Find A Home for Mom's Contemporary African Scupture in Atlanta

June 7, 2024 5:48 PM

My now-deceased mother worked at a reputable art gallery for many years and had access to and collected a medium-sized amount of African sculpture from across the continent. After her passing a few years ago I find myself in possession of quite a few pieces (25-30 small sculptures, combs, masks, of mostly Yoruba origin) collected since the early 1990s. As I understand it, these pieces were created for international sale (they aren't antique or anything, but they are high quality). Holding on to them feels weird to me and I would rather they find a more proper home.

I live in Atlanta, and they are currently in a storage facility.

I have contacted the gallery she worked for, who were not very much help (they basically said "those aren't valuable enough for us to care about, good luck")

I've contacted the High Museum of Art which has an african art collection, and have not heard back.

I've not found any reputable folks in the area who might be able to sell them on my behalf or hold them on consignment. My goal would be to either get them to a museum or to sell them and donate some or all of the proceeds to a relevant organization.

An additional complication is due to some family drama, I do not have access to the original invoices or certificates of authenticity and am unlikely to regain access.

I would appreciate any help anyone might have on the matter.

posted by softlord to Media & Arts (13 answers total)

Did you try contacting anyone at Morehouse or Spelman? They might be able to connect you with an appropriate organization to benefit from a sale even if the pieces aren't of scholarly value. Not being able to document the provenance is going to limit their value, though, unfortunately. Since it seems like you can talk to their gallery, I'd ask them about their records.
posted by praemunire at 6:15 PM on June 7 [6 favorites]

If you get totally stuck, you might try some Durham, NC, resources:

- The Hayti Heritage center - they are mainly concerned with the history of the Hayti neighborhood in Durham, but they might know of a good resource.

- NC Central University - an HBCU with their own arts programs and scholars

- This is a bit of a stretch, but there is a boutique called "Exotique" that sells African art pieces sometimes. Probably not as valuable as what you have, but the owners may have some insights and/or know of collectors.



Also - since you're in Atlanta, and if you don't mind just talking to people and seeing if they have ideas, you could always call the King Center.
posted by amtho at 8:54 PM on June 7

I held on to a bunch of Japanese prints my mother had, a number of which had been her mother's. I didn't expect them to have a high financial value, but I did expect them to have some value. I spoke to two art dealers that specialize in Japanese prints and they both ultimately told me they do not have any financial value. My advice is to Google around and locate art dealers that trade in Yorban art, send nice photos, and ask. But to prepare yourself that they may have more meaning and personal significance than they do sale or museum value.

In the end I gave away the prints on Craigslist and I got joy from seeing someone take them who was excited to display them in his own home.
posted by latkes at 10:03 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]

It seems you feel uncomfortable about your mothers’ collection and want to be able to make some money from the sale of it in order to make some sort of reparation payment. I’m not sure what a “relevant charity” would be- support for Yoruba artists? The pieces were brought and sold legitimately, it’s not like your mother was a one woman British Museum. Just saying this so that if you are not able to sell them, that’s ok. There’s no guilt or responsibility here that needs to be assuaged with a reparation payment.
posted by Balthamos at 11:02 PM on June 7

If these works were made for the export market, it's likely they don't have much resale value.

You may want to try reaching out to an appraiser that specializes in African art. They may be able to value the works and may know people interested in purchasing it: https://www.appraisersassociation.org/
posted by Lycaste at 11:23 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]

Contact the Carlos museum at Emory. Their big exhibit is Egyptian but they might be interested. And if not, they might have some other ideas of an academic institution who would be.
posted by pearlybob at 3:24 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]

You could look for someone living in the US whose ancestors were Yoruba who was interested in having the artwork, and give them the artwork for free?
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries at 5:10 AM on June 8 [6 favorites]

I'm afraid the collection is unlikely these have any great value, monetary or to a museum. Like praemunire notes, you really need to have documentation of the provenance for them to have value - and I suspect even if it was known, it might be like what latkes experienced. But, if you're willing to donate these, as others have mentioned a local university may be interested - some universities have art museums, and even those that don't tend to have gallery/exhibit spaces.

For the Yoruba art, you might contact the Nike art gallery US rep found on their website. The Nike art gallery is one of the more established ones in the Yoruba region of Nigeria, and so they might have ideas.
posted by coffeecat at 6:51 AM on June 8

Best answer: I would take very good, clear photos and send them to someone at Christies or Freeman's or Swan Auction House (or there may be more regional reputable auction houses you could try, too. If there is one that specializes in African art that would be ideal.) I would do a bit of research to see who at each house deals with African art. I'd briefly explain your story and ask if there is value to the pieces. If there is, I imagine your relatives who are withholding the provenance documentation would quickly produce it, if they were to benefit from a sale. Provenance and proof of ownership is essential for a reputable auction house to consider taking on your mother's pieces.

And they may be more important culturally than others have said. I would consult an expert before assuming they are not.

Also, you spoke with the gallery where she got these - have you asked them to verify that the pieces were sold to your mom and are authentic? You might not even need the documentation your relatives refuse to give you.

I've been there with art I inherited and didn't know how to value or care for, or even particularly want. Good luck!
posted by citygirl at 7:10 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]

Why not look into donating them directly, e.g., to the Atlanta branch of Nigerians In Diaspora Organization, to art teachers in the Atlanta school district or at Morehouse/Spelman, to a Black-led arts NGO for a charity auction, etc?
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 9:56 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Make money or get them in a museum is a really high bar to set for pieces created for tourists and westerners. Are you white or not of African origin? I think it would be great if you tried to get them to some Yoruba diaspora folks in your area. You could also see if there are some local Black organizations that might want them.

As a librarian, I know that people often inherit items that cost a lot of money but don’t have much value to others (like Dad’s niche book collection). I want to encourage you to get them into the hands of people who will value them but won’t necessarily buy them.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:01 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: @praemunire : They are on my list too
@amtho, @pearlybob - this is a good idea, i will add them to the list
@Balthamos - I don't know that I feel guilty about it and I know that they were created to be purchased internationally. These kind of "fell in my lap" and I try to use proceeds from stuff like that to support more marginalized groups (and if there is a connection between the money and the group then its better)
@coffeecat - I don't expect them to be six figures, at all. I am aware of at least three sculptures that she purchased for around $2000 each, so it's not negligible.
@rrrrrrrrrt - oh this is a good resource!
@bluedaisy - Yes for sure I don't think these are necessarily museum-quality pieces and I'm not looking to turn a profit. It's mostly like... "are there people around with a specific organized structure for acquiring pieces like this, and could that possibly be used to redistribute some of the value more widely"
posted by softlord at 11:07 AM on June 8

Are there any flea markets in your area? The best fate for those pieces of art would seem to be in the home of someone who would enjoy them. I’d probably even give them away or sell them very cheaply on Craigslist. Also I wouldn’t assume that only Africans would be interested. Here in DC African art is very popular for all kinds of Black homeowners to use for decorations.
posted by haptic_avenger at 1:16 PM on June 8 [2 favorites]