Galleries, museums focus on the underrepresented

es to create a space of refuge “away from the visual commotion of internet consumption.”

11 a.m.-4. p.m. Tuesday; 11 a.m.- 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 11 a.m.-4. p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Sept. 18-Dec. 12. Mills College Art Museum, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland. 510-430-2164. mcam. mills.edu

“Amoako Boafo: Soul of Black Folks”:

The first solo museum exhibition by Ghanaian painter Amoako Boafo, known for his combination of calculated brushwork with finger strokes as well as his centering of Black joy and subjectivity in his art, is expected to feature more than 20 works specifically exploring Boafo’s practice as a portrait artist.

The exhibition takes its title from civil rights pioneer W.E.B. Du Bois’ book “The Souls of Black Folk.” Du Bois is buried in the Osu neighborhood of the city of Accra in Ghana, where Boafo grew up.

The Museum of the African Diaspora reopens to members Oct. 20 and the general public Oct. 21, with a free Community Day on Oct. 23.

“Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love”:

The American fashion designer, who brought beauty as well as senses of drama and humor to the 1980s, is being celebrated in this retrospective that originated at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Kelly’s work was famous for its use of playful embellishments, bold buttons and sophisticated silhouettes. As one of the few prominent Black designers of the era, Kelly’s aesthetic references to his African American heritage (he notably collected and commented on racist memorabilia in his runway collections) and the queer underground in New York were groundbreaking for the era.

9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. TuesdaySunday. Oct. 23-April 24. $15-$30. De Young Museum, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, S.F. 415-7503600. deyoung.famsf.org

Tony Bravo is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tbravo@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TonyBravoSF