Picture this: A novel that feels like an intense unraveling and warm embrace all at once; a life-altering theater production that gives you the opportunity to witness a human experience you’ve yet to articulate for yourself until that very moment; a dance performance that moves you to tears or ignites a passion within that is so electrifying you can’t help but move your body with joy. Art moves life forward. It flows through our veins and brings us to new understandings about ourselves and others, and its stewards hold a significant responsibility and gift all at once.
For over 80 years, EBONY has intimately known the power of an image, of representation, of a piece of art. Deliberately platforming global political figures, starlets highlighting Black beauty on the silver screen, positive examples of notable Black relationships, and Black innovators amongst their fields, EBONY has accounted for Black life through all areas of media, art, and entertainment. Art, across mediums, has always been integral in changing the status quo, centering humanity, demanding dignity, and uniting perspectives. Artists, and particularly Black artists, contextualize the times through their work, making the world around us a more nuanced and ideally accepting place to exist.
Understanding this impact, the EBONY Power 100 Artist in Residence List celebrates gifted and influential artists whose work pushes life and change forward. These honorees have dedicated a majority of their lives to their artistic pursuits, relentlessly working on their crafts and carving their points of view. Answering the gravitational pull of their artistic purpose, their devotion has brought us visions of Black identities that contribute to the construction and documentation of our narratives on our terms.
This cohort of visionaries are Pulitzer Prize, Tony, Golden Globe, Emmy, and NAACP Awards winners, McArthur Genius Fellows, Time 100 and NYT Best Seller listees, Primetime Emmy nominees, plus lifetimes’ worth of titles more. Above all they are Black artists with immeasurable talents whose works will forever contribute to the African American and global Black experience.
From preservationists of seminal works, to powerful storytellers and curators, they demonstrate that protecting art for artists and audiences to come is as important as the creation of art itself. We look to stewards of both institutions and material cultures such as Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, the co-administrators of The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat and curators of the monumental King Pleasure Exhibit keeping their late brother’s legacy alive; Robert Garland and Anna Glass, the relentlessly passionate leaders of the Dance Theater of Harlem ensuring that it continues to thrive and provide opportunities for its community; and Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats, jointly known as the Deans, causing ripples in the fine art world and shifting how we as the general public are able to access and experience art.
We also look at the performers engaging in one of the oldest and most sacred artistic traditions: channeling their bodies as vessels of art, honing their physical talents through dance, song, and theater. Debbie Allen, one of the most influential, truest examples of a “multi-hyphenate” artist and a living legend among the African American artistic tradition, has and continues to shape Black American entertainment on stage and screen. Charm La’Donna, whose talents poured out of her before she even reached grade school, is one of the most in-demand choreographers for modern pop culture performances today. Joshua Henry will be etched in the theater world’s history as the man who nurtured his dream and inspired those after him to do so as well. More than performers, they inspire audiences to move, create, and tap into the full spectrum of human emotions.
And when media has been and continues to be a powerful tool to manipulate the masses, artists whose mediums span across mixed media, photography, and literature know how important it is to wield the power of the narrative. We celebrate the authors and visual artists documenting Black life in dignified, complex, and artful lights such as Tayari Jones, NYT Bestseller and author of Kin conjuring up characters with a well of depth, Adam Garrett Davis whose photography documents life across diverse communities and subcultures through the Black Magic Project, Rashid Johnson, the multidisciplinary artist who recontextualizes narratives of identity with a critical lens, and Colson Whitehead, the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who constructs entire empires with his words.
In a world where our access to art— and our attention spans — are dwindling, these artists demand our attention, challenge our world views, and create pathways of connection. It is with immense joy that EBONY presents them and their work within the 2026 EBONY Power 100 List.