My New York Art Week was condensed into 27 hours focused on capturing the latest happenings in the Black contemporary art scene. Spending most of my time at the art fairs in the Starrett-Lehigh Building, then venturing to two art exhibits within the same radius in West Chelsea. It was a bustling time, with me accumulating 5 miles’ worth of steps,, but it left me energized by the artists’ brilliance. Here was my art itinerary:
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
New Dealers Art Alliance NY
Boesky Gallery for Danielle McKinney and Sanford Biggers exhibitions
The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is the first and only international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from the African diaspora. The fair runs three times per year in London, New York, and Marrakech. I had this fair on my must attend list so getting approved for press credentials was true alignment!
The New Dealers Art Alliance (NADA) is a major non-profit arts organization dedicated to supporting contemporary art. They host two annual fairs in Miami and including the flagship NADA New York. Plus, the organization runs community-focused markets and year-round gallery programming. Last December, I attended Miami Art Week and had the chance to attend NADA Miami.
While exploring the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, it was wonderful to revisit familiar spaces like Baltimore’s Galerie Myrtis and Brooklyn’s Tanya Weddemire Gallery. I also loved seeing Filafrique’s available works in person after following them on social media for so long, and getting acquainted with O’DA Art, an exciting gallery based in Lagos, Nigeria, and The Current: Baha Mar Gallery & Art Center, located in Nassau, The Bahamas, also known for FUZE Caribbean Art Fair.
Before I departed the fair, I had a brief interview with artist Candice Tavares, represented by Tanya Weddemire Gallery. Tavares is a self-taught wood artist and digital illustrator who has mainly worked woith wood; she selects materials that reflect the natural strength, variation, and richness of Black womanhood. You can watch a short interview with her on my Instagram. Then, a few days later, I saw more of her work at the Scout Art Fair in Baltimore, MD.
by Artist Reggie Khumalo represented by Filafrique
Left: by artist Serge Attukwei Clottey represented by Blond Contemporary, Right up top: by artist Lavett Ballard represented by Galerie Myrtis, and Damien Davis represented by Kates-Ferri Project.
After exploring 1-54, I made my way to the NADA NY fair, which was conveniently in the same building. Thanks to a ticket kindly provided by Southside Contemporary Art Gallery, I was able to pop in and check out their booth, which featured artists’ works by Maya Beverlyand Huey Lightbody. Back in December at NADA Miami, I first saw Huey Lightbody’s work, but it was a different time around that I met Huey Lightbody. I always believe that viewers build a different connection to the art once they can have a conversation with the artists, as they learn about their work and gain insights into how their lives up to that point have informed their practice. Really enjoyed the conversation and looking forward to seeing his career continue to progress.
During my visit, I was introduced to artist Maya Beverly’s work. Beverly is a New York-based visual artist whose work centers on sculpture and Ceramics. Her process involves combining research material and referencing culturally symbolic objects from memory, historical, and personal archives.
by artist Maya Beverly represented by Southside Contemporary Art Gallery
After finishing my visits at the fairs, I walked towards Boesky gallery filled with this joy that this is where my platform has taken me thus far. In the beginning of this journey, I felt like a stranger in art spaces to now where I feel more comfortable as I have built in some ways colleagues. Between both fairs, I cherished the moments of interacting with various artists, gallery owners, and their staff.
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