Daniel Grant reports on Leslie Hindman Auctioneers foray into African American art. The firm’s March 1st sale looks to have made around $210k (that’s a rough estimate from the results as the house does not publish an auction total.)

If the auction world is discovering the appeal of African-American art, a number of art galleries already had the news. “We’ve seen a consistent rise in prices and growing interest,” said Michael Rosenfeld, a Manhattan gallery owner who began a series of African American art exhibits back in 1993, although he is more apt to mix the work of white and African American artists, based on thematic interests, in his more recent exhibits. […]

He noted that there is “a finite number of great works” in the African American field, but for these pieces there has been a “consistent rise in prices.” He claimed that the gallery has sold sculptural work by Elizabeth Catlett (b. 1915) for more than $300,000, and for sales of paintings by Charles White (1918-79) “$200,000-300,000 is commonplace.” Last year, the gallery sold a tempera on wood design, part of a 26-foot mural titled “Web of Life” by John Biggers (1924-2001), to the Brooklyn Museum for over $200,000. Many of the highest prices for works in this category are from museums, which are “playing catch-up.”

Are Sales of African American Art Picking Up or in Decline? (Daniel Grant/Huffington Post)