A Passion for Collecting: The Vision of Louis Allan Ford is a testament to Ford’s cultural pride and the legacy he built through collecting. As a patron of the arts, Louis Ford was a familiar and beloved figure on the Washington metropolitan art scene. His passion for African and African American art is reflected in the collection he amazed of nearly two hundred items. Ford acquired utilitarian and ceremonial objects of West Africa and historically significant works of art created by prominent and emerging contemporary artists. He was also a treasure hunter and was known for discovering rare works at estate sales and auction houses.

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Ford was a graduate of Dunbar High School and Howard University. He was a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Ford served in the U.S. Air Force and after a brief stint in the federal government found his niche in real estate, creating opportunities for homeownership for many African American families.

Featured Artists: Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Allan Rohan Crite, David Driskell, Victor Ekpuk, Sam Gilliam, Ronald Jackson, Lois Mailou Jones, Joseph Holston, Charles Sebree, Alma Thomas, James Wells, and many more…

Michael Gross: Abstraction

Price: $20.00 USD + S&H

Michael Gross, painter and printmaker, offers expressive and emotionally filled works using a kaleidoscope of color. Gross creates art as “a means of grappling with the impulses and struggles that make up the way I see my place in the world.” Through his visual lexicon, which is devoid of ideological reference, Gross seeks to create order from chaos. His lyrical compositions of concatenated lines, textured surfaces and rich hues, invoke Abstract Expressionism and pay homage to artists who inspire his work: Willem de Kooning, Richard Diebenkorn and Jackson Pollock.

Price: $5.00 USD + S&H

The cultural voices of the Ghanaian artists are juxtaposed against the rhythm and harmony of the African American artists. As in the tradition of African music, the Ghanaians extend the ancient “call,” eliciting a contemporary “response” from the African Americans. Through this cultural song, we discover the innate similarities derived from the ties of African ancestry— a bond which has not ceased by the separation of an ocean, a bond which continues through atavistic memory.

Paperback: 50 pages | 43 black and white illustrations
Year published: 2004
Language: English
Dimensions: 7.5 x 8 inches

Price: $15.00 USD – SALE: $7.50 + S&H

What do President Barack Obama, Marilyn Monroe, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman) have in common? According to artist Charly Palmer, each has a “Tar Baby”. In this exhibition, Palmer boldly asks “What is your Tar Baby?” as he appropriates African folklore to address issues of bigotry, racism and stereotypes. He examines the lives of athletes, civil rights leaders, entertainers, politicians, scholars, African and Native Americans.

 
Paperback: 56 pages | 47 color illustrations
Year published: 2010
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0981960272
Dimensions: 8.5 x 11 inches