Derrick Adams, a 55-year-old Baltimore native who has become one of the most celebrated visual artists working today, continues to split his time between Brooklyn, New York, and his hometown while building an impressive international career. His brilliantly colorful paintings and affecting portraits of Black life have attracted attention from major museums, art collectors, and celebrities including Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, and Alicia Keys.
Adams recently found himself at the center of attention during a fall evening at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery, where attendees immediately recognized the featured artist mingling among them. A smiling, gray-haired woman approached Adams to thank him for lending his 2021 mixed-media work "Fixing My Face," which honors philosopher W.E.B. Du Bois, to the exhibit. This scene represents the kind of recognition Adams has grown accustomed to as his career continues to reach new heights.
The multidisciplinary artist's achievements keep mounting each year, with 2026 set to bring even more milestones. Adams' debut art book was published just weeks ago, while "View Master," a comprehensive exhibition showcasing his works from the past two decades, is scheduled to open at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston this April. Despite these major career developments, Adams' heart remains firmly rooted in Baltimore, where he has dedicated himself to uplifting the local creative community.
Adams' commitment to Baltimore often surprises his New York friends. He frequently leaves his own events early to catch late southbound Amtrak trains back to his hometown. "My friends here are like, 'Why are you going to Baltimore again?'" Adams explained during a recent happy hour interview in New York's Chelsea neighborhood. "As I started to become more established, I realized there are so many different things happening that I needed to take advantage of in order to help what I'm doing in Baltimore."
When Adams advocates for Baltimore's prominence in the art world, his words carry significant weight within the industry. His works hang in prestigious museums nationwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He has exhibited internationally in cities like Seoul, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. While best known for his paintings and collage work, Adams also practices sculpture, photography, video, and performance art.
Adams has created large-scale installations that have captured public attention, including 2023's "The City Is My Refuge," where his trademark geometric, collage-like faces greeted train riders at New York's Penn Station. His 2024 work "Only Happy Thoughts" demonstrates his mastery of acrylic and fabric collage techniques. The New York Times has consistently praised his work, naming his 2023 show at the Flag Art Foundation a Critics' Pick and noting "a new level of maturity and ambition in his already distinguished art, with its layered view of Black life and culture in America."
Adams' new monograph, described as a sublime pink coffee-table tome, explores the artist's evolution across 150 works. The book showcases sumptuous slices of American Black life that capture the development of Adams' unique visual language, delightfully blending his formal technique with Cubist, pop-art, and pop-culture influences. His decision to focus on depicting everyday life and leisure represents a deliberate artistic choice, as Adams has no interest in creating more images of Black pain and oppression.
"That never gave me anything," Adams explained. "My work was never pushing against something else. My work was more centering what I wanted to talk about." Maryland First Lady Dawn Moore, an arts enthusiast, believes Adams' work is exactly "what our community needs." Adams loaned his famous "Floaters" series to the first family, and nine swimming pool paintings from the collection now hang in their home.
The "Floaters" series represents some of Adams' most beloved pieces, featuring radiant scenes of untroubled men, women, and children lounging on inflatable pool toys shaped like sprinkled donuts, flamingos, and other playful objects. The series also serves to subvert the harmful stereotype that Black people don't know how to swim. "I love that it's showing us in this recreational way and inspiring people to want to maybe even jump in the water, learn to swim and learn to be joyful in the water," Moore said. "It's just a beautiful piece."
As Adams' global profile continues to expand, his primary focus remains on Baltimore through his nonprofit foundation, Charm City Cultural Cultivation, headquartered on Greenmount Avenue. The foundation operates several ambitious, arts-focused initiatives designed to support emerging artists and highlight both local and visiting creatives. Core programs include The Last Resort Artist Retreat, a residency program; the Black Baltimore Digital Database, an archival initiative; and Zoras Den, which specifically supports Black women writers.
Chicago artist Eric January, who completed a four-week stay at the retreat, spoke enthusiastically about his experience. "I was so inspired by being in the space," January said. "I ended up creating so much, just being captivated from that energy and from my cohort." The invitation-only program welcomes a rotating cast of Black artists, ensuring that at least one person per class comes from Baltimore.
Adams believes Baltimore currently has more young, enthusiastic artists than ever before, but they need proper support systems to thrive. His nonprofit's work specifically aims to fill these gaps in the local arts ecosystem. "We gotta keep that smoke, keep that steam. You've gotta keep that joy of being here," Adams said during a recent visit to Baltimore. "And the only way you're going to do it is by giving them some source of support that is non-transactional."
While Adams clearly loves Baltimore, he also recognized early in his career that he needed to leave the city temporarily to pursue his artistic ambitions. Growing up in Park Heights during the 1970s, he demonstrated creativity from an early age. At just nine years old, he won a citywide student art contest, earning the honor of having his drawing of a Black family playing together in their living room displayed on a City Hall wall.
College brought Adams to New York, where he graduated from the Pratt Institute in 1996. He then became a gallerist at Chelsea's pioneering Rush Arts Gallery, founded by the famous Simmons brothers: Russell of Def Jam, Joseph of Run-D.M.C., and Danny, an abstract painter—all of whom are Adams' cousins. At Rush Arts Gallery, Adams exclusively showed Black artists and cultivated a community that prioritized marginalized voices.
Tony Shore, an artist and professor at Maryland Institute College of Art, believes the impact of Adams' time at Rush Arts Gallery continues to resonate today. "In the past 15 years, there's been a real uptick and appreciation for Black artists and an attempt to try and correct so many wrongs that have been done in the past by overlooking them," Shore explained. "A large part of that happening in the art world could be attributed to some of the things that Derrick has done."
Adams has expanded his influence through unexpected collaborations and partnerships. In 2021, he worked with Jay-Z on a non-fungible token that sold for $139,000 during the height of the crypto trend. Tiffany & Co. commissioned an Adams painting, which led the luxury jewelry brand to donate funds to the Baltimore retreat. More recently, cannabis brand Gotham sold licensed merchandise based on Adams' art, while his fall Marc Jacobs collaboration produced Converse sneakers, a leather shoulder bag, and other fashion items.
For Adams, these brand partnerships serve a specific purpose beyond artistic expression. "I have no other reason to join forces outside of my studio practice—because I don't need to do it—other than thinking about how to leverage my presence, my so-called brand, to benefit Baltimore," he explained. These collaborations provide crucial funding that directly supports his nonprofit efforts in his hometown.
Adams' commitment to Baltimore extends far beyond rhetoric, as demonstrated by his continued hands-on involvement in local projects. He has spearheaded the public art project "Inviting Light" in Station North and co-curated Artscape's recent Scout Art Fair. Additionally, he co-owns the beloved dive bar Mount Royal Tavern, which regularly exhibits local artists' work, providing another platform for emerging Baltimore talent.
Suzi Cordish, whose Live! Casino art collection includes pieces by renowned artists like Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol, recently purchased Adams' "Feet Don't Fail Me Now," a Wonderful Wizard of Oz-inspired acrylic painting featuring feet in silver shoes. The work is punctuated by the onomatopoeia "Click Clack," exemplifying Adams' playful yet masterful artistic touch. Cordish was particularly impressed by Adams' personal involvement in the installation process.
"He wanted to be very involved in the installation—in its height, its placement," Cordish recalled. "It just meant everything." Adams showed up personally to the Hanover casino for the work's hanging, demonstrating the same hands-on approach that characterizes his commitment to Baltimore and the community his nonprofit builds through workshops, artist discussions, and other intimate events.
Despite the numerous opportunities and accolades that could easily pull him away from Baltimore permanently, Adams remains steadfast in his dedication to his hometown. "I'm just not willing to give up on the vision that I had for the city and what I could offer as a Baltimore-born and -raised person," he said. This unwavering commitment ensures that as Adams' star continues to rise in the international art world, Baltimore will continue to benefit from his success and expertise.
