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'Black Art' Drawing New Collectors, Better Prices
 

   By Lance Steagall
Special to the NNPA from GIN

NEW YORK (NNPA)—Landscapes are the images that come to mind in the work of artist Richard Mayhew. The New York-born expressionist credits that to his part African-American, part Native- American roots.
    Mayhew's work was on display at the recent National Black Fine Arts Show, an annual event. G.R. N'Namdi, the oldest Black-owned abstract art gallery in the U.S., represents Mayhew's work. In 2003, his piece “Sanctuary” sold for $6,000. It's now listed at $25,000 dollars.
    Collectors and dealers who gathered at the mid-February show in New York are making note of the new and higher prices; though many works of Black art are still available at a low price, the value days aren't here to stay.

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Posted April 16, 2008

    Indeed, the market for African- American art is changing fast. Pieces are selling for higher prices, garnering more attention, and becoming an investment of choice for many. As the market booms, those who choose to invest are reaping the rewards, often selling works for many times their purchase price.
   “It's a function of African-American art being ignored for a long time,” said Melissa Azzi of the Chicago-based Lusenhop Gallery.
    She likes to attribute the lack of appreciation to the attitudes of traditional art collectors. “More confrontational works tended to be ignored,” Azzi said. “But now institutions and collectors are a bit more comfortable looking back and taking note.”

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