Today is the opening of the exhibition, Melvin Edwards: Crossroads, on view through July 5. This exhibition, presented by The Helis Foundation and organized by The Baltimore Museum of Art, examines the formal, familial and conceptual affinities between Edwards’ work that of African artists and artisans. As the country’s leading abstract sculptor, Edwards’ has influenced generations of artistic giants with profound political commitment and innovative formal genius. By highlighting the African roots of Edwards’ dynamic, muscular abstraction, this exhibition seeks to reframe the history of modern American art by showcasing the profound impact of Africa on American creativity.

Image: Melvin Edwards. Wayou Tugge (detail). 2014. Courtesy the artist and Alexander Gray Associates, New York; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. © Melvin Edwards/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York