Brooklyn Talks: Bisa Butler and Barbara Bullard

Twenty years after her death, reflect on the legacy of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (1924–2005) in a conversation with artist Bisa Butler and creative entrepreneur and cultural producer Barbara Bullard. Butler, whose portrait of Chisholm is featured in Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art, is a textile artist known for her vibrant, larger-than-life quilted portraits. Bullard is the president of the Shirley Chisholm Cultural Institute, founded in 1977 to preserve Chisholm’s legacy through initiatives from her influential career in public service. Their conversation is moderated by Stephanie Sparling Williams, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of American Art at the Brooklyn Museum.

Tickets are $25 and include after-hours access to Toward Joy: New Frameworks for American Art. Member tickets are $15 and include light refreshments before the program (6:15–6:45 pm). Not a Member? Join today!

This program will include ASL interpretation. For accessibility accommodations, email us at access@brooklynmuseum.org.

Image caption and credit: Bisa Butler. Bring a Folding Chair: A Portrait of Shirley Chisholm, 2024. Cotton, silk, wool, polyester, vinyl. © and courtesy of the artist.