Conjur 2025 Honorees. From left: Reginald Van Lee, Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, Titus Kaphar, Lola C. West. Marline,
CONJUR 2026: A Masked Affair brings together artists, collectors, patrons, and cultural leaders for an elegant evening of celebration, creativity, and community.
More than a gala, CONJUR is an opportunity to invest in the Romare Bearden Foundation's mission — honoring the enduring legacy of Romare Bearden while expanding its impact for future generations through arts education, cultural programming, and artist support initiatives.
As we prepare for this year’s event, we are seeking sponsors, gala table hosts, and commemorative journal advertisers whose support will help ensure the success of this important celebration of celebration.
Peg Alston
Patron of the Arts Award
For more than five decades, Peg Alston has championed African American artists and artists of African descent through Peg Alston Fine Arts. A pioneering dealer, educator, and advocate, she has helped cultivate generations of collectors while expanding recognition for both historic masters and leading contemporary artists. Mentored early in her career by Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis, Alston has played an enduring role in advancing Black art as an essential part of American culture.
Claude Grunitzky
Global Visionary Award
Claude Grunitzky is an entrepreneur, investor, and cultural innovator whose work bridges continents, industries, and ideas. A partner at the Equity Alliance, he previously founded the influential media ventures TRACE and TRUE Africa, creating global platforms centered on Black culture and creativity. Raised across Africa, Europe, and the United States, Grunitzky brings a deeply transcultural perspective to his work. He also serves as a trustee of MoMA PS1 and MASS MoCA and chairs the Catharsis Arts Foundation.
Howardena Pindell
Artistic Legacy Award
Howardena Pindell is a pioneering artist, educator, curator, and activist whose groundbreaking practice spans more than six decades. Working across painting, collage, drawing, and film, she has expanded the possibilities of abstraction while confronting racism, sexism, memory, identity, and social justice. A former curator at the Museum of Modern Art and co-founder of A.I.R. Gallery, Pindell has been the subject of major museum exhibitions worldwide, and her work is held in leading international collections.