Point Comfort Art Fair + Show

Hampton Art Lovers presents the 2025 Point Comfort Art Fair + Show, an expansive cultural experience hosted at the Historic Ward Rooming House & Gardens in Historic Overtown, Miami. Coinciding with Miami Art Week, Art Basel, and Soul Basel, the Fair celebrates African-American creativity through contemporary art, historic works, music, cultural dialogue, and community engagement.

Presented with support from: City of Miami Southeast Overtown/Park West CRA, Simkins Family Foundation, Art of Black (GMCVB), 100 Black Men of Florida, MDEAT, FIU Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab, E11EVEN Vodka, and Duke + Dame Whiskey.

Point Comfort unfolds through three defining pillars that shape a multilayered cultural experience.

Held beneath an expansive 80×40-foot pavilion in the Lois Mailou Jones Patio & Gardens, the Art Fair showcases contemporary African-American artists whose work responds to the 2025 theme: Life & Times of Frederick Douglass.

2025 Art Fair Pavilion Artists:
Carl E. Moore, Tasanee Durrett, Tiffani Glenn, Chris Clark, Brandon Clarke, Benford Stellmacher, Phillip Shung, Judy Bowman, Milton Mizell, Basil Watson, Hassan Paige and Ronda Brown.

Presented inside the Historic Ward Rooming House Gallery, the Art Show is the museum-quality centerpiece of Point Comfort. For 2025, it features two major exhibitions that explore historical memory, generational storytelling, and African-American resilience.

Featuring the Art of Alvin C. Hollingsworth & Others

Frederick Douglass is widely regarded as the Prophet of Freedom—a visionary whose truth-telling, moral clarity, and unyielding pursuit of justice reshaped the conscience of a nation. This exhibition reflects the generational impact of his prophetic voice.

Anchoring the exhibition is Alvin C. Hollingsworth’s transformative 1970 Prophet Series, radiating themes of illumination, liberation, and spiritual resilience. Complementing Hollingsworth is the iconic figurative dynamism of Ernie Barnes, whose elongated forms and expressive movement affirm the vitality and grace of Black life.

The exhibition expands its exploration of prophetic leadership with two additional historic masterworks:

• Charles White, Lincoln — A monumental portrayal by one of America’s greatest draftsmen, symbolizing democracy’s moral struggle and the ongoing pursuit of freedom.

• John Biggers, The Contribution of the Negro Woman to American Life and Education — A profound narrative honoring Black women as cultural bearers, educators, and foundational architects of American progress.

Together, these works explore prophecy, leadership, cultural memory, and the enduring legacy of Frederick Douglass—the nation’s true Prophet of Freedom.

Featuring the Art of Alonzo Adams & Kyle Adams (Father & Son)

This landmark multi-generational exhibition is presented exclusively inside the Ward Rooming House Gallery. Alonzo Adams, known for emotional, narrative-rich portraiture, and Kyle Adams, whose contemporary experimentation expands the visual language of Black identity, create an intergenerational conversation on heritage, lineage, creativity, and cultural evolution.

Derived from the Swahili word “indaba,” meaning “a meeting of great minds,” the Indaba Lounge Series transforms the gardens into a vibrant cultural salon alive with music, conversation, fellowship, and community programming. It serves as the rhythmic and intellectual center of the Fair.

Frederick Douglass—abolitionist, statesman, author, and the most photographed American of the 19th century—is widely known as the Prophet of Freedom. His 1861 lecture “Pictures and Progress” argued that images could shape identity, challenge stereotypes, and advance justice.

“Poets, prophets, and reformers are all picture makers — and this ability is the secret of their power and achievements.” — Frederick Douglass, 1861

The 2025 Fair explores how art, representation, and visual storytelling remain central to liberation and social transformation.

The Fair’s name references Point Comfort, Virginia, where the first Africans from the Kingdom of Ndongo arrived in 1619. Their resilience forged lasting African-American cultural traditions in artistry, community, spirituality, and innovation.
The Point Comfort Art Fair + Show honors this lineage—transforming historical trauma into creativity and cultural triumph.

Legacy in Color: Hampton University at Art Basel
Preserving the Past. Inspiring the Future.
Pre-View | Private Fundraiser for the Hampton University Museum

Featuring remarks by Dr. Vanessa Thaxton-Ward ’85, Director of the Hampton University Museum.

Spotlight on Hamptonian Artists Exhibiting During Miami Art Week:
Brandon Clarke ’09, Benford Stellmacher ’98, Phillip Shung ’96, Rodney “BUCK” Herring ’95, Ronda Brown ’94, and Hasaan Paige ’92.

Special Collectors’ Offer: First 35 tickets receive a limited edition print by Brandon Clarke ’09; Five AP prints available at $200.

OPENING RECEPTION | THE BLACK PARTY
Sounds curated by Six Millz
Hosted by 100 Black Men of South Florida
Co-hosted by Miami Alumnae Chapter – Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and MDEAT

3:00–4:00 PM — Curator Tour & Discussion (Led by Hampton Art Lovers)
4:00–5:30 PM — Artist Talk | Chris Clark, Brandon Clarke, Hassan Paige & Phil Shung
7:00–10:00 PM — The Legacy Tour
Featuring the Alonzo Adams & Kyle Adams (Father & Son) Legacy Installation
Hosted by Alonzo Mourning (Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Class of 2014)
Sounds curated by Six Millz

4:00–5:30 PM — Artist Talk | Tiffani Glenn, Belkis Gonzalez, Ronda Brown & Tasanee Glenn | Sponsored by Amplify Media
7:00–10:00 PM — Freedom Party - Rare Groove Soundscape | Indaba Lounge Series
Sounds curated by DJ Klassik
Hosted by Zeta Nu Nu Chapter – Omega Psi Phi, Inc. and Co-Hosted by Habesha Hub

Community Day | Indaba Lounge Series 1:00–2:30 PM — Artist Talk | Sponsored by Amplify Media

Built in 1925 by Bahamian master builder Shaddrack Ward and his wife Victoria, the Ward Rooming House served as vital lodging for Black and Native American travelers during segregation. Today it stands as a restored cultural landmark operated by Hampton Art Lovers. The adjacent Lois Mailou Jones Patio & Gardens hosts the Art Fair, and the nearby Overtown Farms (led by Dr. Marvin Dunn) continues local traditions of education and historical preservation.

Staffing & Logistics by Red Nop Management

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Historic Ward Rooming House, 249 Northwest 9th Street, Miami, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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