African-American Art Auction @ New York's Swann Galleries

Aaron Douglass' "Emperor Jones"


Today, Swann Galleries in New York expects to rake in as much as $5.6 million on African-American art at their third auction organized by their new African-American Fine Art department. Artists, including Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White, Aaron Douglas, Faith Ringgold and Romare Bearden will be featured, to name a few.

Swann Galleries is the first major auction house to ever hold a stand-alone sale of African-American sculptures and paintings.


Todays auction will offer 250 paintings, drawings, collages, prints and sculpture from notable collections and estates by African-American artists.. Many of the pieces have been included in important museum exhibitions and illustrated in catalogues and monographs.

Wealthy African-Americans have been supporting and collecting art helping African-American artists break records and increasing the value of Black art.

Last year, Swann sold Elizabeth Catlett's "wooden torso" for $120,000 and this year Catlett's terracotta sculpture "Torso, Portrait of Joan" is estimated to sell between $200-250,000.

Five pieces from highly respected artist Hale Woodruff will be auctioned and the works range from $40K- 180,000.

One of my favorite pieces in the auction is from Harlem Renaissance artist Aaron Douglass', his woodcut gouache "Emperor Jones." I love how he blends African tribal with Art Deco. "Emperor Jones" is estimated to sale for between $35K-50,000.

Artsy Sistas: Eileen Norton & Thelma Golden @LACMA Opening Celebration of the Broad Contemporary Art Museum

These two cultured sistas have got it going on. Eileen Harris Norton and Thelma Golden were the black socialites on the scene and looked fabulous as they attended the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art's opening celebration for the Broad Contemporary Art Museum this past weekend.

Who is Eileen Harris Norton you ask? Well, Eileen is a philanthropist, very avid art collector and a former school teacher from Watts. She's the ex-wife of software guru Peter Norton, of Norton Utilities. Yes, as in the creator of Norton Anti-virus software! Eileen has two children by Peter and before they went through a$200 million divorce battle in the the early 2000's, they built a wildly successful software company and amassed one of the largest contemporary art collections in the world. They also established the Santa Monica-based Peter Norton Family Foundation, which Eileen continues to be active in, supporting and bringing attention to emerging artist.

Now onto the art expert, Thelma Golden. I've actually talked about Thelma Golden earlier on this site. This New York bred sista is the Chief Curator at The Studio Museum in Harlem. She's overseen cosmetic upgrades to the museum and is very instrumental in discovering and introducing Black artists. One of the most popular exhibitions she curated at Studio is Freestyle, an exhibition that included twenty-eight up and coming artists of African American backgrounds. Thelma has also guided the patronage of her friends Peter and Eileen Norton to emergent African American modernists. Thelma got her big break when she was named curator of the Whitney Museum in 1991. At the Whitney she spearheaded the Bob Thompson retrospective and curated the controversial 1994 "Black Male" show. She serves on numerous international art prize committees and is a juror for nearly all of the public art commissioned in NYC. Thelma is also known for coining the term ‘post-black’ art with friend and artist Glenn Ligon in the late 1990s.

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African -American Designs for Hermès

Kermit Oliver's Marquis De Lafayette scarf for Hermès.

Respected artist Kermit Oliver was painting by day and sorting mail at night. Now that he has designed the Marquis De Lafayette scarf for high-end brand Hermès, he may be able to tell the post office buh-bye!
The scarf is bursting with bold colors, images of De Lafayette with historical and symbolic figures. Lafayette is famous for being a French military officer who renounced his title and joined the American Revolution. The beautiful silk scarf has grabbed the attention of Vogue magazine and is even displayed at the New York Historical Society's "French Founding Fathers" exhibit.

Oliver who's been an artist for over 40 years, is from Texas and the child of working cowboy parents. Inspired by his rural Texas upbringing and mythology, religion and history studies, his art reflects a blend of nature, mythology, classical and contemporary. He has had numerous successful art exhibitions in Texas, many of his exhibits at Hooks-Epstein Galleries . Oliver studied art at Texas Southern University and graduated with a BFA and teaching degrees.
Kermit Oliver's Tobias

I must admit, ever since Oprah had her discrimination debacle with Hermès I haven't bought a thing from them. But now that they have commissioned an African -American who also happens to be the first American to design their scarves, which is a big step for them... I guess I can call a truce!

Flashes: Art Basel Miami

Lainie Dalby and Kehinde Wiley


Lauren Day, Nikki Haskell and Former Supermodel- Beverly Johnson


Michelle Ogundehin
(Photos: Patrick McMullan)

The beautiful city of Miami was taken over last week by the largest art show in the world Art Basel. People around the world from artists, muses, celebs, socialites and collectors, everyone was on the scene. Numerous events were held, including floating galleries, auctions, charity soirees, fashion shows and parties galore. More Art Basel Flashes to come!