THE EVER-PRESENT FLORAL PATTERNS in the background of Kehinde Wiley’s famous portraits inspired a set of notecards. A deck of playing cards features artwork by Gee’s Bend, Ala., quilt artists. Rashid Johnson’s Untitled Escape Collage is emblazoned on a hoodie. From apparel and accessories to stationery and home goods, African American artists have inspired a bounty of new products, ideal gifts for anyone happy to have more art in their life. New objects have also been created on the occasion of the most anticipated exhibitions of the year, including solo shows of Amoako Boafo, Lubaina Himid, Wangechi Mutu, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Lorraine O’Grady, Alma Thomas, and Billie Zangewa. Select sales benefit nonprofits and social justice causes, such as The Underground Museum, Studio Museum in Harlem, Wiley’s Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program, and the DreamYard scholarship fund for middle-school students in Queen, N.Y., the beneficiary of a puzzle collaboration featuring images by artist Derrick Adams and students from the DreamYard program. Culture Type’s latest holiday guide highlights nearly three dozen artist-inspired gifts:
STATIONERY
Postcard deck is based on the original artwork: LORRAINE O’GRADY, “Art Is . . . ,” 1983/2009 (c-print in 40 parts, 16 × 20 inches, Edition of 8 + 1 AP). | © Lorraine O’Grady
Lorraine O’Grady, Postcard Deck. | Studio Museum in Harlem Store, $30
Deck of 40 postcards with magnetic closure documents an interactive performance work by New York conceptual artist LORRAINE O’GRADY. “Art is…” was activated during the African American Day Parade in Harlem in 1983.
Cards feature ROMARE BEARDEN, “Black Mother and Child,” 1969. | © Romare Bearden Foundation
Romare Bearden, Holiday Cards. | Museum of Modern Art Design Store, $19
Designed with the work of ROMARE BEARDEN (1911-1988), boxed set includes 12 blank holiday cards and white envelopes (5 x7 inches). The Museum of Modern Art has produced holiday cards since the 1940s. This one features the same Bearden image that was used in the 1969 holiday card program.
For more than 15 years KEHINDE WILEY has married his portraits with decorative floral backgrounds sourced from the designs of William Morris. Last year, the exhibition “Kehinde Wiley: The Yellow Wallpaper” at William Morris Gallery in London highlighted the aesthetic connections between their work.
Kehinde Wiley, Notecards. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $35
The portraits included in KEHINDE WILEY’s Flora notecard set feature floral backgrounds inspired by the tulips and poppies of William Morris (1834-1896), the British textile designer renowned for his floral designs. Set includes 10 notecards and envelopes (4.5 x 6.25 inches / 11.4 x 15.9 cm). Net proceeds of purchase support Black Rock Senegal, the artist-in-residence program established by Wiley.
Postcard set presents works by a selection of artists featured in “Self-Addressed” exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles, including TOSIN KALEJAYE.
Various Artists, ‘Self-Addressed’ Postcard Set. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $39
Set of 30 postcards (4.25 x 6 inches) produced on the occasion of “Self-Addressed” exhibition at Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles (Nov. 6-Dec. 23, 2021). The exhibition of self-portraits by African contemporary artists is curated by Kehinde Wiley to benefit his Black Rock Senegal artist-in-residence program. Sales of the postcard set also support Black Rock Senegal.
Featured artwork is in the collection of the Studio Museum in Harlem: KEHINDE WILEY, “Conspicuous Fraud Series #1 (Eminence),” 2001 (oil on canvas, 72 1/2 x 72 1/2 inches). | © Kehinde Wiley. The Studio Museum in Harlem. Museum purchase made possible by a gift from Anne Ehrenkranz, 2002.10.14
Kehinde Wiley, Notebook. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $45
All-over printed notebook (7.4 x 9.8 x .75 inches) features “Conspicuous Fraud Series #1 (Eminence)” (2001), part of a series of works exploring natural Black hair that KEHINDE WILEY painted while he was an artist-in-residence at the Studio Museum in Harlem (2001-02).
Notebook features AMY SHERALD, “An Ocean Away,” 2020 (oil on canvas, 130 x 108 x 2 1/2 inches / 330.2 x 274.32 x 6.35 cm). | © Amy Sherald. LACMA, Promised gift of Robert Iger and Willow Bay
Amy Sherald, Notebook. | Los Angeles County Museum of Art, $19.95
Blank journal is covered by AMY SHERALD’s painting “An Ocean Away” (2020), which is currently on view in “Black American Portraits” (Nov. 7, 2021-April 17, 2022) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with “The Obama Portraits Tour,” which features the portrait Sherald painted of First Lady Michelle Obama.
Boxed notecards produced on the occasion of the traveling exhibition “Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful,” which is currently on view at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
Alma W. Thomas, Boxed Notecards. | Pomegranate, $16.95
Box of 20 blank notecards and envelopes includes five each of four designs by artist ALMA THOMAS (1891-1978), who lived nearly her entire career in Washington, D.C. The following paintings are reproduced on the 5 x 7-inch notecards: “Red Roses Sonata (1972), “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” (1969), “Pansies in Washington” (1969), “Air View of a Spring Nursery” (1966).
Notecards feature highly regarded designs by 13 Gee’s Bend quilt artists. | © Quilters of Gee’s Bend, Artist Rights Society
Quilts of Gee’s Bend, Boxed Notecards. | Amazon, $14.56
From Chronicle Books, boxed set includes 20 blank notecards and envelopes with designs by quilt artists from Gee’s Bend, Ala.: WILLIE MA WILLIE ABRAMS, ANNIE BENDOLPH, LOUISIANA BENDOLPH, MARY LEE BENDOLPH, AMERICA IRBY, RUTH PETTWAY, MOSELY, JESSIE T. PETTWAY, LOLA PETTWAY, LORETTA PETTWAY, LUCY T. PETTWAY, NANCY PETTWAY, QUNNIE PETTWAY, and SUE WILLIE SELTZER.
Artist WINFRED REMBERT, who lived and worked in New Haven, Conn., grew up in rural Cuthbert, Ga. His work reflects on the violence and challenges and great joy and community he experienced in the Jim Crow South.
Winfred Rembert, Boxed Notecards | Pomegranate, $16.95
WINFRED REMBERT (1945-2021) expressed himself through carving and painting on leather. The boxed set includes 20 blank cards and envelopes. The 5 x 7-inch cards feature five each of four designs by Rembert: “Homer Clyde’s Place” (2009); “Soda Shop” (2004); “The Dirty Spoon Cafe” (2002); and “Ben Shorter IV” (2010).
ACCESSORIES
Curator cap is an “homage to life’s curiosities and challenges, encouraging the wearer to create their own world and have fun.” | © Fly Geenius
Fly Geenius, ‘Curator’ Cap. | New Museum Store, $35
For the curators, aspiring curators, and curators at heart on your list, this cotton baseball-style cap lets them proudly declare their identity. The title “curator” is emblazoned on the front of the cap and the phrase “New Art, New Ideas” is featured on the back. Fly Geenius products are also available directly from the Black-owned New York brand. Founded by DAVON BEAN, the fashion label seeks to build community and motivate, empower, and inspire people through its products and events.
Featured artwork is in the collection of the Studio Museum in Harlem: NJIDEKA AKUNYILI CROSBY, “Nwantinti,” 2012 (acrylic, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, and Xerox transfers on paper, 68 × 96 inches). | © Njidedka Akunyili Crosby. The Studio Museum in Harlem, Museum purchase with funds provided by the Acquisition Committee and gift of the artist, 2012.35
Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Tote Bag. | Studio Museum in Harlem Store, $30
Cotton tote bag (15.7 x 18.5 inches) features “Nwantinti” (2012), a self portrait of NJIDEKA AKUNYILI CROSBY with her husband, painted during the artist’s residency at the Studio Museum in Harlem (2011-12). A cosmetic bag featuring the same image is also available.
Scarf design is based on KEHINDE WILEY, “Three Boys,” 2013 (oil on canvas, 270 x 260 cm / 106 3/8 x 102 3/8 inches). | © Kehinde Wiley
Kehinde Wiley, Scarf. | Kehinde Wiley Shop, $350
Silk twill scarf (36 x 36 inches / 91 x 91 cm) is inspired by “Three Boys” (2013) a triple portrait KEHINDE WILEY painted for his exhibition “The World Stage: Jamaica,” part of a series of shows featuring portraits the artist made of Black and brown men and women in China, Brazil, Nigeria, Haiti, Israel, and India. All proceeds of purchase support Black Rock Senegal, the artist-in-residence program established by Wiley.
Scarf is based on a painting by LUBAINA HIMID, “There Could Be an Endless Ocean” 2018 (acrylic and pencil on paper). | © Lubaina Himid
Lubaina Himid, Scarf. | Tate Shop, £150 (about $200)
Silk scarf (100 x 150 cm / approximately 39 x 59 inches) features “There Could Be an Endless Ocean” (2018) by LUBAINA HIMID. Scarf, art prints, and other items available in museum shop were produced on the occasion of a major exhibition dedicated to the British artist, currently on view at Tate Modern through July 3, 2022.
Pocket square is a collaboration between Lorna Simson and British luxury accessories designer Jane Carr.
Lorna Simpson, Pocket Square. | Hauser & Wirth Shop, $95
Bold design of limited-edition, silk/cotton pocket square features “Top” (2012), a collage portrait by LORNA SIMPSON, inspired by images of African American women published in vintage issues of Ebony and Jet magazines. Pocket square is finished with hand-rolled hems and delicate, hand-frayed edges (33 x 33 cm / 13 x 13 inches).
Tote bag dedicated to AMOAKO BOAFO’s exhibition features “Golden Frames” (2019). BILLIE ZANGEWA’s is illustrated with “An Angel at My Bedside” (2020). | Courtesy MoAD SF
Amoako Boafo & Billie Zangewa, Tote Bags. | Museum of the African Diaspora Store, $30 each
Following a 20-month closure due to COVID-19, Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco reopened in October 2021 with two blockbuster exhibitions, the first solo museum shows of African contemporary artists AMOAKO BOAFO and BILLIE ZANGEWA. A canvas tote bag commemorates each of the exhibitions. T-shirts were also produced to mark the occasion.
Studio Museum in Harlem co-organized a major ALMA THOMAS exhibition with the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College in 2016.
Alma Thomas, Scarf. | Studio Museum in Harlem Store, $125
Limited-edition silk scarf (36 × 36 inches) with hand-rolled hem features “The Azaleas Sway With the Breeze” (1969) by ALMA THOMAS (1891-1978), who is known for rhythmically patterned abstract paintings executed in vibrant colors.
Scarf was produced on the occasion of the traveling exhibition “Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful,” which is currently on view at the Phillips Collection, through Jan. 23, 2022.
Alma Thomas, Scarf. | Phillips Collection Shop, $150
Limited edition silk scarf (33 1/2 x 33 1/2 inches) with hand-rolled ends is based on “Breeze Rustling Through Fall Flowers” (1968) by ALMA THOMAS (1891-1978), who lived nearly her entire career in Washington, D.C. The painting is from the holdings of the Phillips Collection in Washington.
Socks were produced on the occasion of the traveling exhibition “Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful,” which originated at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Va. (July 9, 2021-Oct. 3, 2021) and is currently on view at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.
Alma Thomas, Socks. | Chrysler Museum of Art Shop, $15
Unisex socks (cotton/nylon blend with spandex/lycra) feature “Air View of a Spring Nursery” (1966) by ALMA THOMAS (1891-1978), who lived nearly her entire career in Washington, D.C. The painting is from the collection of the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Ga., where the artist grew up until she was a teenager.
Collaboration between Vans and MOCA includes additional artists and is designed to celebrate “creativity with California roots.”
Brenna Youngblood, Vans x MOCA Shoes. | Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles Store, $70
Vans x MOCA collaboration includes textile uppers and rubber waffle outsoles. Lace ups feature all over print based on “Democratic Dollar” (2015), a painting by Los Angeles-based BRENNA YOUNGBLOOD. Classic slip-ons based on the artist’s “Flowers in the Attic” (2020) painting are available directly through Vans.
APPAREL
Hoodie is collaboration with Rome Pays Off. New York-based fashion and lifestyle brand collaborates with artists. | © Rashid Johnson
Rashid Johnson, Hoodie. | Rome Pays Off, $200
Unisex, graphic all-over print, slim fit hoodie (cotton terry) features New York artist RASHID JOHNSON’s “Untitled Escape Collage” (2019).
T-Shirt is collaboration with Rome Pays Off. New York-based fashion and lifestyle brand adapted its name from the title of a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting. | © Rashid Johnson
Rashid Johnson, T-Shirt. | Rome Pays Off, $100
Unisex, graphic all-over print t-shirt (lightweight combed cotton jersey) features New York artist RASHID JOHNSON’s “Untitled Escape Collage” (2019).
The hoodie features the crest of The Underground Museum on the side of the hood. | © The Underground Museum
The Underground Museum, Hoodie. | The Underground Museum Bookstore, $80
Black cotton hoodie features “The Underground Museum” on the front with “est. 2012” immediately below. The Underground Museum was co-founded by artist NOAH DAVIS (1983-2015) and his wife, artist KARON DAVIS, with the goal of showcasing museum-quality art in their Arlington Heights neighborhood, a Black and Latinx community in Los Angeles.
WOODY DE OTHELLO x TCG hoodie design features images of the artist’s ceramic works, including “I Can See You But I Don’t Hear You” (2016) on the back. | © Woody De Othello
Woody De Othello, Hoodie. | Time Change Generator, $150
A collaboration between Oakland, Calif.-based artist WOODY DE OTHELLO and Cleveland, Ohio, studio Time Change Generator (TCG), hand-died hoodie (cotton/polyester blend 3-end fleece with cotton face) is printed on front, back, pocket, sleeves, and hood. Limited edition of 50. 20 percent of proceeds donated to Omni Commons, a community center and venue space hosted by nine San Francisco Bay Area collectives.
JONATHAN LYNDON CHASE’s limited-edition boxer shorts were screenprinted at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in 2021. | © Jonathan Lyndon Chase
Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Boxer Shorts. | The Fabric Workshop and Museum Store, $400
Boxer shorts (cotton sateen) screenprinted with Philadelphia artist JONATHAN LYNDON CHASE’s “Bending $ag” design, feature roses and butterflies symbolizing delicacy and strength. Special limited-edition of 65. Chase was an artist-in-residence at The Fabric Workshop and Museum, where their solo exhibition “Big Wash” was on view earlier this year.
T-shirt features images on the front and back, screen-print photographs from LORRAINE O’GRADY’s seminal series “Miscegenated Family Album” (1980/1994).
Lorraine O’Grady, T-Shirt. | Brooklyn Museum Shop, $150
Spirit Lorraine O’Grady 2 is an oversized cotton t-shirt produced on the occasion of “Lorraine O’Grady: Both/And” at the Brooklyn Museum, the first retrospective of the New York conceptual artist. Two t-shirts and a hoodie were made in collaboration with Études, a Paris-based brand that expresses itself across a range of platforms, from fashion to book publishing, frequently collaborating with artists.
GAMES & MUSIC
Cover of the 12-inch vinyl album features “Summons, To Witness One’s Own” (2019-2020) by TOYIN OJIH ODUTOLA. | © Toyin Ojih Odutola
Peter Adjaye, ‘Ceremonies Within’ Album. | Vinyl Factory, £ 20.83 (about $28)
A 12-channel soundscape produced in album form, “Ceremonies Within” was created by PETER ADJAYE to accompany “Toyin Ojih Odutola: A Countervailing Theory,” the artist’s first-ever UK exhibition at The Barbican. After opening in London, the exhibition is now on view at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. (through April 3, 2022), where a 19-channel version of the immersive sound installation is presented within the galleries in response to the artist’s drawings.
Playing cards feature celebrated designs of Gee’s Bend quilt artists. | © Loretta Pettway, Qunnie Pettway, Artist Rights Society
Gee’s Bend Quilt Artists, Playing Cards. | Amazon, $16.95
From Chronicle Books, two 54-card decks feature graphic, color block designs of quilt artists LORETTA PETTWAY and QUNNIE PETTWAY from Gee’s Bend, Ala.
Two puzzles for one, paintings by DreamYard students who took inspiration from the work of DERRICK ADAMS appear on the reverse.
Derrick Adams, Puzzle. | Amazon, $15.99
From Galison, 500-piece puzzle (24 x 18 inches) is two sided, featuring painting by New York artist DERRICK ADAMS on one side with works by DreamYard middle school students on the reverse. DreamYard In School Programs serve 45 schools in the Bronx, providing “art instruction with social justice pedagogy systems.” 100 percent of net proceeds donated to DreamYard scholarship fund.
Puzzle image features a grid of 40 quilts by GEE’S BEND QUILT ARTISTS.
Gee’s Bend Quilt Artists, Puzzle. | Amazon, $15
From Galison, 1,000-piece puzzle (27 x 20 inches) celebrates the artistry of the women of Gee’s Bend, Ala., who have been making masterful quilts, abstract textile works of art, for generations.
FOR THE HOME
Zinnias were a favorite subject of CLEMENTINE HUNTER, who painted still lifes and narrative scenes of African American life.
Clementine Hunter, Christmas Ornament. | Birmingham Museum of Art Shop, $42
Paying tribute to the work of Louisiana artist CLEMENTINE HUNTER (circa 1886-1988), “Zinnias Looking at You” Christmas ornament (5 x 3 x 3.5 inches) is hand-blown and hand-painted. Glass ornament comes with gift box. A percentage of proceeds from each sale support the preservation and interpretation of the Clementine Hunter House on Melrose Plantation, a National Historic Landmark in Melrose, La.
Mug features image of “Water Woman” (2017), a bronze sculpture by WANGECHI MUTU. | © Wangechi Mutu, Courtesy the artist
Wangechi Mutu, Mug. | de Young/Legion of Honor Museum Stores, $12.95
Ceramic mug (12 oz.) featuring sculpture by WANGECHI MUTU was produced on the occasion of “Wangechi Mutu: I Am Speaking, Are You Listening?” the artist’s recent exhibition at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, Calif. Several other products also commemorate the exhibition.
Through the images she produces, CHRISTINA QUARLES “works to dismantle and question assumptions and ingrained beliefs surrounding identity and the human figure.” | © Christina Quarles
Christina Quarles, Towel. | Hauser & Wirth Shop, $85
Perfect for the beach, cotton towel (86 x 168 cm) features “Sorry, I Missed Yew” (2021), a new work created by Los Angeles artist CHRISTINA QUARLES specifically for the project. All sales profit donated to Walk the Walk USA, an all-volunteer initiative raising funds for strategic voter empowerment at the local, state, and national levels.
Mug features painting from National Gallery of Art collection: ALMA THOMAS, “Pansies in Washington,” 1969 (acrylic on canvas, 127 × 121.92 cm / 50 × 48 inches). | National Gallery of Art – Corcoran Collection, Gift of Vincent Melzac, 2015.19.144
Alma Thomas, Mug. | National Gallery of Art Shop, $16
Ceramic mug (11 oz.) is designed with an image of “Pansies in Washington,” one of ALMA THOMAS’s famous bullseye paintings, exemplifying the spectrum of color and rhythmic patterns that recurred in her practice. The work also pays tribute to her love of flowers and Washington, D.C., where she lived and worked most of her life. Thomas’s work is featured on several products offered by the National Gallery Art.
The gift box items, including the chef’s apron, are inspired by “Breeze Rustling Through Fall Flowers” (1968) from the holdings of The Phillips Collection.
Alma Thomas, Gift Box. | Phillips Collection, $242
Celebrating the exhibition “Alma W. Thomas: Everything is Beautiful” at The Phillips Collection, this gift box includes five products: an apron, table runner, four placemats, four canvas coasters, and a face mask. Sales proceeds benefit The Phillips Collection’s Wellness Kit Program, which was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 3,000 kits have been distributed to families and the community of Ward 8 through Phillips@THEARC, the museum’s satellite campus.
Tray features JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT’S work “In Italian” (1983). | © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Licensed by Artestar, New York
Jean-Michel Basquiat, Tray. | Artware, $425
Celebrating the art of JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, rectangular lacquered tray (22 x 14 x 2 inches) is rich with color and the iconic symbols that define the artist’s oeuvre. Fabric inlay and cut-out handles. Custom gift box included. CT
Editor’s Note: Gift guide selections are subject to availability and described per each vendor’s summary. Stated prices reflect pricing at the time of publication. Products at various museums may be available at discounted prices for members.
FIND MORE See Previous Gift Guides (Some items may no longer be available)
