Collecting Contemporary African-American Art

Collecting contemporary African-American Art created by African-American artists is becoming increasingly popular. Many private collectors, corporations , cultural institutions and museums throughout the United States are aggressively adding art done by African- American artist to their permanent collection. Over the last ten years visibility has risen because art historian and curators at large institutions, particularly, university and major museums recognized that their permanent collections were lacking and less inclusive of this diverse pictorial element of historical importance.  Academic scholars, importantly, art historians, realized that their has been limited scholarly documentation and critical essays on the dynamic movement and evolution of African-American Artists.

Ted T. Ellis, a leading contemporary African-American is one of several artists receiving attention by museums and collectors. Over the past 20 years  he has found a niche celebrating African-American culture, his accomplishments parallels that of his predecessors, the likes of Jacob Lawrence, Horace Pippen, Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett. Meeting with the same kind of success, Mr. Ellis is finding his works in the permanent collection of museums, galleries and collectors. He is one of many African-American artist that is showing a high degree of promise and will continue to create buzz about themselves and their artwork.

It seems that  American cultural institutions, corporations, museums, libraries and universities are clearly recognizing that African-American Art is a national treasure that should be nurtured, protected and preserved. It is part of the fabric of American history, that pictorially  documents and tells a story of our challenges and triumphs. A treasure that speaks to the soul, art that is finally being recognized and celebrated.