Traditonal art from Africa, Oceania and the Americas takes center stage in New York City during the second annual New York Tribal Art Week® with a wealth of gallery exhibitons, auctions, and events focused on tribal art.

From May 9 to 15, coinciding with tribal art auctions at Sotheby’s and Bonhams, a consortium of leading specialists offered traditional African, Asian, Oceanic, American and Asian works of art of the highest quality, including rare masterpieces as well as more affordable items:

Participating Private Galleries Included:
David Cassera, New York, NY & Seattle,WA
Mark Eglinton Tribal Art, New York, NY
Brian Nault Tribal Art, Oklahoma City, OK
Throckmorton Fine Art, New York, NY
Arte Primitivo - Howard S. Rose Gallery, NY
Hemingway African Gallery, New York, NY
Turner Gallery, New York, NY
Reynold C Kerr African Art, New York, NY
Tabwa Gallery, New York, NY
Alan Steele, New York, NY

New York Tribal Art Week® mastermind, bi-coastal gallery owner and publisher of Art Ttribal Newsletter, David Cassera said, “the excitement of the Sotheby’s auction had everyone enthrawled, there was a great atmosphere everywhere. I was able to meet new collectors and sell some nice pieces. I also gained new subscribers for the Newsletter. I had a vision last year when I created this event. I am following the blueprints of New York Asia Week and I am pleased with the progress this year and that the Madison Promenade now renamed AOA has finally been recoginized.”

Group Shows
African Art @ Madison
A group of leading dealers held a joint exhibiton of 100 objects from traditional cultures of West, Central, South and East Africa on three floors of an elegant East Side townhouse near Madison Avenue. Participants included:
Young Robertson African Art, New York, NY
PM Boyd Fine African Art, Seattle, WA
Amyas Naegele Fine Art, New York, NY
James Stephenson African Art, Brooklyn, NY
Fily Keita African Art, Los Angeles, CA

The AOA Tribal Art Fair
Formally the Madison Avenue Promenade,  The AOA Tribal Art Fair premiered with a new name May 12-15th. Particpanting dealers inside the Fletcher Sinclair mansion included:
Jacaranda Tribal, New York, NY
Patrick and Ondine Mestdagh, Brussels
Herma Visser, Brussels
Gallerie J. Visser, Brussels
Gallerie Flak, Paris
Neil Becker, New York
Gail Martin Gallery, New York
Claudia and John Menser
Earl Duncan, Kansas City
Michael Rhodes African Art, New York

John Giltsoff at Mallett
Giltsoff took a space in Mallett for the second year and hosted a very lovely champaigne and orderves opening. Last year Giltsoff stayed an extra week at Mallett while this year he will stay almost the entire month.

Previous Madison Promenade partipants such as Pace Primitive, Alaska on Madison and Nasser & Co. exhibited in their private galleries along with a few visitors from outside New York including, Galerie Schoffel - Valluet, & Chris Boylan. Other familiar New York names included John Molloy, and David Bernstein.

David Bernstein said to have sold a fantastic Naireno sandstone guardian figure from around the 10th century A.D. to an American collector.

Dulon “Kota Ancestors” Exhibition
The “Kota Ancestors” exhibition gathered twenty major pieces of Kota Art from the nineteenth century culled from prestigious collections. Curated by Paris-based Bernard Dulon Gallery, the exhibition  took place at the Friedman & Vallois Gallery.
Bruce Frank Annual Group Show
For the second year a group consisting of Craig De Lora, Bruce Frank, and Michael Oliver held their group show at Frank’s west side gallery.  Bruce Frank said, “I thought it was pretty successful for the 2nd year. I sold a 19th Century Guardian Figure from Borneo to an American collector. We met new people Americans and Europeans. In General I feel its great to sell at shows, but the primary reason I do them is to meet potential new collectors. So for me it was a success because I met new people.”

Lectures
Nubia: Ancient Kingdoms of Africa
The Museum for African Art (currently closed during construction) was the co-sponsor of a series of lectures related to Nubia: Ancient Kingdoms of Africa, an exhibition at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University.

Auctions
Sotheby’s

May 13th, Tribal Art total -  $21.8M
May 18th, American Indian Art total - $4.8M
Bonhams
May 12, Tribal Art total - $575, 803