Mackey Twins Art Gallery to present “The Legacy Continues: New Works, New Mediums,” The Artwork Of James Denmark
Don’t miss “The Legacy Continues: New Works, New Mediums” featuring exclusive works by acclaimed visual artist James Denmark. The exhibit will celebrate the 80th birthday of the master artist and run from Saturday, April 9, through Sunday, April 10, at the Mount Vernon, New York, gallery. The Mackey Twins Art Gallery is the largest collection of exclusive works of artists of color in the tristate area.
Heavily influenced by Jackson Pollock, Clyfford Still, Jacob Lawrence, Norman Lewis and Romare Bearden, Denmark is best known for his vibrant collage work and watercolors capturing Black life in America; however, he has created exclusive pastel watercolors, woodcuts and collages for this show. Denmark has had more than 60 oneman shows and his work is found in collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and private and corporate collections across North America, Europe and Africa. The show will include 60 works by the artist for sale at the show.
The Mackey Twins Art Gallery was founded in 2004 by Karen and Sharon Mackey, identical twin sisters, with the mission of cultivating communities of art collectors and saturating homes and businesses with fine art. The coprincipals’ personal, non intimidating approach introduces the interested collector to art and develops him or her as a collector. While their clients and supporters include Lonette McKee, Khalil Kain, Danny Simmons, Byron and Sylvia Lewis, Lloyd Williams and Voza Rivers, others are first time buyers entering the field.
“The artist captures the magic of our lives,” said Sharon Mackey. “By purchasing an artist’s work, we are investing not only in that creative spirit but also in our culture and our people.”
“We have a deep yearning to see ourselves represented in all art forms but this cannot be sustained in the art world without our financial contributions,” said Karen Mackey. “We have a responsibility to support our artists and to contribute to them in the same way they enrich our lives.”
The duo’s collection includes exclusive work by acclaimed artists Xenobia Bailey, Betty Blayton, Stacey Brown, Wayne Bowen, Leroy Campbell, James Denmark, Essud Fungcap, Magno Laracuente, Ruth Miller, Charly Palmer and TWIN. They have curated exhibits at numerous influential tastemaker events, including the Harlem Fine Art Reception at The New York Times; “Faith, Courage & Purpose” at the Central Park Arsenal Gallery and “Art’s Conscience” at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The sisters are recipients of the National Conference of Artists Black History Makers Award, the Leroy Campbell Exemplary Art Forum Award, the Harlem Business Alliance’s Community Service Award, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and WBLS Urban Community Award and the 2015 Westchester County Trailblazer Award for Commitment to the Arts, among other honors. In 2010, they were awarded the key to the City of Mt. Vernon.
The exhibition runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day with live jazz, wine and hors d’oeuvres, and it will include an artist’s talk by Denmark at 4 p.m.on Saturday, April 9, and discussions with the artist throughout the weekend. The Mackey Twins Art Gallery is located at 457 E. Sidney Avenue.