Nina Simone’s childhood home to be preserved by new art auction
American icon Nina Simone will always be regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, having impacted several genres through her uniquely nuanced works. Her childhood home in Tyron, North Carolina, is set to be preserved by a new art auction after it was classified as a national treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
After years of being abandoned, Simone’s childhood home was purchased by four Black artists – including Adam Pendleton – in 2017 for $95,000 because they didn’t want the historically significant building to be demolished. Now, Pace Gallery is organising a benefit auction for the Nina Simone Childhood Home preservation project, which will feature works by contemporary artists. In addition, the auction will be co-curated by Venus Williams.
In a public statement, Williams said: “I’m so excited to be a part of this expansive project centring on the life and legacy of Nina Simone, who has been a huge inspiration for so many. Each of the artists Adam and I have selected for the auction has a unique, powerful voice, and we’ve been moved by their generosity and enthusiasm for this important cause.”
The CEO of Pace Gallery – Marc Glimcher – also explained the importance of the project in a new statement: “When Adam came to us with his idea for this benefit, we jumped at the opportunity. In his paintings, drawings, and other works, Adam creates spaces of engagement, often using indexical or documentary processes, and this whole project speaks to the vast scope of that vision.”
Glimcher continued: “We’re thrilled to be collaborating with this group of incredibly talented, influential artists to spotlight the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s Nina Simone Childhood Home preservation project. The Action Fund does such crucial work in preserving sites of Black history, and we’re excited to have Brent, a leading architectural historian and preservationist, as a partner in this important initiative.”
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