Latest News in Black Art features news updates and developments in the world of art and related culture
MICHAELA YEARWOOD-DAN, “A conduit for joy,” 2021 (oil, acrylic, ink, gold leaf and swarovski crystals on canvas; Overall: 87 x 141 3/4 inches / 221 x 360 cm; Each Panel: 87 x 70 7/8 inches / 221 x 180 cm
Representation
MARIANNE BOESKY GALLERY announced its representation of Michaela Yearwood-Dan, in partnership with Tiwani Contemporary in London. Born in London, where she is currently based, Yearwood-Dan expresses herself through painting and sculpture. “Through swirling strokes, vibrant palettes, and thick layers of paint, [the artist] cultivates lush scenes that borrow freely from pop culture, Blackness, feminism, botanical motifs, and personal visual narratives,” the gallery said. Marianne Boesky shared the representation news Oct. 29, the day before “Michaela Yearwood-Dan: Be Gentle With Me,” the artist’s first solo show with the gallery closed in New York City. Marianne Boesky also operates a space in Aspen, Colo. The gallery will present new paintings by Yearwood-Dan in a pop-up exhibition opening Nov. 10 in Geneva and at Art Basel Miami Beach in December.
Appointments
The Prince Claus Fund in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, announced Marcus Tebogo Desando will serve as its new director beginning in 2022. Desando has been serving as CEO of The Arts and Culture Trust in Johannesburg, South Africa, since 2017. The Prince Claus fund was established “to support and connect artists and cultural practitioners in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe, especially where they are under pressure.” In 2021, the fund adopted a new strategy, focusing on supporting individual creatives at various stages of their professional development.
IMAGE: Above left, Marcus Desando. | Photo © Thando Mpushe
Awards & Honors
The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in Saint Louis, Mo., announced 2021 inductees, including Chicago photographer Dawoud Bey. Only three Black photographers have been recognized previously by the institution: James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks, and Carrie Mae Weems.
Southeastern Museums Conference announced winners of its annual awards for museum professionals, including Ahmad Ward, who won the 2021 Museum Leadership Award. Ward is executive director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park on Hilton Head Island, S.C., which is recognized as the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States.
Lives
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPGF) in Washington, D.C., announced a photographic portrait of Retired Gen. Colin Powell (1937-2021) by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders would go on display on its first floor beginning Oct. 20, and remain on view until further notice. Powell, who served as the nation’s first Black national security advisor, first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and first Black secretary of state, died Oct. 18, at age 84. The cause was complications from COVID-19. After four decades in public service, Powell said his endorsement of the war in Iraq would be a permanent “blot” on his record. NPG’s collection features many portraits of Powell, including paintings, drawings, and photographs.
IMAGE: Installation view of TIMOTHY GREENFIELD SANDERS, “Colin Powell,” December 11, 2007 (Epson inkjet photograph, 147.3 x 111.8 cm / 58 x 44 inches), National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C., October 2021. | Photo by Brendan Kelly, NPG
Auctions
Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas, is delaying its Nov. 5 sale titled “Soul of a Nation: Black Art From a Distinguished Collector.” The auction featuring art by African American artists was derailed by provenance issues with several lots. A spokesperson for Heritage declined to provide details about particular works at issue or plans for rescheduling the auction.
On Nov. 12, Christie’s New York is hosting an auction to benefit Laxart, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit contemporary visual arts space led by Hamza Walker. The sale of works by six artists—Glenn Ligon, Arthur Jafa, Christina Quarles, Jonas Wood, Barbara Kruger, and Jacqueline Humphries—will help secure Laxart’s first permanent home.
Christie’s is presenting the Nile Rodgers Collection during a live auction on Dec. 16 in New York. A legendary composer, producer, arranger and guitarist, Nile Rodgers has won multiple Grammys and co-founded the band chic. The 160-lot sale will feature an array of storied treasures, from vintage guitars and unique sound and production equipment to iconic fashions and rare cars. The proceeds will benefit the We Are Family Foundation, which was co-founded by Rodgers.
More News
The Studio Museum in Harlem has raised $210 million for its new building designed by architect David Adjaye, exceeding its $175 million goal. Opening in 2023, the new museum will feature a site-specific commission by Theaster Gates composed with materials from the previous building.
The University of Massachusetts at Amherst is celebrating two Black men who have made transformative contributions to the institution. The campus fine arts center is being named the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts, paying tribute to the university’s first Black chancellor, who served from 1971-79. According to UMAss Amherst, Randolph W. Bromery (1926-2013) was the second African American to lead a predominantly white university and the first to lead UMass Amherst. Designed architect Kevin Roche, the arts center was built under the leadership of Bromery, a geophysicist who joined the campus as a professor of geology. Inside the arts center, the building’s main stage and concert hall is now called the Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, honoring the great composer and poet, who was a music educator and arts administrator at UMass Amherst. Frederick C. Tillis died in 2020.
The city of Fort Worth, Texas, announced plans to build a National Juneteenth Museum thanks to the dedication and tenacity of Opal Lee, 95, who successfully advocated to make Juneteenth a national holiday and continued her campaign to establish a museum.
Opportunities
The College Art Association (CAA) is offering grants supporting international members, students, emerging scholars, practitioners, and artists for the annual 2022 CAA Conference in Chicago (Feb. 16-19, 2022). Applicants must be CAA members. | More Info
The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) in Dallas, Texas, has several career opportunities. Open positions include Chief Curatorial and Research Officer, Curator of Works on Paper, and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. | More Info
CT
BOOKS | Chef Bryant Terry, chef-in-residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, discussed his new book, “Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes” on CBS Mornings. “People can enter this in whatever way the want. Some people will cook. Some people are going to look at it as an art book. Others will have it at their nightstand and read the riveting essays every night. It’s a little bit of something for everyone in here,” Terry said. | Video by CBS News
