Seven Artist Records Set in $2.6 Million African American Art Sale

Swann Galleries’ April 2 African American Art auction generated $2.6 million in sales and established seven artist auction records, offering evidence of collector demand across multiple generations of Black artists.

Richard Mayhew’s 2006 oil painting Scarlet Journey led the auction at $249,000 following competition among telephone and online bidders.

Record results were established for artists including Geoffrey Holder, Willie Birch, Richard Yarde, Adebunmi Gbadebo, Melvin Clark and Black Joe Jackson. Holder’s Carmen, estimated at $15,000 to $25,000, reached $120,650.

The breadth of those results is noteworthy.

Market attention surrounding Black art can sometimes become concentrated around a small number of internationally recognized names. A sale producing records across several artists tells a different story. It indicates collector activity deeper within the category, encompassing modern, postwar and contemporary work.

That depth is important to the long-term development of any collecting market.

Established markets are rarely supported by a single artist or handful of trophy objects. They develop through scholarship, exhibitions, institutional acquisition and collectors willing to explore artists beyond the most recognizable names.

The April results suggest that process continues to unfold within African American art.