Yesterday, today and tomorrow

“When I heard about this project, I immediately wanted to take part. [The Black Futures Series] aligns well with my own ethos, and I believe my gift of showing the value in everyone’s voices—especially Black voices—will give this archive the life it deserves.” —Asa Featherstone, IV

Together with community partner organizations ArtWorks, Cincy Nice, OhioDance, the Robert O’Neal Multicultural Arts Center, and WordPlay Cincy, the Cincinnati Art Museum commissioned Cincinnati-based artist Asa Featherstone, IV to create a durable historical record of the Black Futures Series. Featherstone’s artist book, Yesterday, today and tomorrow, presents his photographic archive, interviews, and reflections on the ephemeral conversations and creative happenings that comprised the series.

The Black Futures Series Archive, which takes form as Featherstone’s book, is both a part of and a documentation of the Black Futures Series. The ideas that animated the series—shared goals and ethical commitments to mentorship, to creating platforms for and about Black artists, and especially, to forming the archives necessary to write Black art history—were central guiding principles to the archive project. Upon publication in September 2022, the museum furnished the book to local participants in the series as well as to libraries, museums, and archives across the country.

About Asa Featherstone, IV

Asa Featherstone, IV makes documentary images that prioritize showing the value in everyday people. His work is made with honesty, care, and looks to highlight the stories and shared experiences that make us human.

Featherstone’s work has appeared in publications including TIME Magazine and Bloomberg Businessweek, and he has worked with or exhibited artwork at venues including Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) Denver, Wavepool Gallery, and the Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati.

Asa Featherstone, IV, Untitled, 2022, © Asa Featherstone, IV