Free Library Of Philadelphia: African American Art Collecting And Research With Philadelphia Author Sherry Howard

Press release from the Free Library of Philadelphia:

November 3, 2021

Sherry L. Howard is a Philadelphia-based art collector and researcher who primarily focuses on local African American art and artists. She writes about her experience in the world of art auctions on her blog, Auction Finds, and in her new book, Art with Heart: How I Built a Sweet Collection by Buying Cheap at Auction.

Howard is an avid researcher and once a work of art has sparked her interest she sets out to learn more about the artists who made them. With a background in journalism, Howard often combines information gleaned from a wide variety of existing sources with valuable new primary sources she creates herself in the form of interviews, whether with the artists themselves or members of their surviving family. In the process, she brings overdue recognition to artists who've often been overlooked.

In addition to being a great source of information on the artists in Howard's collection, the book is full of personal stories and advice that make the world of art auctions more accessible. Here is an excerpt from Howard's book detailing her encounter with Delaware artist Edward L. Loper Jr's painting, Tenement #3

Join us Thursday evening, November 4 at 5:30 p.m. for an author talk with Sherry Howard to learn more about her outstanding art collection and her experiences. We'll also share some brief information about accessing Free Library resources for art collectors and learning more about African American artists from the Philadelphia area, that range from thousands of books and magazines to newspaper databases and the archival materials available in the Art Department research file collection.

Please register at sherryhoward.eventbrite.com to attend this virtual event.

This press release was produced by the Free Library of Philadelphia. The views expressed here are the author’s own.