The latest news in Black Art presents 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; Total: 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, darkness, feminism, botanical motifs, and personal visual narratives, ”the gallery said. Marianne Boesky shared the performance news on October 29, the day before “Michaela Yearwood-Dan: Be Gentle With Me,” the artist’s first solo show with the gallery closed in New York. Marianne Boesky also operates a space in Aspen, Colorado. The gallery will present new paintings by Yearwood-Dan in a pop-up exhibition inaugurated on November 10 in Geneva and at Art Basel Miami Beach in December.

Appointment

The Prince Claus Foundation in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, announced Marcus Tebogo Desando will be its new director from 2022. Desando has been CEO of The Arts and Culture Trust in Johannesburg, South Africa since 2017. The Prince Claus Fund was created “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, focused on supporting individual creatives at different stages of their professional development.

IMAGE: Top left, Marcus Desando. | Photo © Thando Mpushe

Prizes and distinctions

The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum in Saint Louis, Missouri, announced the inductees for 2021, including the Chicago photographer Daoud Bey. Only three black photographers have been recognized before by the institution: James Van Der Zee, Gordon Parks and Carrie Mae Weems.

The Southeastern Conference of Museums has announced the winners of its annual awards for museum professionals, including Ahmad Ward, which won the 2021 Museum Leadership Award. Ward is Executive Director of Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, which is recognized as the first self-governing city of formerly enslaved people in the States -United.

Lives

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery (NPGF) in Washington, DC has announced a portrait photograph of Retired General Colin Powell (1937-2021) by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders would be on display on the first floor from October 20 and would remain on view until further notice. Powell, who served as the nation’s first black national security adviser, the first black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the first black secretary of state, died on October 18 at the age of 84. The cause was complications from COVID-19. After four decades in public service, Powell said his endorsement of the Iraq war would be a permanent “stain” on his record. The NPG collection includes many portraits of Powell, including paintings, drawings and photographs.

IMAGE: View of TIMOTHY GREENFIELD SANDERS installation, “Colin Powell”, December 11, 2007 (Epson inkjet photograph, 147.3 x 111.8 cm / 58 x 44 inches), National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC, 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 African-American artists has been derailed due to provenance issues with several lots. A spokesperson for Heritage declined to provide details of particular works at issue or plans to reschedule the auction.

On November 12, Christie’s New York is hosting an auction to benefit Laxart, the not-for-profit contemporary visual arts space based in Los Angeles and run 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 presents the Nil Rodgers Collection at a live auction on December 16 in New York City. Legendary composer, producer, arranger and guitarist, Nile Rodgers has won multiple Grammys and co-founded the classy group. The 160-lot sale will feature an array of historical treasures, from vintage guitars and unique sound and production equipment to iconic fashions and rare cars. Profits will be donated to the We Are Family Foundation, co-founded by Rodgers.

No more news

The Studio Museum in Harlem has raised $ 210 million for its new building designed by the architect David Adjaye, surpassing its goal of $ 175 million. Opening in 2023, the new museum will feature a site-specific commission by Theater doors composed with materials from the previous building.

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst celebrates two black men who made transformative contributions to the institution. The campus fine arts center is named the Randolph W. Bromery Center for the Arts, in honor of the university’s first black chancellor, who served from 1971 to 1979. 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 by architect Kevin Roche, the arts center was built under the direction 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 Frederick C. Tillis Performance Hall, in honor of the great composer and poet, who was a music teacher and arts administrator at UMass Amherst. Frédéric C. Tillis passed away in 2020.

The city of Fort Worth, Texas has announced plans to build a National Juneteenth Museum through the dedication and tenacity of Opal Lee, 95, who successfully advocated for making Juneteenth a national holiday and continued his campaign to create a museum.

Opportunities

The College Art Association (CAA) is offering grants to international members, students, emerging scholars, practitioners, and artists for the 2022 CAA Annual Conference in Chicago (February 16-19, 2022). Applicants must be members of the CAA. | More information

The Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) in Dallas, Texas offers several career opportunities. Open positions include Chief Curator and Research Officer, Curator of Works on Paper, and Marketing and Communications Officer. | More information
CT

Chef Bryant Terry, Chef-in-Residence at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, spoke about his new book, “Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes” on CBS Mornings. “People can enter it however they want. Some people will cook. Some will consider it to be an art book. Others will have it at their bedside tables and read the captivating essays every night. It’s a bit of something for everyone here, said Terry. | CBS News Video