The Art of Creating Space
by Michelle McGruder Morgan
Gallerist Jacqueline ‘Jac’ Forbes, is on a mission to make the art world more inclusive and diverse. She is the owner and Director of Canvas Malibu/Jac Forbes Contemporary the sole Black-owned female gallery in Malibu, which is celebrating its 18th anniversary this year.
Forbes’ parents lived in France for three years, which sparked her exposure to fine art. She has worked in pop culture, contemporary art and participated in and produced programming depicting street art--a cultural foray into the contemporary art space. She served as the Executive Producer of Lifetime reality television show "Livin' Large.”
Jac is passionate about empowering artists not only to create but advocate for their craft. Her galleries provide the spaces to support and collaborate with other like-minded creatives. Jac is also on a mission to thwart the legacy of co-optation believing “we’re stewards of our culture, and our art historically has been massively acquired and institutionalized.”
Jac shares, “the art market is constantly changing, and is currently softening.” Her ultimate goal is to rewrite the playbook, so that all stakeholders including the creatives, collectors, and public can interact on a level playing field for the common good. She seeks to “not only educate, but to create relationships and break down cultural barriers to art.”
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GALLERIST
According to Jac, “the art world is small, but running at a feverish pace.” To hold her ground, she makes it a priority to work out, eat, pray and meditate every morning. Next, she may converse with an artist, planning their show. She likes to keep the dialogue open by checking-in with Dee Kerrison, a collector and advisor visiting Mexico, and advising collectors on strategies to curate most valuable art portfolios.
Jac spends time perusing Artnet, Artsy, Frieze Magazine, and The New York Times to identify fresh creative talent. She adds, “emerging artists are important, we become patrons and they become investments culturally and financially.”
ac’s efforts are prioritized around empowering artists who may not have the same opportunities, connections, or platforms to exercise their much needed and expanded roles as educators, and spokespersons.
In 2000, Jac noticed the influence of art on clothing. Canvas Malibu opened in 2006 melding fashion and art, inspired by an exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum. Traveling to the Venice Biennale, London, Hong Kong, and Switzerland, she witnessed an upsurge in the interest and collectability of Black art. The first show featured at JFC Canvas Malibu was aptly titled Diaspora inspired by exhibitions in Paris, Rome, South Africa, and Basel.
“Much of the recent growth and success in the art world is on the backs of Black artists. Some Black collectors get priced out, it is important to have access to collecting our art .”
Gallerists like Jac provide a platform for patrons to commit funds to purchase works over time. Sean Green, co-founder of ARTERNAL (a technology platform for art galleries) agrees, “the ultimate goal is that ideally art dealers and sales directors better monetize their relationships by nurturing their clients which in turn will help them sell more art.”
Ark of the Covenant featuring Yohannes Yamassee is on exhibit at JFC (Malibu) through early March. The multi-hyphenate architect, animator, and artist offers programming outside of traditional gallery spaces featuring a soundtrack of Yamassee’s Ethiopian heritage, and a history that is told through his art. At a recent event, Chef Omar prepared flavorful authentic Ethiopian food served with Taj, a honey wine. The evening included a performance of Yohannes playing the flute.
“Founded by Jacqueline ‘Jac’ Forbes, and operating as the sole Black- and woman-owned gallery in Malibu since 2007, Jac Forbes Contemporary is committed to representing an inclusive yet diverse array of cross-cultural voices, including those of female artists and artists of the African diaspora. ”
ABOUT FEATURED ARTIST
YOHANNES YAMASSEE
Hailing from Ethiopian and Native Indigenous roots, Yohannes Yamassee is inspired by the works of Maya Angelou, Muhammed Ali, Floyd Norman, the Harlem Renaissance, and the deep history of Ethiopian and Native identity. CEO of Yohannes Studios, Yamassee is an Entrepreneur and ADG 800 Art Director. A graduate of UCLA film school’s Master of Fine Arts program in Set and Production Design, he specializes in concept ideation and entertainment design.
He integrates his mixed-media philosophy into animation, architecture, film, television, and beyond. His superpower is the ability to curate a team at Yohannes Studios of like-minded visionaries with the talent, experience, and ambition to transform any concept.
Other exhibits of note include Daniel T. Gaitor-Lomack’s work which taps into the social and spiritual dimensions of the everyday in an ongoing dialogue between self, environment, and object. Daniel is self-taught and refers to his studio as his ‘altar’. His exhibition is titled EyeNeedAWitness.
“Normally, I work in the exact space that the work is going to be installed. If I want to put artwork in the corner, I work in the corner. If I want to put artwork in the center of the space, I work in the center of the space, and so on,” says Daniel whose show at the Frieze Art Week garnered a buzz from numerous collectors.
From the outset, Forbes was attuned to the imperative of creating pathways for those traditionally excluded andunderrepresented. In choosing to transcend industry-imposed confines, Forbes seeks to democratize the process––not only of who may exhibit their art, but who may collect it. In Forbes’s world, breaking these barriers is much overdue. She continues to welcome diversity through seamless interactions between Artists, Collectors, and the Community.”
www.jacforbescontemporary.com @jacforbescontempory
PHOTOS
Cover and Feature: Aaron Lacy
Featured Artwork: Irvin Pascal / Lawrence Calver
Vessels: Simphiwe Mbunyuza