Black Crown and the Future of Art Auctions

In a New York gallery, a Kerry James Marshall canvas leans against a table of catalogues. Black Crown, founded by Janelle Carter in 2023, is the only active Black-owned fine art auction house in the U.S. It focuses on underrepresented artists and aims to transform the art market.

Carter, a former curator at the Studio Museum in Harlem, describes Black Crown as a response to "both an opportunity and an absence." At a recent press event, she noted, "When the most critical works by Black artists surface at auction, they often do so in spaces with little connection to the communities those works represent." This absence is systemic. Despite growing interest in Black artists, auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s remain steeped in Euro-American traditions.

Statistics underscore Carter’s concerns. A 2019 Artnet report revealed that African American artists represented just 1.2% of global auction sales over the previous decade. Major sales often spotlight only a few artists, leaving broader representation lacking. Black Crown seeks to fill these gaps by showcasing living Black artists and recontextualizing historical works through sales dedicated to African diasporic art.

Their second auction, held in August 2023, was a study in recalibration. Titled Lineage and Legacy, it featured early works by Romare Bearden, mid-century ceramics by Margaret Boozer, and new commissions by emerging artists like Diedrick Brackens. The printed catalogue—bound in textured black linen—includes essays by scholars and critics, grounding each lot in narratives often absent from traditional auction contexts.

The highest bid of the evening, $850,000, secured a rare triptych by Charles White. Yet, it was the audience—a mix of collectors, artists, and first-time bidders—that distinguished the event. Many attendees were affiliated with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or organizations like the Black Art Futures Fund. “This was not just about buying,” Carter explains. “It was about connecting.”

Institutional partnerships are central to Black Crown’s model. Earlier this year, the auction house collaborated with Fisk University to support a conservation program for works in the school’s permanent collection. This effort preserves key works of Black art history while fostering expertise among HBCU students in art handling and restoration, a field from which Black professionals remain largely excluded.

Black Crown’s emergence aligns with a broader shift in the art market. In the past five years, equity initiatives have gained momentum, such as Christie’s collaboration with the Africa Center in 2022 and Sotheby’s inclusion of more contemporary African artists. However, many of these efforts exist within hierarchical frameworks. Independent ventures like Black Crown challenge this by positioning themselves as creators of alternatives.

The risks are evident. Fine art auctions rely heavily on reputation, and Carter acknowledges that Black Crown is still building its network of consignors and collectors. “The question we face is whether the market can expand enough to accommodate new players without forcing them to mimic traditional models,” says Dr. Camilla Godfrey, a professor of art economics at Rutgers University. Godfrey highlights the balance Black Crown must strike between cultivating new audiences and achieving financial sustainability.

Though it’s early to gauge Black Crown’s long-term impact, its approach has implications beyond the auction block. By focusing on artists historically marginalized by museums and markets, the house is reshaping expectations about who defines artistic value—and where that value belongs.

Carter’s vision extends beyond mere sales. She believes Black Crown’s existence is a statement: “We are not just selling art; we are rewriting the terms on which art circulates.” This rewriting begins with adding layers of visibility. “For a long time, the art world has operated as if visibility equals representation. But representation is about structure, not just sightlines.”

Traditionally, auctions have favored exclusivity—a mystique designed to protect value. Black Crown’s model, built on collaboration and access, proposes something less opaque. Its pre-auction viewings are open to the public, featuring guided tours aimed at demystifying the bidding process. Carter attributes this openness to her years in education, where she observed that barriers to collecting often stemmed from intimidation rather than lack of interest.

As Black Crown evolves, its success will hinge on sustaining a diverse pipeline of consignors, collectors, and artists. For now, the house offers a blueprint for a market that reflects a fuller spectrum of human creativity. It is a practical recalibration, asking: What happens to collective memory when markets embrace democracy?

The next test for Black Crown comes in December 2023, with an auction titled Reclaiming Spaces. This sale will feature works by Black architects and designers, underscoring Carter’s belief in broadening the definition of art to include overlooked disciplines. Whether this momentum can shift long-standing inequities remains uncertain. Yet one truth has surfaced: the art market, like the art history it curates, grows richer when it dares to include.