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| Organizers of the Alliance of Black Art Galleries pictured. STANDING: Robert A. Powell, Solomon Thurman, Patricia Smith Thurman, Freida L. Wheaton, Annetta Vickers-Bentil, Sami Bentil, and Robert A. Ketchens SEATED: Carlton Mitchell, Lois D. Ingrum, Dail Chambers, and William Burton, Jr. Image via artdaily.org. |
From artdaily.org:
A newly formed organization of Black art galleries has been
established in St. Louis, Missouri. The organization is the Alliance of Black
Art Galleries, consisting of eight art galleries with a shared focus of
exhibiting culturally relevant art and supporting artists whose career
aspirations would benefit from broader exposure in galleries. The three primary
reasons for starting the Alliance are: (1) to identify areas of cooperation and
collaboration; (2) to share information of mutual interest; (3) and to express
and demonstrate publicly the mutual support the galleries have for each other.
The Alliance galleries, which include public, private and
nonprofit art galleries, are as follows: 10th Street Gallery (Patricia Smith
Thurman and Solomon Thurman); 14th Street Artist Community Gallery (William
Burton, Jr. and Robert A. Ketchens); Exodus Gallery (Carlton Mitchell); Gya
Community Art Gallery (Dail Chambers); Jah’z Art Private Gallery (Sami Bentil
and Annetta Vickers-Bentil); L. D. Ingrum Gallery & Studio (Lois D.
Ingrum); Portfolio Gallery and Educational Center (Robert A. Powell); and Salon
53, a private residential art gallery (Freida L. Wheaton).
The Alliance galleries represent and show regional, national and
international artists, most of whom are African Diasporan artists. Although
small in number, eight is perhaps the greatest number of Black art galleries
ever in operation at the same time in St. Louis. Thus, Freida L. Wheaton, owner
of Salon 53, convened the group of gallery owners and principals on August 20,
2013 to discuss forming an alliance.
Over lunch at the new Panorama Restaurant in the Saint Louis Art
Museum, Wheaton expressed that the convergence of talented artists and
available places to show their work provided a unique opportunity for the
galleries to collaborate and to be allies. Further, the Alliance is
instrumental to ensure that the galleries and their constituents are full
beneficiaries of the economic growth of the arts and culture economy as
documented in the 2012 report presented by the Regional Arts Commission, The
Arts Mean Business in St. Louis. "Ultimately the collaboration will lead
to longevity and prosperity of the galleries and will promote success of the
artists we show and work with in our galleries," Wheaton stated. William
Burton, Jr., curator/artist in residence at 14th Street Community Gallery adds
"For so long the Black art gallery has suffered due to lack of support and
resources, and has continuously been omitted from mainstream attention. The
world needs to know that we exist and that we are committed to the preservation
of our culture through art."
The unanimity of support to form the Alliance was immediate and
astounding. "By organizing, we are creating a healthy and beneficial
environment for promoting good quality art by people of African descent,"
stated artist Sami Bentil, owner of Jah’z Art Private Gallery. Dail Chambers,
founder and collective coordinator of Gya Community Art Gallery echoed,
"It is necessary for Black galleries across the nation to organize for
accessibility and visibility in the arts world. Now is the time for Black
Americans to show others that Black art is fresh and aesthetically
diverse."
Two areas of collaboration the Alliance quickly identified are:
an annual gallery hop to begin in 2014; and a coordinated thematic exhibition
annually. Other Alliance activities will include quarterly salons with invited
guests, and bimonthly discussions among gallery owners.
On September 28, 2013, five of the galleries will participate in
the Friends of African and African American Art (FAAA) Gallery Hop. The FAAA,
led by Renee Brummell Franklin, Community & Public Programs Director at the
Saint Louis Art Museum, is one of the several collecting groups at the Museum.
Starting in 2014, gallery hops of the Alliance will be coordinated over a 2-day
period to ensure sufficient time for participation of all the Alliance
galleries.
The Alliance has selected "St. Louis" as the theme for
its 2014 coordinated thematic exhibition. The theme "St. Louis",
suggested by 10th Street Gallery chief artist Solomon Thurman, will provide a
presence and perspective on the 250th anniversary of the founding of the City
of Louis. The exhibition will mark a milestone in the history of the City of
St. Louis and a milestone in the history of art in the City. The exhibitions
will open at each Alliance gallery in the Spring of 2014.
The Alliance of Black Art Galleries will serve to enhance
opportunities and participation of galleries in the greater arts community in
St. Louis. The principals of the Alliance galleries know only too well that for
many African American artists, the choice of where they can show their art in a
bricks-and-mortar gallery is limited. Robert A. Powell, executive director of
Portfolio Gallery, is considered by some as "the dean" of Black art
galleries in St. Louis. He feels that creating the Alliance is "a major
first step" and is optimistic that the Alliance will be a major factor in
the preservation of Portfolio Gallery, a 24-year old cultural institution
located in Grand Center, the arts and entertainment district located in the
center of St. Louis, where Portfolio Gallery has been located for 20 years.
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