end, he has created The Last Resort Artist Retreat in his hometown of Baltimore.

Derrick Adams
How I Spent My Summer, 2021
Screenprint, Archival inkjet and collage
Suite of 9
18 x 18 inches each
For sale at Surovek Gallery

Located in a residential area, the large white house, surrounded by a white picket fence, is a place where artists, by invitation only, can relax and do as much, or as little, as they like. Adams originally bought the house for himself, and was going to use it as his residence when he visited his family in Baltimore. He said that while planning his own retreat in the house, it occurred to him that it would be a perfect place to share with others. “The central focus here is on leisure and relaxation.” he said in an interview in Whitewall Magazine. “I think that is success right there. Anything else could be a plus, of course. But people don’t have to do anything in order to be valuable here, other than coming with an openness to engage and to have a space of care and consideration.”

Down the street from The Last Resort is another building project that Adams is involved with. It will house the Black Baltimore Digital Database (BBDD), dedicated to cataloging and archiving cultural contributions of Black Baltimoreans. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded a $1.25 million grant to support the project, initiated by Adams.

Installation view of Derrick Adams: I Can Show You Better Than I Can Tell You Motion Picture Paintings, 2020-22
The FLAG Art Foundation

He currently has a show at the FLAG Art Foundation in New York. The exhibit features a series of  Motion Picture Paintings that he did from 2020 through 2022. The imagery references they way in which Black actors are represented in film. The exhibit will run through March 11, 2023.

Adams was commissioned to create works for the concourse space of New York’s Penn Station. The exhibit,  titled The City Is My Refuge opened on January 19th and will be on display through June 2023. It is the latest in the Art in Amtrak series, which showcases the works of contemporary artists from around the U.S.

Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Derrick Adams at Surovek Gallery.