A survey published this year by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation found that while diversity in museum leadership grew by five percentage points from 2015 to 2018, people of color account for one in five people in those positions.

Black-owned or operated galleries are virtually absent among the exhibitors at the official Art Basel show. (Fair organizers said they did not know how many such presenting galleries were at the Miami show). But Karla Ferguson, a staple of the local art world as the founder and chief executive of Yeelen, a gallery in Little Haiti, said she did not know of any.

The small number of black gallerists and curators across the industry means that, to some extent, black people do not fully own the stories that black art tells, Ms. Ferguson said. Curators and gallerists can decide, for instance, to stay away from work that tackles tough issues; or they may elevate those pieces that fit their notions of black culture, she said.

“Historically the narrative has been very much through the white male gaze,” Ms. Ferguson said. When that happens, she added, “You’ll never have a completely authentic story.”

The location of “Who Owns Black Art?” in the Miami Urban Contemporary Experience event space in Little Haiti also speaks to the question of ownership. Art Basel has contributed to the gentrification of the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, and there is great concern that Little Haiti — with its flourishing indie art galleries, and trendy eateries replacing botanicas — is well on its way to a similar fate.