Galerie Myrtis is an emerging blue-chip gallery and art advisory specializing in twentieth and twenty-first-century American art with a focus on work created by African American and African diasporic artists. The gallery opened its doors in 2006 to utilize the visual arts to raise awareness for artists who deserve recognition for their contributions in artistically portraying our cultural, social, historical, and political landscapes; and to recognize art movements that paved the way for freedom of artistic expression.
Represented is a diverse roster of mid-career to established artists who have achieved regional, national, and international acclaim. Their works have been featured in many important museum exhibitions and included in permanent collections such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture.
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PLace Your Hands Upon My Truth by Delita Martin
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Squaring The Flower V, #1 by Susan Goldman
Galerie Myrtis (GM) is pleased to present work by historical and contemporary artists whose voices offer discourse on our cultural, social, and political landscapes while presenting the beauty of our humanity. GM will highlight the following artists:
Lavett Ballard (b. 1970) constructs mixed media collages on wood and paper that explore self-identity, reclamation, and societal barriers. As a historian, Ballard melds archival imagery with precious metals and paints as a means of reclamation.
Sam Gilliam (1933 - 2022) was a revolutionary artist known for redefining abstract expressionism through sculpture, painting, and printmaking. The Washington Color School artist collaborated with Susan Goldman of Lily Press to produce rich screenprints that revel in the exploration of pure color.
Susan Goldman (b.1958) is a master printmaker whose works explore geometry and decorative form. Goldman's "Tondo" series displays an underlying passion for color and beauty through the melodic placement of various textures and colors to construct annular expressions.
Michael Gross (b. 1944) is a printmaker and painter offering an intellectual dialogue on the beauty of abstraction. His visual language is steeped in a spectrum of color and intensely focused compositions.
Ya La’Ford (b.1979) is an interdisciplinary artist whose works serve as a conduit between the visual realm and the intricate complexities of human communities. She weaves layered meanings to engage with the universal language of art and create transformative experiences that inspire growth.
Delita Martin (b.1972) is a master printmaker who portrays Black women as magical beings with the power to transcend their skin and exist in a spiritual form. Through weaving and storytelling, Martin offers narratives on the power of women whose stories are layered in textures, techniques, and symbolism.
Nelson Stevens (1938 – 2022) was a printmaker and painter honored for his contributions to the Black Arts Movement. Stevens, a member of AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists), had an aesthetic lens rooted in activism and a commitment to creating imagery that railed against racism.
Exhibiting Artists
Lavett Ballard, Sam Gilliam, Susan Goldman, Michael Gross, Ya La'ford, Delita Martin, Nelson Stevens
