A two-year build for a private family collection rooted in works on paper from the Black Belt — 38 acquisitions, three commissioned portraits, and a published catalogue.
The Trust came to us with a long list of names and a much shorter list of certainties. They wanted to build a collection that mattered, locally — not a survey, not a portfolio, but a considered argument about works on paper from the Alabama Black Belt.
We spent the first six months making studio visits across four states, then drafted a curatorial framework: ten core artists, fifteen secondary, an explicit chronology, and a quiet thesis about labor and the hand.
Acquisitions began in month seven. We negotiated directly with artists wherever possible, secured three commissioned works, and handled provenance research, insurance, and conservation coordination throughout. A published catalogue followed in late 2025.
Thirty-eight acquisitions, three commissions, one catalogue. Two pieces have since been lent to the High Museum; one is on long-term loan to Telfair Academy.
More importantly: the Trust now owns a body of work coherent enough to lend, publish, and donate against — and the artists in the collection have seen meaningful primary-market sales as a direct result.