1978 – Guyanese Artist Denis Williams Opens African Art Exhibit in Lagos

On May 19, 1978, Guyanese archaeologist, painter, and novelist Denis Williams opened a groundbreaking African art exhibit in Lagos, Nigeria, showcasing cultural continuity between Africa and the Caribbean. The exhibition was part of his work with Nigeria’s Federal Department of Antiquities, where he promoted cross-continental Black artistic collaboration. Williams\’ work connected the ancient Nok civilization of Nigeria with Caribbean aesthetics and modernism. The exhibit helped elevate African diaspora art as academically and culturally serious, not just folk or colonial curiosity. His interdisciplinary work shaped how African and diaspora art is curated globally today. This date highlights how Caribbean intellectuals have contributed to African cultural revival and museum studies, reshaping narratives about art, ancestry, and identity.