Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art announced Thursday the acquisition of Maya's Quilt of Life, a work owned by author, actor and activist Maya Angelou.
Maya's Quilt of Life, a birthday present to Angelou from Oprah Winfrey in 1989 and created by artist Faith Ringgold, sold for $380,000 at a public auction Tuesday in New York. Inscribed on the 73-inch-by-73-inch acrylic on canvas are words from Angelou's works, including I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, a book chronicling her upbringing in Stamps.
Curator Chad Alligood said the piece was attractive to Crystal Bridges in part because of Angelou's history in the state. Ringgold's work also advances the museum's hopes of increasing the diversity of artists displayed in its Bentonville galleries.
"Part of what we do at Crystal Bridges is tell an American story," Alligood said. "That's my guiding principle when I develop an exhibition, when I install works, is for us to engage our visitors in the unfolding American story. There is no better storyteller as an artist than Faith Ringgold, and the story she is telling with this quilt is one of a great author and great American voice."
Ringgold began her unique series of story quilts in the late 1970s. She continued her work into the 1990s and was commissioned by Winfrey to create one featuring Angelou in 1989.
Maya's Quilt of Life was the first of Ringgold's story quilts to be sold at public auction. Swann Auction Galleries in New York City auctioned almost 50 artworks owned by Angelou, who died in Winston-Salem, N.C., on May 28, 2014. All 44 lots in the auction fetched $1.29 million, more than double the $400,000 to $640,000 the event expected to generate.
Swann Auction Galleries put an estimated price of between $150,000 and $250,000 on Maya's Quilt of Life.
"It was a very exciting sale," said Nigel Freeman, director of the African-American Fine Art Department at Swann Auction Galleries. "We did expect, of course, with someone of this stature and a cultural figure like Dr. Angelou to generate interest. But you never know what is going to happen. We had a very full room and ended up with lots of interest. This work is connected to three very important women in American cultural life."
Angelou, born Marguerite Ann Johnson in St. Louis, was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. She received more than 50 honorary degrees and released more than 30 books over the course of her career.
Bill Clinton asked Angelou to write and read an original poem for his presidential inauguration in 1993. Clinton described Angelou as "a national treasure" and "a beloved friend" when she died last year.
At the time of her death Angelou owned more than 500 pieces of art. Maya's Quilt of Life was prominently displayed in her Harlem townhouse, and Angelou's son, Guy Johnson, said his mother enjoyed sharing art with others.
Angelou's love of art was an important part of his upbringing, Johnson wrote in an introduction to the auction catalog.
"It was her belief that the presence of art and creativity in a person's daily life broadened his or her perspective on the world around them," Johnson wrote, later adding, "Each piece ... spoke to her. She loved to sit and study her art and wonder what dreams or nightmares inspired the artist to create it. Her family hopes that the art which added color and character to her daily life does the same for others."
Crystal Bridges, which recently eclipsed 2 million visitors, will feature Maya's Quilt of Life in its 1940s to Now gallery. Other female artists already included in the collection are Elizabeth Catlett, Kara Walker and Roni Horn.
Freeman, of Swann Auction Galleries, said the thrill of the sale was increased by the fact that Maya's Quilt of Life will be on public display. Crystal Bridges has not announced a firm date for when the quilt will appear in the galleries, but Freeman said the museum will help increase the profile of black artists like Ringgold.
"It was great to see intense interest from collectors of all backgrounds and interests," Freeman said. "It shows the rising stature of African-American artists, who have really only recently been seen at auction. An auction like this raises the stature of the artists and helps make the value of their work known. It benefits artists, appraisers, and when things end up in public collections, it's a benefit for many more people."
Metro on 09/18/2015