Willie Birch: Stories to Tell — CAAM

Willie Birch’s “Stories to Tell” opened at the California African American Museum on May 5 and runs through Oct. 21, 2026, according to the museum. CAAM describes the show as the first career retrospective of the New Orleans-born artist, bringing together works from 1968 to the present. The exhibition centers on Birch’s long-running focus on Black American life and on what the museum calls the interconnected nature of global art forms. ### What is CAAM showing in “Stories to Tell”? CAAM says the exhibition spans nearly six decades of Birch’s work, from the late 1960s to the present. The museum’s exhibition page says the show includes large-scale drawings and mixed-media works that track Birch’s visual language across different periods of his career. The American Federation of Arts, which also lists the exhibition, says the retrospective chronicles Birch’s vision of the Black American experience. (caamuseum.org) Discover Los Angeles, in a summer museums guide published last week, described the show as a career retrospective of the artist’s work dating from the late 1960s to the present day. ### Who is Willie Birch, and how does the museum describe his work? (caamuseum.org) Willie Birch was born in 1942, according to the American Federation of Arts. CAAM says Birch was born and raised in New Orleans and trained in Europe, Baltimore and New York, details the museum uses to frame the range of influences behind the work on view. CAAM says Birch often speaks about “retentions,” a term the museum describes as evidence of one culture’s narratives and traditions within another. (amfedarts.org) That idea appears in the museum’s presentation of the exhibition as a throughline linking Birch’s depictions of community life with broader histories of migration, memory and artistic exchange. ### How long is the exhibition on view in Los Angeles? (amfedarts.org) CAAM lists “Willie Birch: Stories to Tell” as running from May 5 through Oct. 21, 2026. The museum’s exhibitions page includes the show among its current 2026 slate, and Discover Los Angeles separately lists it as continuing through Oct. 21. The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs also lists the exhibition and shows scheduled viewing dates in July. (caamuseum.org) That listing describes the show as the first-ever career retrospective of Birch and repeats the museum’s summary of works from 1968 to the present. ### Are there related events tied to the exhibition? CAAM held an opening-season conversation with Willie Birch and Russell Lord, according to the museum’s program page. (caamuseum.org) The event page says the talk was presented to mark the opening of “Willie Birch: Stories to Tell” and again described the show as the first career retrospective of the artist. (culture.lacity.gov) CAAM’s current programs calendar also lists “CAAM Creates: Willie Birch: Stories to Tell” for Saturday, July 25, 2026, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The museum says the program will pair a guided walkthrough of the exhibition with a hands-on workshop led by gallery guides. ### Where can visitors check details before going? CAAM’s exhibition page carries the core visitor information for “Willie Birch: Stories to Tell,” including the dates and museum context. (caamuseum.org) Discover Los Angeles also includes the exhibition in its museum events coverage and directs readers to current visitor planning information. CAAM says the exhibition remains on view through Oct. 21, 2026, and the museum’s programs page lists the July 25 workshop as the next named public event tied to the show. (caamuseum.org) Visitors can use those museum pages to confirm hours and program details before arriving. (caamuseum.org)