Peg Alston’s Odyssey through the Art World Cements her Place Ahead of Its Curve
Upon entering the art world and assisting a CEO who was keenly focused on supporting stewards of art, I soon understood that I needed to be versed in 360 degrees of art world intelligence, to be able to communicate on topics of relevance in the art space. And if I could not, my charge was to work with the company’s internal teams to seek out experts – the top authorities on issues such as best practices in collecting and caring for art; averting art damages; art packaging and shipment; art storage; issues around art theft and art conservation.
Invariably, when the topic of African American art surfaced, and experts at the time were scant, the refrain was the same over the years: “Can we get to Peg Alston?” She was always touted as “the expert” on art of note by African Americans, many now considered Masters.
Turns out there was much to learn about this American cultural treasure and private dealer behind the eponymous Peg Alston Fine Art. Peg is considered one of the country's foremost specialists on art by African Americans and artists of African descent. The HistoryMakers chronicles the New York University (BA, ‘60) and Columbia University (MSW, ‘64) alum’s odyssey through an art world devoid of interest in work by artists of color at the time - saying: “Becoming frustrated because of the lack of visibility for African American artists, she established the Peg Alston Gallery in 1975, a private art dealership, specializing in African American art and sculpture.”
Alston held numerous art-related positions over her career which began in 1969 as a council member for the Studio Museum of Harlem and later on as publicity director for Cinque Gallery, co-founded by artists Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis. “In 1978, she served as a panel member on the New York State Council for the Arts where she helped to bring visibility to African American artists. In 1980, Alston became the curator for Retour Aux Sources, the first exhibit of African American artists in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and West Africa. In 1989, she was the coordinator for the Celebration of Tokyo and New York City as Sister Cities Art Festival, which led to her receiving the Distinction of Honor Award by the New York Coalition of Black Women that same year. From 1990 to 1992, she and Dr. Kaye E. Davis co-sponsored Established Art Seminars in New York City, which helped to bring African American art to a broader audience.”
Peg Alston credits giants Romare Bearden and Norman Lewis as early mentors in her career. Thanks to her sophisticated taste, knowledge and absolute dedication to bringing visibility to art created by African Americans, you may count artworks by established Masters such as Romare Bearden, Sir Frank Bowling, Elizabeth Catlett, David Driskell, Aaron Douglas, Sam Gilliam, Norman Lewis and Faith Ringgold among the artists who commanded a place on her roster, long before they were on today’s frenzied art market radar.
Peg is widely recognized for her substantial role in driving interest in art by African Americans around the country. She took the best route to creating national interest by curating knowledge-based seminars and discussions and creating catalogs on valuing, collecting, appraising and cataloguing art by artists of color. She believes in what she teaches. Her own personal collection of African sculptures, art and historic clothing hold such cultural significance that a major museum came knocking for an opportunity to include Alston’s collection among their own. But it was not to be.
As chance would have it, I did get an opportunity to personally meet the beautiful, unassuming human spirit that is Peg Alston, whom I find particularly gracious. A respected collector introduced us during an Art Basel Miami Beach Fair about 10 years ago. A subsequent art viewing afternoon at her Central Park West home accompanied by my husband, followed with drinking delicious wines with Peg and her husband (recently deceased) is especially memorable.
I will always hold dear attending one of Peg’s talks at the Brooklyn Museum, where I had a front row opportunity to listen intently as she walked the evening’s well-heeled attendees through her introduction to, and intense love affair with art. I knew she was the real deal when she described how she had spent her time calculating which piece(s) of art she would be acquiring with the sum she anticipated receiving from a financial settlement. Now that’s love! I became a fan.
In looking at the auction and sales results of the current art art market, and with the new voracious love affair, and burgeoning appetite for art by African Americans and other artists of African descent, I have quietly wondered what Peg Alston would say if she were to compare the optics of current trends in the sector versus those at the beginning of her career.
CLICK here to listen to Peg Alston in her own words where she shares more about her art world sojourns, as guest on Cerebral Women Art Talks Podcast
Acknowledgement:
Ellie Meek Tweedy, Newsletter Editor