Abstract View: Detroit

This exhibition includes a selection of paintings by some of Detroit’s most noted abstract artists. These works come from the N’Namdi Collection, one of the finest private collections of African American art in the world. The owner of the collection, Dr. George N’Namdi, explains, “The combined works cover more than a century of art in every genre and is anchored by contemporary abstract paintings. The collection can be seen as a legacy investment, which assists in securing the heritage of African American artists. It is also a tool for educating audiences on the contributions of people of African descent to the discourse of modern and contemporary art.”  As the culmination of over 40 years of commitment, entrepreneurship and discernment, the collection represents the many divergent approaches to making art, and the history, struggles and triumphs.

The artists in this exhibition include Alvin D. Loving, Charles McGee, Allie McGhee, Artis Lane, Anita Bates, MacArthur Binion, Gilda Snowden, M. Saffell Gardner and Jocelyn Rainey.

George N’Namdi has been collecting art since he was an undergraduate at Ohio State University in the late 1960s. After receiving a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Michigan, he left a successful practice to open his first gallery, Jazzonia, in Harmonie Park, Detroit, in 1981. The gallery’s name, derived from the Langston Hughes poem of the same name, captures insight into the influences, which inspire the collection and interests of N’Namdi. In 1984 he established the G.R. N’Namdi Gallery. Since then, he has owned galleries in Detroit, Birmingham, Chicago and New York. For N’Namdi, it has been a privilege and a passion to share his art collection with the public.

The N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art is located at 52 E. Forest Avenue in Midtown Detroit.  The gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon until 6 pm. The Center has an active schedule of exhibitions and programs designed to promote understanding, appreciation and knowledge of the arts.