{{Short description|Private art collection}} [[File:SwizzBeatzAliciaKeys-byPhilipRomano.jpg|thumb|271x271px|Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys.]] '''The Dean Collection''' is a private art collection held by singer-songwriter [[Alicia Keys]] and producer [[Kasseem Dean]] (Swizz Beats).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Regan |first=Sheila |date=2025-03-11 |title=Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys share collection of Black art with Mia |url=http://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2025/03/music-icons-swizz-beatz-and-alicia-keys-share-their-collection-of-black-art-with-mia/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=MinnPost |language=en-US}}</ref> As of 2024, the collection was a "total assemblage of more than 1,000 pieces, worth millions of dollars."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Reid |first=Shaheem |date=2024-09-17 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Host an Elegant Opening-Night Gala for Their Art Exhibition in Atlanta |url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/alicia-keys-swizz-beatz-art-exhibition-atlanta-1236146753/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
Firstly curated and shown by the [[Brooklyn Museum]] in 2024, the Dean Collection has since shown in numerous other venues in the [[United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Living |first=Artful |date=2025-03-07 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Light Up Mia with Their Mesmerizing Art Collection |url=https://artfulliving.com/alicia-keys-swizz-beatz-art-exhibition-mia-minneapolis/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Artful Living Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Dustin |date=2025-03-08 |title='Giants' brings the provocative, exciting collection of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beats to the Mia |url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/giants-brings-the-provocative-exciting-collection-of-alicia-keys-and-swizz-beats-to-the-mia |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Bring Me The News |language=en}}</ref> The traveling collection, titled ''Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beats and Alicia Keys'', contains nearly a hundred pieces by around forty artists from the Black diaspora including [[Gordon Parks]], [[Nick Cave (artist)|Nick Cave]], [[Kwame Brathwaite]], [[Arthur Jafa]], [[Deborah Roberts (visual artist)|Deborah Roberts]], [[Amy Sherald]], [[Kehinde Wiley]], and many others.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-16 |title=HIGH MUSEUM OF ART TO PRESENTS, GIANTS: ART FROM THE DEAN COLLECTION OF SWIZZ BEATZ AND ALICIA KEYS |url=https://www.blackartinamerica.com/blogs/news/giants-art-from-the-dean-collection-of-swizz-beatz-and-alicia-keys |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Black Art In America™ Gallery & Gardens |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bloomquist |first=Madison |date=2025-03-03 |title=Giants, with Art from Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz’s Collection, Opens at Mia |url=https://mspmag.com/api/content/7fbb21fe-ee24-11ef-b0d0-12163087a831/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Mpls.St.Paul Magazine |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Living |first=Artful |date=2025-03-07 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Light Up Mia with Their Mesmerizing Art Collection |url=https://artfulliving.com/alicia-keys-swizz-beatz-art-exhibition-mia-minneapolis/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Artful Living Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> It is scheduled to tour internationally through to 2030.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Paul |first=Larisha |date=2024-06-20 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Are Sending Their 'Giants' Art Collection on a Global Museum Tour |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/alicia-keys-swizz-beatz-museum-tour-1235043476/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>
== History == The Dean Collection was founded by Keys and Dean in 2014 in order to "raise the public's awareness of the artistry within Black communities." Both "art lovers," Dean stated that he and Keys began their collection because "there's not enough people of color collecting artists of color."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shabazz |first=Courtesy of Jamel |date=2025-03-06 |title=GIANTS: ART FROM THE DEAN OF SWIZZ BEATZ AND ALICIA KEYS |url=https://www.insightnews.com/aesthetics/arts_and_entertainment/giants-art-from-the-dean-of-swizz-beatz-and-alicia-keys/article_3ea23292-fad7-11ef-a0df-2b5035963a5a.html |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Insight News |language=en}}</ref> Though the collection mostly consists of [[African Americans|African American]] artists, it also includes artists based in [[Africa]], as well as diasporic artists working in [[Europe]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-02-07 |title=Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys Show ‘Giants’ in Brooklyn (Published 2024) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/07/arts/design/giants-swizz-beatz-alicia-keys-brooklyn.html |access-date=2025-08-05 |language=en}}</ref> It is also the largest private collection of Parks photographs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seth |first=Kenisha |date=2021 |title=Celebrating “Giant” through The Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the Brooklyn Museum |url=https://www.photobookmagazine.com/features/2024/5/12/celebrating-giant-through-the-dean-collection-of-swizz-beatz-and-alecia-keys-at-the-brooklyn-museum |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=PhotoBook Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
In February 2024, Kimberli Gant, the Brooklyn Museum's Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Indira A. Abiskaroon, Curatorial Assistant of Modern and Contemporary Art, arranged an exhibition curated from the Dean Collection which was then shown in the museum's Great Hall for a limited time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Inman |first=DeMicia |date=2024-09-17 |title=Alicia Keys And Swizz Beatz Debut ‘Giants’ Exhibit In Atlanta |url=https://www.vibe.com/gallery/alicia-keys-swizz-beatz-giants-exhibit-atlanta-1234923301/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=VIBE.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Adrian-Diaz |first=Jenna |date=2024-02-09 |title=The Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’ Art Comes to Brooklyn |url=https://www.surfacemag.com/articles/the-dean-collection-swizz-beatz-alicia-keys-brooklyn-museum/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=SURFACE |language=en-US}}</ref> The curation consists of nearly a hundred pieces.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Online |first=Aria Binns-Zager, MSR News |date=2025-02-06 |title=Minneapolis Institute of Art hosts GIANTS exhibition |url=https://spokesman-recorder.com/2025/02/06/minneapolis-institute-art-swizz-beatz-alicia-keys/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Desmond |first=Declan |date=2024-12-08 |title='Giants' art exhibit coming to Mia, courtesy of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz |url=https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/giants-art-exhibit-coming-to-mia-courtesy-of-alicia-keys-and-swizz-beatz |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Bring Me The News |language=en}}</ref>
In September 2024, the Dean Collection moved to the [[High Museum of Art]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Washington |first=Noah |date=2024-09-15 |title=‘Giants: Art from Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz Collection brings Black artistic legacy to Atlanta |url=https://theatlantavoice.com/swizz-beatz-alicia-keys-art-exhibition/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=The Atlanta Voice |language=en-US}}</ref> A gala was held, with Keys and Dean in attendance, on its opening night on September 13.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garbus |first=Rachel |date=2024-09-17 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz celebrate the opening of the new Giants exhibit at the High |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/alicia-keys-and-swizz-beatz-celebrate-the-opening-of-the-new-giants-exhibit-at-the-high/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Atlanta Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
In early 2025, the Dean Collection was moved to the [[Minneapolis Institute of Art]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eler |first=Alicia |date=2025-03-04 |title=Five things to know about Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz’s ‘Giants’ show at Minneapolis Institute of Art |url=https://www.startribune.com/alicia-keys-and-swizz-beatz-bring-art-to-minneapolis/601230599 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=www.startribune.com |language=en}}</ref> Similar to its previous showing, an opening party was held.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Preston |first=Rohan |date=2025-03-08 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz attend ‘next level’ opening party for ‘Giants’ exhibit at Mia |url=https://www.startribune.com/girl-on-fire-superstar-alicia-keys-and-husband-swizz-beatz-bring-glamor-and-heat-to-mia-for-giants/601232765 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=www.startribune.com |language=en}}</ref> The ensuing exhibition featured a collaboration with Public Functionary, a [[Northeast, Minneapolis|Northeast Minneapolis]] arts program, through a five-week series organized around the theme of "Giants."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Living |first=Artful |date=2025-03-07 |title=Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz Light Up Mia with Their Mesmerizing Art Collection |url=https://artfulliving.com/alicia-keys-swizz-beatz-art-exhibition-mia-minneapolis/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Artful Living Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
On November 22, 2025, the 'Giants' exhibit opened at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, VA. It will stay at the VMFA until March 1, 2026. <ref>https://www.vmfa.museum/exhibitions/giants-art-from-the-dean-collection-of-swizz-beatz-and-alicia-keys</ref>
== Exhibitions ==
* [[Brooklyn Museum]], February 10–July 7, 2024<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodson |first=Jewels |date=2024-02-09 |title=Inside Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’s Collection at the Brooklyn Museum |url=https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-inside-swizz-beatz-alicia-keyss-collection-brooklyn-museum |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Artsy |language=en}}</ref> * [[High Museum of Art]], September 14, 2025–January 19, 2025<ref name=":2" /> * [[Minneapolis Institute of Art]], March 8–July 13, 2025<ref>{{Cite web |last=Online |first=MSR News |date=2024-12-30 |title=Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys' collection showcased in Mia's upcoming exhibition |url=https://spokesman-recorder.com/2024/12/30/black-art-giants-minneapolis/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dean Collection}} [[Category:Art collections]]