Other collectors feel the same. Between 2003 and 2005, 45 of
Hill’s works were on view in a traveling exhibition. Many visitors were people
who do not regularly attend such shows, and Hill raised money to fund field
trips for inner-city children. "The idea of an NBA athlete having anything on
display can excite some young people," Hill says. "Part of the purpose of having
it travel was that I understand how important the exposure was for me at a young
age."
 | TOTEM, BY
Hale Aspacio Woodruff, sold for $96,000 in February when Swann Galleries held
the first major auction of African American fine art. (Photograph by Swann Galleries.) |
Some collectors have found that their willingness to display
pieces in museum shows can help clinch the deal for a coveted work. That was the
case recently for Florida-based collectors Jacqueline Bradley, vice chair of the
Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, and Clarence Otis Jr., CEO of Darden
Restaurants. Since beginning their collection two decades ago, they have worked
hard to gain credibility, forging relationships with dealers, including June
Kelly, meeting with artists and supporting the Studio Museum in Harlem. Over
time, their wish list expanded from inexpensive prints to six-figure paintings
by William H. Johnson, and, more recently, a globe by Fred Wilson. Bradley
acquired that piece at Wilson’s opening at the PaceWildenstein Gallery in New
York by offering to include the work in a show of their collection this year at
the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. "You hear
about a lot of struggling artists, but many artists can pick and choose where
their work will reside," Bradley says.
As with any art collecting endeavor, knowledge from extensive
research is critical in determining the values of particular pieces. John
Thompson has amassed 300 books and exhibition catalogs since he began
collecting. Recommended texts include Black Art: A Cultural History by
Richard J. Powell and Two Centuries
of Black American Art by David C. Driskell.
The Studio Museum in Harlem is an excellent source, as are historically black
colleges.
No artist creates a masterwork every time, and connoisseurs
know the period in which an artist produced the strongest pieces, as well as
which factors most affect value. They know to look for flaking on one of
Lawrence’s tempera-on-panel works, or to examine the glaze on an abstract
expressionist work by Henry Ossawa Tanner to ensure it wasn’t inadvertently
removed by overzealous cleaning. Narratives of African American experience and
life are the most sought-after works, and these pieces command higher prices,
according to Michael Rosenfeld of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery in New York,
although he expects abstract works to gain popularity.
This year, Bradley changed insurance companies and was startled
by a reappraisal that showed just how much their collection had appreciated.
Some pieces she and Otis bought have vaulted tenfold. Bradley, Hill and Thompson
are all turning their attention to acclaimed young artists like Kara Walker and
Glenn Ligon, whose works often command less than those of the 20th-century
masters.
For Hill, the appreciation of African American works that
started in his childhood continues to evolve. "I put together a nice collection
real fast, but I’m still developing my tastes," he says. "I’m curious to see how
that all changes."
Catherine Curan is a senior correspondent for Worth.
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