18 Nov 2025 Boston institutions celebrate the life and works of Allan Rohan Crite
From now until mid-January, the Boston Athenaeum (October 23-January 24) and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (October 23- January 19) will be showcasing the works of Boston artist Allan Rohan Crite (1910-2007). A lifelong resident of Boston’s South End, Crite’s paintings were known for their glorification of everyday life in Boston’s Black community from the 1930s and 40s.
Crite’s works were displayed in the sanctuary of the 1968 addition of St. John St. James’ Ionic Hall in Roxbury, of which HBI continues to work with the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts to rehabilitate. St. John St. James’ fourteen Stations of the Cross are black and white prints that were painted in vibrant colors by Allan Rohan Crite. They were spread evenly around the sanctuary’s perimeter. A larger painting of Jesus, John and James as fisherman, the Prophet Elias, and the Apostle James hung on one of the walls in colorful blues and yellows. They have been safely removed and stored away while project planning continues on the 1804-1968 building.
Of his work, Crite said: “My intention in the neighborhood paintings and some drawings was to show aspects of life in the city with special reference to the use of the terminology “black” people and to present them in an ordinary light, persons enjoying the usual pleasures of life with its mixtures of both sorrow and joys… I was an artist-reporter, recording what I saw.”
Allan Rohan Crite is remembered not only for his work, but for the way he mentored and generously supported Boston’s Black artists. He was known to show up at exhibitions across the city, a constant champion of their talent, fostering a sense of community for Boston’s Black artists.
His first solo show was at the Athenaeum in 1948. Over 75 years later, it makes the perfect venue for a celebration of his work and profound influence across Boston.
Photos are from the co-published catalog, Allan Rohan Crite: Neighborhood Liturgy. Available for purchase at the Athenaeum and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
