Everyone Wins When An Art Advisor is Included Early in a Building Project

As president of Murphy Rabb, Inc, a 25‐year‐old art advisory firm, I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure of working with clients, architects, designers, dealers, artists, and private collectors. An important part of my work is to recommend, commission, and purchase artwork for public and private businesses and residences.  

Sam Gilliam - site specific

My first project was to write the initial Public Art Plan for the City of Evanston for its new library. My job was to work early in the planning process with the architect and recommend locations for the purchase and commission of artwork.  Sometimes, architects overlook these opportunities in their plans, except perhaps for major focal points. Together, though, we came up with numerous locations for artwork, that the architect possibly might not have considered without my prodding. 

I enjoyed the same chance at The Northern Trust Bank, which was building its first bank in a middle class African‐American community. I again worked with their architect to create an environment that was appropriate, and welcoming, with artwork that reflected the bank’s staff and clientele.  

The Lobby Artwork at Stroger Hospital.  Sculpture by Richard Hunt.

Another memorable project was creating the entire Art Program for the 8-story, 3 million-square-foot, Stroger Hospital in Chicago. My goal was to develop a warm, pleasing, and accessible hospital using artwork that reflected and spoke to the diverse populations it served.

A private client wanted me to curate an African‐American art collection in the new home she and her husband had just purchased.  My client was clear that artwork was to be the focal point before they made any lighting, architectural, and furniture purchases.  This was a dream project because we succeeded in making the artwork the focal point.  

Private Client Home

In doing all these projects, I’ll often butt heads with architects and designers because I want to make sure they understand that locations for artwork must be seriously considered. I have to be ever vigilant in studying floor, lighting, signage, and furniture plans, and then being on site to assure that art can be located in the most advantageous way, and that the artwork never appears an afterthought. 

When I can collaborate with the client, architect, interior designer, and artist, early in the planning/design process, the final project is always the beneficiary and everyone wins.

Auctions Can Be A Way To Acquire Art, If You Follow These Guidelines

As a professional art consultant, I’ve often attended auctions as a way of acquiring  work for  my clients’ collections. More and more auction houses are including works by African American artists, so it can be a good way to acquire artwork. Although I can recommend this method for building your own collections, I urge caution.

Here are some tips to help you curb any trepidation you have, and insure you can make an acquisition you’ll be happy with in the long run.

• Sometimes sellers put less desirable works of art up for auction, or pieces that have not been well taken care of. If at all possible, go to the preview and examine the work carefully. You may discover some flaws that didn’t show up in the catalogue. This way, when you attend the auction or if you decide to bid online, you will have seen the work in person.  Just looking at the artwork in the catalogue, can be misleading. I can assure you, this visit may save you heartache.
• If you cannot attend the auction in person, call the auction house and ask questions about the condition, provenance, etc. That’s what they are there for. Get a “condition report” and learn ahead of time if there are problems that may influence the price or resale value. Do some research to determine what similar works of art by this artist have sold for in the past. You do not want to overpay!
• Learn about a “buyer’s premium,” usually 19% in addition to taxes, shipping charges, and other additions. These costs will add significantly to the final price.  Even though you may be excited about your selected item, try to be cool...don’t be the first bidder. Hold off until either the auction house or another buyer makes the opening bid.  Then pace yourself...stay calm and cool. If you have others bidding against you, keep track of how much you have bid. It’s seductive and easy to lose track of how much you are spending!
• Remember that any movement can be interpreted by the auctioneer as a bid. So don’t use your paddle, or wave to a friend unless you are bidding. And speaking of friends... if they are with you for the adventure, don’t allow them to distract you! Stay focused.

Hopefully, your auction experience will be successful and pleasurable. The images I’ve attached to this post are of a painting by John Wesley Hardrick and a sculpture by Richard Hunt which I acquired at auction. And trust me, I got them for great prices!

Mayor Harold Washington’s Legacy To The Arts

This year, 2013, marks the 30th anniversary of the election of Harold Washington, Chicago's first Black mayor. I thought about the significance of that watershed event as I participated in a panel at the DuSable Museum. As a member of Mayor Washington’s  first cabinet, I was asked to talk about importance of Mayor Washington’s legacy to the arts in Chicago. 

I first met Harold Washington in 1982, while working tirelessly in his historic campaign. I was a member of Artists for Washington, and we lobbied to assure the arts would win more respect and greater funding. As a result of our efforts, Washington included in his campaign promises, a pledge to create a new cabinet level Department of Cultural Affairs. 

In December, 1983, he appointed me Executive Director of the Chicago Office of Fine Arts. His charge to me was to make the arts more inclusive. The Department of Cultural Affairs was created a year later, with Fred Fine was its first Commissioner. His first task was to establish the new Department of Cultural Affairs. It joined The Office of Fine Arts, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and the Film Office under one umbrella.

The Chicago Office of Fine Arts was located in what was then the original Chicago Public Library. While the new Harold Washington library was being built we successfully lobbied to make the former library, The Cultural Center and the official home of the Department of Cultural Affairs.  During those years we held free public programs there and in Daley Plaza, hosted and curated more than 25 art exhibits.  

We expanded grant-making programs for the very largest to smallest arts organizations and individual artists through out the entire city, and increased the percent for the Public Art Program. DCA wrote the city’s first Cultural Plan. The budget grew from 1.2 million dollars to more than 4 million. 

When it became apparent small neighborhood art groups and individual artists rarely got funding, my department upended longstanding procedures for reviewing grant applicants. We created community workshops and diversified the grant review panels.  Our efforts grew and became more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to artists, the community, and the public. It was no longer business as usual.

I had not thought about those revolutionary and heady years in a long while. Harold Washington was a fair, fearless, inclusive leader, who inspired and empowered those of us who had the priveledge of working for him.

Over the years Department of Cultural Affairs has gone through changes in leadership and  priorities. The result has been devastating budget cuts, painful changes, and huge staffing cuts. Michelle Boone, the new commissioner has huge challenges facing the Department of Cultural Affairs.  All of these memories flooded me as I saw one of the most stunning exhibitions at the Cultrual Center. Called, "Rising Up: Hale Woodruff's Murals at Talladega College," the exhibit “features six monumentally-scaled murals painted in 1939-42 by African American artist Hale Woodruff. Never before seen outside of Alabama's Talladega College, the murals depict the 1839 mutiny by slaves on the Spanish ship La Amistad and its aftermath. Newly restored to their original, vibrant colors, the murals are accompanied by 30 paintings and prints that document Woodruff's work from the 1920s to the 1940s, making this exhibition a rare opportunity to see this important Harlem Renaissance artist's work in depth.”

I believe Mayor Washington would be especially proud of the current exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center, which and runs through June 16. Why not bring some friends to see the exhibit and tell me what you think.

Johnsons Deserve Applause For Their Visionary Leadership in the Arts

While there are many visionaries who deserve my gratitude, there is one duo that rises above the rest: Eunice W. and John H. Johnson. For it’s the Johnson’s achievements that prompted my career of encouraging Black-owned businesses to develop collections of works by African-American artists.

Founded in 1942 by John H. Johnson, the Johnson Publishing Company has grown to become the largest African-American-owned publishing firm in the United States. Although known for Jet magazine, the Ebony Fashion Fair, and Black-syndicated television shows, my applause focuses on its impact on African-American art.

The company’s former headquarters at 820 S. Michigan Avenue was built in 1973, and lauded as the first Black-owned office building erected on this prestigious street. And, significantly, the edifice was designed by John Moutoussamy, a Black architect. 

Almost immediately, Eunice and John Johnson began to acquire more than 100 works of art to be included in the Johnson Art Collection. Their goal was to assemble, and prominently display, works created by African-American artists. They commissioned Chicago sculptor, Richard Hunt to create a major wall installation which continues to be prominently displayed in the lobby. 

On every floor of the building, in each office, employees and visitors became witness to this fresh exposure of extraordinary art and artists. Surely for many observers, this collection was a revelation. And for the lucky artists in the collection, it was indeed  a “seal of approval.”

Looking back, I can see that Eunice Walker Johnson, daughter of a physician and a graduate of Talladega College, must’ve been the mastermind of the Johnson Art Collection. At the college,  she was exposed to the monumentally-scaled murals painted  1939-42 by African American artist Hale Woodruff, and other works by the talented faculty at her historically Black alma mater. I can envision young Eunice advancing in the exhilarating atmosphere of important African-American art. (Rising Up: Hale Woodruff’s Murals at Talladega College). 

Eventually, other Black-owned businesses, like Burrell Advertising, followed the Johnson’s lead. But, it wasn’t until 1987 that there appeared a Chicago art gallery representing African-American artists. That recognition belongs to Isobel Neal, who opened the first Black-owned showcase in the esteemed West Superior Street gallery district.

Along with these trailblazers, credit also goes to the Southside Community Art Center, where artists like Gordon Parks, Elizabeth Catlett,  Charles White, and Hughie Lee-Smith gained support and exposure. Later, the DuSable Museum of African American History became another vital institution to introduce art and artists, and many others.  

When I became part of this amazing assembly, I knew I had found my life’s work, one that intrinsically fit my aesthetic and political philosophy. My goal, when I started my art advisory business in 1992 became: To inspire a cadre of patrons, arbiters of taste, who would then build influential private and corporate collections of African-American art, thus bringing these talented artists to a wider, appreciative audience.   

For what they have meant to this city, to the world of African-American art, and to me personally, I hereby formally acknowledge my gratitude to Eunice and John Johnson.

Growing Up With Art

One of the challenges of advising clients who have young children is to persuade them about the great opportunity they have in allowing their kids to grow up with art. For example: I had been pressing a client to purchase a beautiful, huge, drawing by Robert Colescott. The buyers were reluctant because they believed it to be too graphic, controversial, and sexual. They were concerned about the kinds of questions the drawing would prompt. 

I assured my clients they would be surprised to learn that children are more sophisticated and open then they imagine. Fortunately, the parents did buy the Colescott drawing, and later told me they’ve had many meaningful conversations with their daughters about the piece. They especially love overhearing the discussions about the drawing between their children and their own friends.

I was confident all would be well in that household because my own sons grew up surrounded by art. Openings at the DuSable Museum, The South Side Community Art Center, and the Art Institute of Chicago were regular occurrences in my family. Sometimes, the boys acted annoyed and uncooperative, but that didn’t stop them from making smug insights about art to their friends.

Now, as a grandmother and artist, I enjoy introducing my grandchildren to museums.  I’m amazed and gratified by their curiosity and insights. When my oldest grandson was about three, when he entered our apartment, I immediately explained “Gaga's” art collection and reminded him  "art is for looking and not touching." 

Because some art in my home does look like toys, I could understand his disappointment. But, as my grandchildren have gotten older, they’ve all become respectful -- and highly opinionated -- about Gaga's eclectic collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculpture. And, I’ve learned much from their insights.  I especially enjoy the free-ranging conversations their perceptions inspire. Quite a gift to “Gaga.” (Also known as Grandmother Madeline.)

Image: This series always engages my grandchildren. Lorna Simpson's “Combination Platter” addresses the issue of gender, a subject that spurs many comments and questions.

Columbia Multiples Subscription Series Selects Its First Artist

I’m pleased to announce my participation with Columbia Multiples Subscription Series, whose mission is “to advance the work of highly notable artists of color by creating opportunities for these individuals to create limited edition multiples in a professional, studio/workspace environment.”

These prints are available to subscribers on an annual basis, with each member receiving one per year. The program uses its annual membership dues primarily to fund special projects and occasionally for symposia, and publications, and activities related to the creation of multiples.

Columbia Multiples, which is a project of  A + D Columbia College Chicago, supports the Anchor Graphics artist-in-residency program and other educational endeavors related to its mission.  As a trustee of the college for the past 20 years, my involvement is especially meaningful to me.

The first artist in the subscription series is Margo Humphrey, an internationally-renown lithographer whose brilliant, colorful work is political, socially conscious and irreverent.  I’ve been an admirer of Humphrey since the early 90’s and since then have introduced her prints to many of my clients.

I recently saw her work, “The Last Barbecue,” which was part of a powerful show, “Ashe To Amen”  at the Museum of Biblical Art in New York. It was curated by my friend, Leslie King Hammond. Humphrey’s lithograph in the exhibit is her 1989 piece, "The Last Bar-B-Que." The catalog description includes: “a mixture of solemnity and whimsy...translates the biblical narrative of the Last Supper into a background picnic." As for Humphrey, her quote sees it as "a rewriting of history through the eyes of my ancestry, a portrayal of a savior who looks like my people."

The piece that Humphrey has done for the subscription series depicts a Madonna and son (image), and it’s the artist’s rendition of the Trayvon Martin shooting last year in Florida. I anticipate that our subscribers will be as excited and enthralled about Humphrey’s work as I continue to be.

Buy With Your Heart, And Your Head

In my first post on this new blog, I explained the meaning behind my tagline: “Buy the best artwork by an artist that you cannot afford.®” As example, I described how I fell in love with a painting by Kerry James Marshall, and decided on the spot, I had to have it.

That impromptu purchase, which suits my tagline to a “T,” fortunately turned out well as the artist’s work has jumped 10 times my original cost.

I’ve never regretted that decision to buy Marshall because purchasing African-American art and providing consulting services for clients is my business. I knew what I was doing.

But, what if you’re a novice collector? I worry you might purchase with your heart, and not your head. That’s perfectly fine if you just want to acquire beautiful things and aren’t interested in seeing your investment grow. In that case, my advice is: if you have to have it, go ahead and make the purchase.

On the other hand, if seeding your retirement, or building a serious art collection is your goal, I suggest you engage the services of a professional art consultant who can provide the knowledge, background, and experience to guide you to a worthy purchase.

This advice doesn’t rule out shopping with your heart. After all, there’s nothing as enjoyable as falling in love, even with an inanimate object that can’t return your ardor. Just keep the cost within your budget. 

Here’s an example of my theme: In the mid ’70’s, I spent the day in the home and studio of Elizabeth Catlett with her two young sons and husband Francesco Mora.  It was a privilege to meet her and be surrounded by her powerful wood, clay, and stone sculptures.

But, while at Catlett’s studio, I also saw paintings by her husband. Can you guess which artist's work spoke to me? You’re right: It was that of Francesco Mora. In later years, I grew to admire Catlett’s elegant, simple, and powerful sculptures of strong women and have placed many of her works in important private collections. 

Do I regret not purchasing one of Catlett’s works?  Absolutely. Yet, I still love the Mora painting (image at the beginning of this post) I purchased that day in Mexico.  However, if an art advisor had been at my side, or on call, I'm certain you know which artist would’ve gotten my check. 

Welcome to my Blog

I have a provocative tagline for my business, one that creates conversation, "Buy the best artwork by an artist that you cannot afford." ® 

This painting by Kerry James Marshall is a prime example of what I mean by that suggestion. I met Marshall in the early 90's, when I visited his studio on Chicago's South Michigan Avenue. The trip was part of my regular studio explorations. My experiences during these visits vary; at times when I enter a studio, I think "well this is nice, but nothing very exciting." While other times, I'm blown away.

Marshall's images of young black boys and girls resonated. It reminded me of kids I played with while growing up in my old neighborhood in Baltimore. As soon as I saw this piece "Lost Boys: Aka Lil Bit," I knew I had to have it. My decision was based on a visceral reaction, whenever I see something I must possess.

"I have to have this," I said to the artist. "How much is it?"

"Seventy-five hundred," he said. He looked confident and decisive.

"So how do I buy it?" I said. Meanwhile, I was thinking to myself, how am I going to afford this? But then - I simply had to have it. Of course I bought it, knowing that I would figure out how to pay for it.

"Talk to my art dealer," Marshall said.

Fast forward to 2013, the painting that I bought for $7,500 - which I could barely afford, has been valued at 10 times my purchase price. Additionally, the painting has been featured in many of his travelling exhibits and has also been published in his catalogs.

Here's a bit more about Kerry James Marshall from Wikipedia: "Although he currently lives and works in Chicago, Illinois, his time spent in Watts, Los Angeles, California where he observed the Black Power and Civil Rights movements had a significant impact on his paintings. Strongly influenced by his experiences as a young man, he developed a signature style during his early years as an artist that involved the use of extremely dark, essentially black figures. These images represent his perspective of African Americans with separate and distinct inner and outer appearances. At the same time, they confront racial stereotypes within contemporary American society. This common theme appeared continuously in his work throughout the subsequent decades, especially in the 1980s and 1990s."

"Buy the best artwork by an artist that you cannot afford." ® This tagline confirms my personal experience and those of my clients who have followed my advice. So next time you see a work of art, that speaks to you - buy it.