BLACK CROWN ART AUCTIONS MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT AT THE 18TH ANNUAL HARLEM FINE ART SHOW

Black Crown Art Auctions, the nation’s only active Black-owned and Black-operated fine art auction house specializing in work by African American artists, made its official debut at the opening reception of the 18th Annual Harlem Fine Art Show (HFAS). The launch took place Friday, February 20, at The Glasshouse in New York City. Guests met the founders, registered for upcoming sales, and previewed works slated for the inaugural auction in mid-March.

The auction house was founded by Walter Shannon and Cathy Smith Shannon, co-owners of E&S Gallery, the Louisville-based, award-winning gallery established in 1989 and recognized as the largest Black-owned art and custom framing gallery in the United States. For more than 35 years, the Shannons have built a national reputation for curatorial excellence, market expertise, and trusted stewardship among artists and collectors.

Black Crown Art Auctions represents a long-envisioned expansion of their work—one focused exclusively on master African American artists and their contemporaries. While major auction houses may market “Black Art” categories, none are Black owned, a gap that has contributed to inequities in valuation, representation, and ownership within the secondary market. Black Crown was established to address that structural imbalance and offer collectors an ownership-aligned alternative.

Black Crown will conduct both online and in-person auctions, expanding access while advancing equity, cultural preservation, and market recognition for African American artists globally.

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