Exhibitions

Art of the Collectors IX

Art of the Collectors IX

Exhibition
February 10 – March 16, 2024
view artwork

Opening Reception
February 10th, 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Programming
March 2nd, 2:00 – 4:00 pm.
Join renowned trusts and estates attorney, James Larry Frazier, for an enlightening presentation on the intersection of estate planning and art collection management. RSVP is required to attend this event.
[SOLD OUT]

The Power of Love by Sam Gilliam, 1993
Acrylic on polypropylene paper on wood, 45.5x 77.5″
Image courtesy the Early Collection and Galerie Myrtis

Galerie Myrtis proudly presents Art of the Collectors IX, a curated exhibition showcasing masterpieces from private collections. Immerse yourself in the brilliance of 20th and 21st-century works of art by African and African American artists.

This extraordinary collection unveils the creative genius of artists such as Elizabeth Catlett, Sam Gilliam, Alvin Hollingsworth, and others who have significantly shaped the American art landscape. From rare paintings to original prints, captivating photographs to timeless sculptures, these treasures have been safeguarded by generations of art enthusiasts.

Join us in celebrating the cultural richness and artistic diversity of these unique works. We invite you to be a part of this exclusive showcase, where art enthusiasts and collectors alike can explore and acquire these gems that have adorned private spaces for decades.

Programing
Art of the Collectors IX program featuring James Larry Frazier
Saturday, March 2
2:00 – 4:00 pm.

Galerie Myrtis proudly presents the “Art of the Collectors IX” program on the intersection of estate planning and art collection management with renowned trusts and estate attorney, James Larry Frazier. Tailored for both novice and experienced art collectors, this session delves into the crucial importance of strategic estate planning to preserve and pass down your artistic legacy.

Frazier, with his extensive expertise, will guide you through the intricacies of protecting your art assets, addressing key considerations such as tax implications, valuation challenges, and the seamless transfer of your collection to family members, individuals or selected institutions. Whether you’re just beginning to build your art collection or seeking to refine your existing estate plan, Frazier’s insights offer practical strategies to ensure your artistic treasures are safeguarded for future generations.

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable knowledge that goes beyond legalities, providing a holistic approach to securing the future of your art collection within the framework of comprehensive estate planning. RSVP is required to attend this event. [SOLD OUT]

Art Fairs

Expo Chicago 2024

Booth # 405

VIP Preview Day
Thursday, April 11th | 12:00 – 9:00pm

Public Hours
Friday, April 12th | 11:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday, April 13th | 11:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, April 14th | 11:00am – 6:00pm

Galerie Myrtis is pleased to announce our forthcoming debut at EXPO Chicago. The booth will showcase contemporary artists who explore the cultural, social, and political landscapes of our world while showcasing the beauty of humanity.

artwork | exhibition catalog

Booth Concept
Galerie Myrtis presents “Intersections of Identity,” featuring the extraordinary works of painters Monica Ikegwu, Megan Lewis and Ronald Jackson, and master printmaker Delita Martin.

The concept explores the rich tapestry of individual and collective identities, highlighting the artists’ unique perspectives and their profound contributions to the contemporary art landscape.

Presented artworks will delve into the complex intersections of race, gender, and culture, showcasing the artists’ distinct artistic approaches and their exploration of personal narratives and societal experiences. Through their respective mediums, Ikegwu, Lewis, Jackson, and Martin bring forth powerful and thought-provoking imagery that challenges traditional notions of identity and celebrates diversity.



Artworks

Tea With Myrtis

Tea with Myrtis – That Which Compels Me So

Tea with Myrtis
January 13, 2024
2:00–4:00 pm

Register for the Tea | artwork preview

Galerie Myrtis is excited to announce the return of “Tea with Myrtis.” Join us for an intimate and enlightening conversation with renowned artists Jerrell Gibbs, Fabiola Jean-Louis, Ya La’Ford, and Megan Lewis. In this engaging discussion, the artists will delve into the captivating and imaginative influences that drive their practice. Discover the unique stories and inspirations behind their artistry as they share their personal journeys and creative processes. “Tea with Myrtis” is a series of art salons where we engage in lively conversations with artists, art collectors and the nation’s leading arts professionals to discuss trends in the contemporary art movement. Share delectable treats and enjoy a selection of delicious teas.

At the event, guests will have the opportunity to taste the new line of teas by artist Delita Martin called Dema Tea. Each canister will feature an image of a vibrant multimedia print and prose from Martin. The line will debut with two flavors: “Papapaya Paradise,” a peach-flavored green tea with ginger notes and undertones of papaya, and “Cinnamon Sunrise,” a black tea with notes of blood orange, cinnamon, and apple. The official launch of the line will take place at the end of January so guests who attend “Tea with Myrtis” will be among the first to taste it.

Megan Lewis
Love Will Come Thru, 2023
Oil, acrylic and glitter on canvas, 48 x 48 ″

Exhibitions

That Which Compels Me So

That Which Compels Me So…
November 18, 2023 – January 13, 2024

Opening Reception
Saturday, November 18, 2-6 pm

Featuring Jerrell Gibbs, Fabiola Jean-Louis,
Ya La’Ford, and Megan Lewis

| artwork preview | Tea with Myrtis is Back!

Galerie Myrtis is honored to introduce painter Jerrell Gibbs as the latest addition to its esteemed roster of artists. Gibbs is set to make his debut in the upcoming exhibition, “That Which Compels Me So…,” a survey and celebration of artists who have joined the gallery since 2021. Joining Gibbs in this exhibition are the exceptional talents of Fabiola Jean-Louis, Ya La’Ford, and Megan Lewis. Each artist brings their unique perspective and creative practice to the fore, resulting in a diverse and thought-provoking collection of works.

Through their respective creative practices, the artists in “That Which Compels Me So” invite viewers to contemplate the intricate interplay of memories, personal reflections, and the imaginative forces that fuel their artistic processes. This exhibition celebrates African American artistry and reflects the diverse and dynamic range of talent within Galerie Myrtis’s growing portfolio of artists.

Megan Lewis
Love Will Come Thru, 2023
Oil, acrylic and glitter on canvas, 48 x 48 ″

About the Artist’s

Jerrell Gibbs (b.1988, Baltimore, MD) is a painter committed to creating authentic and truthful work, and he reveals Black men as Godfearing husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. His paintings highlight joy, beauty, and the mundane, all components within the vastness of Black life. The compositions, which are often taken from his family archive, focus on placement, size, and proportion as much as they do on mark-making and painterly gestures. His assertions of legacy highlight the performative nature of heritage and displacement of an audience unaccustomed to more extensive and wide-ranging portrayals of Black life.

In presenting a deeply personal and emotionally resonant collection of paintings, Gibbs delves into the intimate realm of family life. His canvases breathe with the spirit of kinship as he transforms family photographs into vibrant portraits. Through his masterful use of color, texture, and composition, Gibbs imbues these cherished family moments with new life and emotion. The artist invites us to share in his family’s joys, sorrows, and everyday experiences, making us feel like participants in his own familial journey.

Gibbs’ artistic endeavors are a compelling exploration of the vital processes of preserving and passing down traditions. His work conveys the significance of safeguarding cultural heritage, rituals, and practices to ensure continuity across generations. His work bridges the past, present, and future, emphasizing the enduring importance of traditions in shaping and enriching our cultural identity.

Fabiola Jean-Louis (b. 1978, Port Au Prince, Haiti) a photographer and conceptual artist, engages viewers in a critical dialogue on representation, race, and power dynamics. In her Rewriting History series, Jean-Louis skillfully reinterprets and reimagines the traditions of 15th to 19th-century portraiture in stunning tableaus as an exploration of Black women’s historical erasure and marginalization. She has adorned her subjects in ornate dresses and embellished slippers constructed of woven paper crafted entirely by her hands.

In the equally compelling Polaroids series, Jean-Louis’ sepia tone imagery serves as a visual commentary on the enduring strength and resilience of Black women throughout history, highlighting their agency in shaping their own narratives and identities.

Through her photography and storytelling, Jean-Louis effectively challenges historical narratives by centering Black women in her compositions while questioning the broader societal structures and systems perpetuating inequality.

Ya La’Ford (b. 1979, Bronx, NY) is a multidisciplinary artist who works across various artistic mediums, including painting, sculpture, installation, video, sound, and printmaking. One of her notable series is the “Ancestral Portals: Future of Human Civilization (3355 AD),” featured in this exhibition.

Ford’s prints aim to create a visual atmosphere as a conduit for spiritual reflection. She pursues an understanding of the relationship and symbolic trajectories of the human experience and pulls them towards the spiritually sublime. Employing intricate techniques and hand and machine-sown embellishments, she creates visually arresting prints that reflect her deep connection to her cultural heritage. Geometric shapes, abstract patterns, and symbolisms give viewers a glimpse into her rich artistic lineage and the cultural influences shaping her creative vision.

Megan Lewis (b. 1989, Baltimore, MD) is an accomplished painter known for using various mediums to create paintings that delve into critical perspectives on social, historical, and cultural issues related to Black life. Her recent body of work explores the Black male experience, particularly within the context of Baltimore.

Through her vivid and evocative compositions, Lewis provides viewers with thought-provoking portrayals of the daily lives of men in her community. Her artworks, whether based on real-life experiences or imagined scenarios, offer a window into the multifaceted ways men of the African diaspora navigate the world.

In her paintings, Lewis captures the universal truth of the shared concerns that Black men face in their lives, including the desire to assert their personhood, gain respect, and challenge the stereotypical beliefs and biases that often shape perceptions of who they are. Her work thus serves as a powerful reflection of the challenges and triumphs of Black men in their quest for dignity, recognition, and the dismantling of harmful stereotypes.

Artist

Jerrell Gibbs

Jerrell Gibbs’ paintings are acts of resistance, asserting power over visual stereotypes. He paints the Black male figure with adornments, such as flowers, and contextualizes them in moments of peace, rest, and solitude. These gestures function to dismantle the visual misrepresentation of violence, trauma, and pain.

End of Summa, 2023
48 x 30 ″
Oil on canvas

Artist

Jerrell Gibbs-Biography

Biography

Jerrell Gibbs (b. 1988; Baltimore, Maryland) opposes deceptive perceptions of Black men by questioning master narratives and their connection to a muted visual history. Gibbs’ paintings are acts of resistance, asserting power over visual stereotypes. He paints the Black male figure with adornments, such as flowers, and contextualizes them in moments of peace, rest, and solitude. These gestures function to dismantle the visual misrepresentation of violence, trauma, and pain.

Gibbs is committed to creating paintings that are both authentic and truthful, and he reveals Black men as God- fearing, husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. His paintings highlight joy, beauty and the mundane, all components within the vastness of Black life. The compositions, which are often taken from his family archive, focus on placement, size, proportion, as much as they do on mark-making and painterly gestures. His assertions of legacy highlight the
performative nature of heritage and displaces an audience unaccustomed to more extensive and wide-ranging portrayals of Black life.

Gibbs graduated with an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD in 2020. His work is in the permanent collection of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Columbus Museum of Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Art, the CC Foundation, and the X Museum Beijing.

Art Fairs

IFPDA Print Fair 2023

IFPDA Print Fair 2023


image from the 2022 IFPDA Print Fair

October 26th – 29th
Javits Center, New York, NY
Galerie Myrtis at Booth #219
Ticket Information

This fall, the International Fine Print Dealers Association returns to the Javits Center in New York for the 30th edition of the preeminent fair for prints and printmaking. The IFPDA Print Fair is the largest international art fair dedicated to prints and printmaking, spanning periods and styles from old masters to contemporary, making it a must-see destination for collectors and curators.

View IFPDA Artist’s Catalog

VIP Preview Day
Thursday, October 26th 12 pm – 8 pm

Public Hours
Friday, October 27th 11 am – 7 pm
Saturday, October 28th 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday, October 29th 11 am – 5 pm

Events

Shifting Time – Book Signing

Galerie Myrtis will host a book signing for Shifting Time: African American Artists 2020–2021 in partnership with the Petrucci Family Foundation (PFF). The event features co-editors Klare Scarborough and Berrisford Boothe alongside several artists highlighted in Shifting Time, such as Lavett Ballard, Tawny Chatmon, Morel Doucet, LaToya Hobbs, Monica Ikegwu, Delita Martin, Tim McFarlane, Ransome, Sachi Rome, Felandus Thames, and Stephen Towns. Shifting Time offers a glimpse into the lives of over 70 African American artists during the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice movements, and political upheaval.

The book signing will occur at Galerie Myrtis
Saturday, September 16, 2023
5-7 pm.

  • Due to limited seating, RSVP is required to attend (click here for ticket availability).
  • Order your copy of Shifting Time today!
  • Copies of Shifting Time will be available for purchase during the event.



    • “If we look to the artists, in this volume and elsewhere, we will hear the call and response of the world screaming and the artists answering the challenges of the moment. So, by taking on these projects, artists have been able to offer a tangible reaction to questions that no one has yet fully formulated.” – Lewis Tanner Moore, Foreword for Shifting Time: African American Artists 2020–2021

    Exhibitions

    There Within Lies the Gospel

    There Within Lies the Gospel: Truth

    Opening Reception
    September 2, 2023
    2:00 – 6:00 pm

    This exhibition celebrates the rich history of black religious and spiritual traditions while also challenging the ways in which these practices continue to evolve and adapt in response to contemporary social and cultural realities.

    Featured artists: Tawny Chatmon, Wesley Clark, Morel Doucet, Monica Ikegwu,M. Scott Johnson, Delita Martin, and Felandus Thames.

    view artwork

    Programming includes a book signing for “Shifting Time: African American Artists 2020-2021” on Saturday, September 16th from 5 – 7 pm. The event is in collaboration with the Petrucci Family Foundation (PFF). Claudia Volpe, the Director of PFF, and essayists Klare Scarborough and Berrisford Boothe will join featured artists for the event.

    Exhibition Dates
    September 2 – October 21, 2023

    artwork
    Light in the Darkness II, 2023
    Oil Paint on Canvas, 24 x 18″
    by Monica Ikegwu

    Artist

    Ya-LaFord-biography

    Biography

    Ya La’Ford (born in 1979 in Bronx, NY) is a versatile artist, educator, muralist, and above all, a conduit between the visual realm and the intricate complexities of human communities. Working across a wide range of media including paint, sculpture, installation, video, and sound, she weaves layered meanings to engage with the universal language of art and create transformative experiences that inspire communal growth.

    La’Ford holds a Master of Fine Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts from The Art Institute of Boston, and she also earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. As a first-generation American of Jamaican heritage, she gracefully navigates between her cultural roots and marginalized communities, utilizing the power of art as a medium of connection. Central to the artist’s mission is the creation of art and spatial experiences that profoundly revolutionize the social, cultural, and historical contexts of creative expression within the human journey.

    Her artwork has earned a place in the esteemed permanent collections of institutions such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Vinik Family Foundation, Nike, Indy500, Grand Prix, the Rays, Rowdies, and she was selected to create art for Super Bowl 55, held in Tampa. Notable exhibitions featuring her work include the Baker Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, Orlando Museum of Fine Art, Asia Contemporary Art Show, Yeelen Gallery, and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Additionally, La’Ford’s artistic exploration has taken her to Bangkok, Thailand, Beijing, China, Cairo, Egypt, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and Ogden, Utah, where she has engaged in art installations and residencies.