Art Fairs

FUZE Art Fair 2026

FUZE Caribbean Art Fair 2026

LOCATION: Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas
October 21 -25, 2026

view the artwork | view catalog

Coming Home

Coming Home brings together the mixed-media collages of Lavett Ballard and the layered figurative paintings of Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola, examining home as a site of memory, identity, and collective care. Both artists create intimate portraits of Black life that affirm belonging in a world shaped by displacement and isolation.

Ballard’s collages explore how self and community are constructed through layered histories and material memory. Combining painted imagery, textiles, and fragmented visual references, she shows how home is carried internally through memory, ritual, and cultural inheritance.

Kanyinsola’s paintings evoke home as a psychological and spiritual sanctuary. His subjects carry a regal presence, surrounded by botanical imagery, patterned textiles, and vibrant color that speak to cultural continuity. Rejecting narratives of scarcity, his portraits offer Black domesticity rooted in abundance, tenderness, and emotional grounding.

Together, Ballard and Kanyinsola envision home not only as a physical place but as an emotional and communal condition, emphasizing restoration over spectacle and storytelling over transaction. The presentation aligns with FUZE Art Fair’s commitment to collaboration, Caribbean diasporic dialogue, and collective growth.

Coming home, they remind us, is both a return and a reimagining: an act of creating spaces where people can be fully seen, valued, and connected.

The fair will take place from October 21nd to 25th, running daily from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. Click here for ticket information.

Exhibitions

Stars and Stripes Pride Protest Promise

BRIA STERLING WILSON
My American Gothic, 2025
Collage, found imagery, family archives
18.25 × 17 ″

Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise

Opening Reception:
October 16th, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Exhibition runs October 16, 2026 – February 5, 2027.

Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise was featured on the CNN segment Art is Life, hosted by Victor Blackwell. watch video

In celebration of its twentieth anniversary, Galerie Myrtis will present Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise, an exhibition examining the enduring symbolism of the American flag and the complex meanings of patriotism, from October 16, 2026, through February 5, 2027.

Marking both a significant milestone for Galerie Myrtis and a pivotal moment of national reflection, the exhibition coincides with the United States’ 250th anniversary. This historic occasion invites renewed consideration of the symbols, values, and narratives that have shaped the American experience—and of the ideals represented by the nation’s most enduring symbol: the American flag.
First explored by Galerie Myrtis in its 2008 exhibition Stars and Stripes: Pride or Despair, the subject returns nearly two decades later with renewed urgency. Through the perspectives of contemporary artists, the exhibition examines patriotism, belonging, identity, freedom, and the enduring tensions between the promise of America and the realities of the American experience.
The American flag endures as one of the nation’s most potent and contested symbols. It has flown over moments of profound progress and painful contradiction: the expansion of civil rights alongside their persistent contestation, democratic ideals shadowed by systemic inequities.
Drawing from the visual language of stars and stripes, the artists in this exhibition—representing diverse cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds—engage the flag not as a static icon, but as a living, evolving site of meaning. Their works celebrate resilience, sacrifice, and collective achievement while also challenging narratives that obscure histories of exclusion and unresolved injustice.
Situated within today’s charged political and social climate—marked by polarization, debates around belonging, and renewed demands for accountability, the exhibition asks what patriotism can and should mean in the present moment. The American flag becomes both mirror and measure, reflecting pride and grief, hope and dissent. These tensions are not framed as oppositional, but as inseparable forces that have always shaped the nation’s democratic project.
By returning to this theme at a pivotal historical moment, Galerie Myrtis underscores the enduring relevance of artistic inquiry in shaping civic imagination. Stars and Stripes: Pride, Protest & Promise, honors the struggles and triumphs that have expanded democracy’s reach, while inviting reflection on the work that remains. As the nation looks toward its next century, the exhibition affirms that celebration and critique are not contradictory acts, but essential components of an engaged, evolving democracy.
Featured Artists: Devin Allen, Lavett Ballard, Wesley Clark, Connor Czora, Tawny Chatmon, Morel Doucet, Ya La’Ford, Jerrell Gibbs, Susan Goldman, Monica Ikegwu, Ronald Jackson, Fabiola Jean-Louis, M. Scott Johnson, Megan Lewis, Lex Marie, Kim Rice, James Seward, and Felandus Thames.
Art Fairs

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair 2026

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair | Booth #9

Lavett Ballard | Damilare Kanyinsola | Megan Lewis


price list | catalog |
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Sales List cover
DAMILARE JAMIU, A Piece of Peace, 2025, Oil and acrylic on canvas, 48″ x 36″

About the Artists

Lavett Ballard

Lavett Ballard

b. 1970, East Orange, New Jersey

Lavett Ballard (b. 1970, East Orange, NJ) anchors the presentation with richly layered portraits that fuse historical consciousness and decorative abstraction. Holding dual Bachelor’s degrees in Studio Art and Art History with a minor in Museum Studies from Rutgers University, and an MFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Ballard brings academic rigor and cultural sensitivity to her practice. Her compositions often incorporate wallpaper-like motifs, gilded surfaces, and symbolic patterning that reference African textiles while engaging Western portrait traditions. Ballard’s national recognition includes her commission by Time Magazine.

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola

b. 1994, Lagos Island, Nigeria

Damilare Jamiu Kanyinsola (b. 1994, Lagos Island, Nigeria) grounds the presentation in lived African experience and philosophical reflection. Apprenticed early under Lagos-based artist Muyiwa Williams, Damilare developed a practice deeply informed by his environment and the realities of contemporary Nigeria. Self-described as an African Realist, he centers authentic African narratives through figurative painting that often includes animals—cats and dogs—as symbolic companions. His work reflects a meditative engagement with humanity, spirituality, and Black consciousness. Within the booth, Damilare’s paintings offer an intimate, grounded perspective on African identity, memory, and resilience.

Megan Lewis

Megan Lewis

b. 1989, Baltimore, Maryland

Megan Lewis (b. 1989, Baltimore, MD) contributes a dynamic, painterly counterpoint through highly physical figurative works that pulse with movement and color. A graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design (BFA, Illustration, 2011), Lewis is both a painter and muralist, known for wielding a palette knife with decisive precision. Her figures are rendered in bold hues and geometric forms, often adorned with layered textiles that draw from African design traditions. Ankara fabrics—some acquired during her travels to Johannesburg, South Africa—are integrated directly into her paintings, collapsing boundaries between surface, pattern, and body.
Exhibitions

The Brave: Affirming Power, Presence & Possibility

The Brave: Affirming Power, Presence & Possibility

August 30 – October 11, 2025

Opening Reception
Saturday, August 30 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM

view artwork

Galerie Myrtis is pleased to present The Brave: Affirming Power, Presence & Possibility, a powerful group exhibition curated by Myrtis Bedolla. On view from August 30 through October 11, 2025, the exhibition features contemporary artists whose work explores the emotional, historical, and imaginative landscapes of the African diaspora.

Inspired by the anthemic lyrics of Danielle Ponder’s Some of Us Are Brave, the exhibition centers artists who examine the complexities of Black freedom, the weight of injustice, and the radical potential of self-definition. Through painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, and installation, The Brave calls forth a collective testimony that honors ancestral strength, celebrates embodied truth, and demands space for joy, grief, intimacy, and transformation.

Featured artists: Devin Allen, Lavett Ballard, Wesley Clark, Jerrell Gibbs, Fabiola Jean-Louis, Felandus Thames, Megan Lewis, Delita Martin, Ronald Jackson, M. Scott Johnson, Ya La’Ford, James Seward, and Bria Wilson-Sterling.

Art Fairs

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

May 8th – 11th
28 Liberty Street, New York
NY 10005
Ticket Information

Galerie Myrtis – Booth 04
Featured Artist:
Lavett Ballard
Tawny Chatmon
Monica Ikegwu

view artwork | 1-54 artist’s catalog

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will feature a curated selection of galleries presenting contemporary works by both emerging and established artists from Africa and its diaspora. As always, 1-54 will collaborate with leading institutions to offer tailored programming.

VIP Preview Day
Thursday, May 8, 2025
11 am – 7 pm

Public Hours
Friday May 9th, 11 am – 7 pm
Saturday May 10th, 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday May 11th, 11 am – 6 pm

Art Fairs

IFPDA Print Fair 2025

IFPDA Print Fair 2025

March 27th – 30th
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue, New York, NY
Ticket Information

Galerie Myrtis at Booth C19
Featured Artist:
Lavett Ballard
Tawny Chatmon
Susan Goldman
Delita Martin

view artwork | IFPDA Artist’s Catalog

Established in 1987, the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) is the preeminent international membership organization for galleries, dealers, and publishers specializing in prints and editions. Join us at the Park Avenue Armory, March 27th through the 30th, for the IFPDA Print Fair, a celebration of 550+ years of prints and printmaking.

VIP Preview Day
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Invitation and VIP Pass Only
5 – 9 PM

Public Hours
Friday, March 28, 2025, 11 AM – 7 PM
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 11 AM – 7 PM
Sunday, March 30, 2025, 11 AM – 5 PM

Artist

Good Fences: Neighboring Narratives of the Soul

Good Fences: Neighboring Narratives of the Soul

Solo Exhibition – Lavett Ballard
March 30 – May 4, 2024

Opening Reception
March 30th, 4:00 – 6:00 pm.

| view artwork |

Programming
April 20th, 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
Join us for an enlightening conversation with featured artist Lavett Ballard, moderated by exhibition curator and founding director of Galerie Myrtis, Dr. Myrtis Bedolla.

Galerie Myrtis proudly presents Good Fences: Neighboring Narratives of the Soul, a solo exhibition featuring renowned collage artist Lavett Ballard. The exhibit offers a survey of Ballard’s career long practice of embellishing reclaimed wood fences with images taken from historical archives, along with paints, woodburning, and precious metals. These mixed media collages re-contextualize the historical socio-cultural challenges experienced by people of color.

Ballard has had the esteemed honor of being commissioned by Time Magazine to create a portrait of civil rights activist Rosa Parks for the “100 Women of the Year” edition. The artwork, titled “The Bus Riders,” was published on March 16, 2020. In 2023, Time Magazine approached Ballard again to create a visual narrative for an editorial written by Isabel Wilkerson. The mixed media collages, titled “Caste and Chaos,” were chosen to appear in the February 3, 2023, “Division and Destiny” issue. The same issue also featured a cover story on Ballard’s artistic process, written by Victor Williams.

Good Fences: Neighboring Narratives of the Soul sheds light on the role of fences in my artistic practice, particularly in addressing social and cultural challenges faced by people of color. I use wooden fences as powerful symbols representing both division and protection. They embody the passage of time through the grains of the wood, while also signifying the potential for renewal and transformation. Through my artwork, I aim to visually articulate and celebrate the shared experiences of the African diaspora, highlighting how our collective stories connect us to our ancestors and the broader global community.” – Lavett Ballard

Programing
Artist Talk featuring Lavett Ballard
April 20th, 2:00 – 4:00 pm.

Join us for an enlightening conversation with featured artist Lavett Ballard, moderated by exhibition curator and founding director of Galerie Myrtis, Dr. Myrtis Bedolla. The discussion will delve into Ballard’s ongoing use of reclaimed wood, the historical underpinnings of collage, and the importance of uplifting the stories of underrepresented people in her work. Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to present their thought-provoking questions to the artist.

Art Fairs

IFPDA Print Fair 2022

IFPDA Print Fair 2022


October 27th – 30th
Javits Center, New York, NY
Booth #215

VIP Preview Day
Thursday, October 27th 12 pm – 8 pm

Public Hours
Friday, October 28th 11 am – 7 pm
Saturday, October 29th 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday, October 30th 11 am – 5 pm
Ticket information

Featured are prints by artists

Exhibitions

The Beautiful and the Damned


The Beautiful and the Damned
September 17 – November 5, 2022

ARTISTS
Lavett Ballard | Monica Ikegwu | Megan Lewis | view artwork | artist Talk

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 17 – 2:00 ‐ 6:00 pm
Virtual Artist Talk: Wednesday, September 28 – 7:00 – 8:00 pm EDT.

The Beautiful and the Damned asserts beauty as imagined through the lens of three
African American women artists who challenge the historic limiting and unattainable
standards of what is desirable.

Press

Lavett Ballard – PRESS

PRESS

Daily Art Magazine, December, 2020
Lavett Ballard’s African American and Female Narratives byMaia Heguiaphal

Lavett Ballard‘s work is currently on show in two exhibitions, When She Roars is on at the Long-Sharp Gallery and Women Heal through Rite and Ritual is on at the Galerie Myrtis. When entering the show, you will discover works of art that question identity and self-identity using painted collages on wood fences. Lavett Ballard chose this medium to create a lexicon of images of African American and female identity.full article

Whitewall, October, 2020
Myrtis Bedolla is Deploying Art to Address Political and Social Issues by Katy Donoghue

Galerie Myrtis presents “Women Heal through Rite and Ritual” through the end of the year. The show’s focus was conceived prior to this year’s health crisis, and yet its timing could not be more fitting. Work by artists Lavett Ballard, Tawny Chatmon, Oletha DeVane, Shanequa Gay, Delita Martin, Elsa Muñoz, and Renée Stout look to non-Western traditions of the women’s role as nurturer, both physically and spiritually. full article