You probably know that Jay-Z is a respected art collector. Or that Siwzz Beatz and Alicia Keys are power players in the art world, too. You might have heard of Amy Sherald, who did Michelle Obama’s portrait, or perhaps Kehinde Wiley, who painted her husband’s presidential portrait. And while there is a thriving galaxy of Black artists doing fantastic work––and a growing base of Black collectors willing and able to spend big bucks on work by Black artists––the art word is still very white; a 2019 study found that 85 percent of the artists in the world’s biggest museums were white (and 87 percent male), with art fairs and galleries nott faring much better. 

Husband-and-wife duo Sol and Jennia Aponte are working to change that. “Part of our program involves not only amplifying the voices of contemporary artists,” Sol tells BET.com, “but being that glue to give collectors and future collectors and art enthusiasts access to experience art.” 

Through their platform, Art Melanted, the Los Angeles-based couple curates gallery exhibitions and art experiences that bring together Black artists, collectors, buyers, and individuals looking to experience a grown-up, sophisticated environment. Their most recent exhibition, “Children of the Sun,” took place at the prestigious Sotheby’s art and auction house, one of the world's top luxury brokerage houses. “Children of the Sun” featured a mix of well-known, up-and-coming, and some lesser-known visual artists, all of whom contributed works that incorporated children in their pieces. “The deeper narrative is about uncovering and exploring our deeper traumas and issues that show up later in life. So this is about going back to that inner child to find healing.” 

Among the works in the Sotheby’s exhibit are pieces by the celebrated painter Calida Rawls, who specializes in images of Black people floating in bodies of water; work by Brandon Deener; portraits by Kevin A. Williams, who has subjects pose with bronze sculptures of Benin; and even Jennia herself. The exhibit concludes in Los Angeles on April 25 but, as with their other exhibitions, will soon travel to various cities. In the past, the duo has hosted events in cities such as Miami, Memphis, and Atlanta, where they curated a celebration of Stevie Wonder. Whereas typical gallery openings and exhibitions can be narrowly focused on sales, the Aponte’s vision for Art Melanted is bigger; they aim to make money, sure, but their broader aim is to make the experience of viewing art, participating in the art scene, and collecting equitable and accessible. “The last thing we want is for people to walk into our space and not feel welcome,” Sol says. “We have people walking in just for the drinks on opening night and the culture and the vibes, and there's no pressure to buy anything. It’s really community-oriented and community-driven.” Adds Jennia: “'I think we've outgrown clubs too. Our peers want to go somewhere fly and cool, and it's a fashion scene as well, which adds to how fun it is.” 

Both say that, despite the underrepresentation of Black voices in the art space and perceptions of exclusion, Sotheby’s was welcoming and super supportive of their exhibition and overall vision. “They've been really good partners. It's been a really good experience, and we look to do more with them,” Sol says. Up next, the Apontes will continue to curate more exhibitions and work in the film space; in fact, it was their work on a documentary that inspired them to become players in the art world in the first place. As they worked on their docuseries, “Anatomy of Black Art,” for Revolt, they discovered that there was much more to uncover and discuss, and many more artists to feature. They began curating exhibitions to continue pushing Black artists to the forefront. 

“We are the culture,” says Sol. “And so here we are in what I feel like is this last frontier of our artistry and creativity in the visual art space. There's so much freedom there. There are no rules. However, there weren't too many avenues for us to get our work out there. We heard so many stories of folks from our community that had dollars to spend on art, but when you go into these establishments, we're not welcome. It doesn't feel inviting. So we just thought, ‘You know what? Let's create it.’”

Sol and Jennia Aponte’s “Children of the Sun” in partnership with Sotheby’s Beverly Hills, runs through April 25th; the exhibition will travel to other cities soon.