Witnessing Humanity: My Experience at the John Wilson Exhibit at the MFA Boston
Walking into the Museum of Fine Arts Boston for “Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson” was a deeply moving experience. As someone who admires artists who fuse social consciousness with emotional depth, I found myself quietly in awe throughout this thoughtfully curated retrospective. This is the largest exhibition of Wilson’s work to date, featuring over 100 pieces spanning drawings, prints, paintings, sculpture, and more. It runs through June 22, 2025, and I genuinely can’t recommend it enough.
A Boston Legacy
What struck me first was how much of Wilson’s story is rooted right here in Boston. Born in Roxbury in 1922 to immigrants from British Guiana, Wilson grew up in a working-class Black neighborhood and later won a scholarship to study at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. He eventually went on to teach at Boston University for over two decades. This isn’t just a retrospective—it’s a celebration of someone who shaped and was shaped by this city.
The emotional gravity of Wilson’s work is undeniable. Pieces like Deliver Us from Evil (1943), which juxtaposes images of Nazi horror with racial violence in America, and Streetcar Scene (1945), which explores the psychological weight of segregation, left me speechless. These works are not just about history—they’re about our present too. The way Wilson confronted injustice without losing sight of dignity and beauty was something I deeply resonated with.
One of my favorite aspects of the exhibit was the emphasis on Black family life, love, and resilience. Works like Father and Child Reading and the Young Americans series stand out for their tenderness. Wilson knew how to capture quiet moments and elevate them into something powerful and universal. There was a warmth to these pieces that balanced the more complex themes in his work.
The exhibit featured a reading section, tables, and seating where visitors could look over books that John contributed to. I took the time to view some of these materials and read them to understand John’s viewpoints and thoughts. I loved this section because it gave visitors a moment to process the heavy exhibit.
Community Reflections
I was also inspired by how the MFA involved the community in this exhibition. Through the Table of Voices initiative, the museum collaborated with local artists, educators, and historians to bring more depth and relevance to the experience. Boston University students contributed a comic anthology in response to Wilson’s art, and that younger generational voice added something vibrant and fresh. There are video aspects to the exhibit where people talked about his legacy, and you felt the weight of what his work did for the black community in Boston and beyond. Seeing people’s physical reactions really made this exhibit stay in my thoughts long after I left.
Seeing this exhibit reminded me why art matters. John Wilson used his gifts to witness, to challenge, and to uplift. His work doesn’t shout—it speaks directly to your heart and asks you to feel, to reflect, and to act.
If you’re in or near Boston, don’t miss this exhibition. Reserve your timed-entry tickets through the MFA’s website and give yourself plenty of time to absorb the stories told through Wilson’s incredible work. I left feeling fuller—more informed, more connected, and more inspired.
John Wilson showed us that art can be activism, history, and healing all at once.
And for that, I’m incredibly grateful.
<3 Ann
