Nelson Stevens Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Nelson Stevens Art Value Price Guide

Oct. 03, 2024
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) Uhuru.
Est: $8,000 - $12,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) Uhuru. Color screenprint on heavy wove paper, 1971. 958x757 mm; 37¾x 29⅞ inches. From the edition of fewer than 100 impressions. Published by AfriCOBRA. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist; private collection. An extremely rare first printing of the artist's most iconic work, produced for the AfriCOBRA print project of 1971. This impression is a rare color variant of the original work.
Swann Auction Galleries
Oct. 03, 2024
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) Uhuru - Nina.
Est: $60,000 - $90,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) Uhuru - Nina. Acrylic on linen canvas, 1978. 1016x1016 mm; 40x40 inches. Provenance: private collection, Springfield, MA, acquired directly from artist (1978); thence by descent, private collection, NJ. Stevens told the painting owners that in this work, he painted the inspiration of Nina Simone and her spirit, rather than her portrait. It is part of his representation of the concept of uhuru; the word means "freedom" in Swahili. Stevens first used the title in the 1971 work Uhuru (see lot 103) to signal the collective AfriCOBRA's Afrocentric identity and politically conscious purpose. Nina Simone also was outspoken in her call for freedom and justice - she said famously "I'll tell you what freedom is to me. No fear!" The great singer and songwriter was also a great Civil Rights activist who spoke out against racism and social and political injustice throughout the 1960s and 70s. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Nelson Stevens received his BFA in painting from Ohio University in Athens, OH. He then received a MFA in 1969 from Kent State University in Kent, OH. After brief teaching stints in Cleveland, Stevens was hired as Assistant Professor of Art at Northern Illinois University where he taught from 1969 to 1971. It was at this time that Stevens was invited to join the newly formed art collective AfriCOBRA - the group was founded by Chicago artists Jeff Donaldson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu, and Gerald Williams. His work was featured in every AfriCOBRA exhibition since AfriCOBRA II at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1971. Stevens' work was included in exhibitions at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Fisk University Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Cleveland Museum of Art, and others. Well known indoor and outdoor murals by Stevens include installations at the United Community Construction Workers Labor Temple in Roxbury, MA (1973) and at Tuskegee University's administration building (1979-80). His teaching career continued in 1972 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he was first an associate professor and then Professor of Art in the Departments of Art and African American Studies. He remained there until his retirement. His artwork was also included in the important traveling museum exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power organized by the Tate Modern, London. Works by Nelson Stevens are in many institutional collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Institution.
Swann Auction Galleries
Dec. 02, 2023
Nelson Stevens, 1938-2022, Primal Force
Est: $1,500 - $2,500
Nelson Stevens 1938-2022 Primal Force 2019 serigraph on BFK Rives paper 21 x 20 inches (image) 24-1/2 x 22-1/4 inches (sheet) signed and dated by artist: edition 22/86 Nelson Stevens was a Brooklyn-native artist and retired educator in Owings Mills, Maryland. Stevensâ work is focused on the empowerment of Black communities through visual representation, often depicting iconic aspects of African American culture, style, and leaders. One of Stevensâ earliest childhood memories was of drawing in chalk on the sidewalk in front of his home. After completing his work, heâd go up to the roof to look down at itâthese were his first murals. In 1956, Stevens began painting murals on the walls of nightclubs after entering the jazz nightclub scene in Utica. Stevens became a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s, known for his potent, brightly-hued paintings and drawings of influential African American figures in bold colors arranged in blocky lines and patterns. Later, he became one of the first members of the Chicago-based African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCOBRA) after meeting co-founder Jeff Donaldson in 1969. Stevensâ artworks are cultural contributions to a spirit of personal resistance and self-determination, creating an ethos of insurgence and an embodiment of the âblack aesthetic.â These art movements, and Stevensâ contributions to them, demonstrate the power of the arts in implementing greater social change. His artwork has been included in important survey exhibitions, including Soul Of A Nation: Art In The Age Of Black Power at the Tate, and is represented in collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Brooklyn Museum. Printed and published by Raven Fine Print Editions, Easton, PA.
Black Art Auction
Dec. 02, 2023
Nelson Stevens, 1938-2022, Spirit Sister
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Nelson Stevens 1938-2022 Spirit Sister 2013 color serigraph on wove paper 18 x 18 inches (image) 23-1/4 x 22-1/4 inches (sheet) signed, titled, dated and numbered 18/75 Nelson Stevens was a Brooklyn-native artist and retired educator in Owings Mills, Maryland. Stevensâ work is focused on the empowerment of Black communities through visual representation, often depicting iconic aspects of African American culture, style, and leaders. One of Stevensâ earliest childhood memories was of drawing in chalk on the sidewalk in front of his home. After completing his work, heâd go up to the roof to look down at itâthese were his first murals. In 1956, Stevens began painting murals on the walls of nightclubs after entering the jazz nightclub scene in Utica. Stevens became a leading figure in the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s, known for his potent, brightly-hued paintings and drawings of influential African American figures in bold colors arranged in blocky lines and patterns. Later, he became one of the first members of the Chicago-based African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCOBRA) after meeting co-founder Jeff Donaldson in 1969. Stevensâ artworks are cultural contributions to a spirit of personal resistance and self-determination, creating an ethos of insurgence and an embodiment of the âblack aesthetic.â These art movements, and Stevensâ contributions to them, demonstrate the power of the arts in implementing greater social change. His artwork has been included in important survey exhibitions, including Soul Of A Nation: Art In The Age Of Black Power at the Tate, and is represented in collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Brooklyn Museum. Printed and published by Raven Fine Print Editions, Easton, PA.
Black Art Auction
May. 20, 2023
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Duke Ellington
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Duke Ellington 1975 screenprint 19 x 18 inches (image) 23 x 20 inches (sheet) unsigned acquired directly from the artist by the current owner
Black Art Auction
Apr. 06, 2023
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) One on One (Music Series).
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) One on One (Music Series). Mixed media on Strathmore paper, circa 1980. 705x552 mm; 27 3/4x21 3/4 inches. Signed in ink, lower right. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, private collection, Massachusetts (1996). Born in Brooklyn, New York, Nelson Stevens received his BFA from Ohio University in Athens, OH, and received a MFA in 1969 from Kent State University. After brief teaching stints in Cleveland, Stevens was hired as Assistant Professor of Art at Northern Illinois University where he taught from 1969 to 1971. It was at this time that Stevens was invited to join the newly formed art collective AfriCOBRA. His work was featured in every AfriCOBRA exhibition since AfriCOBRA II at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1971. Recently, he was included in the important traveling museum exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power organized by the Tate Modern, London. Stevens' artworks are in many institutional collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Institution.
Swann Auction Galleries
Nov. 19, 2022
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Primal Force
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Primal Force 2019 Color serigraph on paper 21 x 20 inches (image) 24-1/2 x 22 inches (sheet Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 36/86. Published by Raven Fine Art Editions; Curlee Raven Holton, Master Printer. When artist Nelson Stevens looks at a person he sees a broad palette of colors. That vision illuminates his portraits with a multi-hued, mosaic-like style. "I look at people and see the image in them," said the professor emeritus of art and Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst . "My art is anthems in praise of people." Steven's career has spanned over 5 decades and a multitude of media and style, yet has remained consistently grounded in the black experience and his exuberant celebration of color. One of the highlights of his career was getting involved with the Black Art Movement in Chicago in the 1960's. He had recently completed his M.F.A. at Kent State University. He recalled during this period he had to convince his teachers and fellow classmates that Black art existed as its own entity. Prior to the movement, there was no literature to back up Black art as an absolute genre. Murals like the Wall of Respect, painted in 1967 by Stevens and other members of the Organization of Black American Culture helped change that. Stevens was also one of the founding members of AFRICOBRA, along with Wadsworth Jarrell and others, and exhibited widely with them. Stevens' work may be found in many private and public collections, including the Smithsonian, Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City , and the Art Institute of Chicago. His work is now being shown in the exhibition, Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, which originated at Tate Modern in London, UK and will be shown at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston through August 2020. He currently lives and works in Maryland.36/86
Black Art Auction
Nov. 19, 2022
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Spirit Sister
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Spirit Sister 2013 color serigraph on paper 18 x 18 inches signed, titled, dated and numbered 20/75
Black Art Auction
Oct. 06, 2022
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) Untitled (Women in Profile).
Est: $12,000 - $18,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - 2022) Untitled (Women in Profile). Mixed media on illustration board, 1979. 660x542 mm; 26 7/8x21<3/8> inches. Signed and dated in pencil, lower right. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, private collection, Massachusetts (1996). Born in Brooklyn, New York, Nelson Stevens received his BFA (painting) from Ohio University in Athens, OH. He then received a MFA in 1969 from Kent State University in Kent, OH. After brief teaching stints in Cleveland, Stevens was hired as Assistant Professor of Art at Northern Illinois University where he taught from 1969 to 1971. It was at this time that Stevens was invited to join the newly formed art collective AfriCOBRA - the group was founded by Chicago artists Jeff Donaldson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu, and Gerald Williams. His work was featured in every AfriCOBRA exhibition since AfriCOBRA II at the Studio Museum in Harlem in 1971. Stevens' work was included in exhibitions at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Fisk University Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Cleveland Museum of Art, and others. Well known indoor and outdoor murals by Stevens include installations at the United Community Construction Workers Labor Temple in Roxbury, MA (1973) and at Tuskegee University's administration building (1979-80). His teaching career continued in 1972 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he was first an associate professor and then Professor of Art in the Departments of Art and African American Studies. He remained there until his retirement. His artwork was also included in the important traveling museum exhibition Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power organized by the Tate Modern, London. Works by Nelson Stevens are in many institutional collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Institution.
Swann Auction Galleries
Mar. 12, 2022
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Self Portrait
Est: $1,000 - $2,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Self Portrait 1970 Woodblock print 9 x 12 inches Pencil signed, titled and numbered 2/7 Artist's Proof Provenance: private collection, Philadelphia, PA
Black Art Auction
Nov. 20, 2021
STEVENS, NELSON (B. 1938). THE WE IN YOU IS THE NATION CALL...
Est: $300 - $500
STEVENS, Nelson (b. 1938). The We in You is the Nation Calling. Dekalb, IL: Anon Publications, ca. 1970. Poster printed in red, orange, and yellow. 24 x 17 7/8”. Slightly toned from old mounting adhesive in upper and lower margins. Scarce; we could locate no copies of this poster at auction.
Potter & Potter Auctions Inc.
Apr. 22, 2021
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Spirit Sister.
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Spirit Sister. Color screenprint, 2013. 457x457 mm; 18x18 inches, full margins. Signed, titled, dated and numbered 36/75 in pencil, lower margin. Printed and published by Raven Fine Print Editions, Easton, PA.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 22, 2021
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Yes, We Will.
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Yes, We Will. Mixed media on cream wove paper, 1972. 953x759 mm; 37 1/2x29 7/8 inches. Provenance: acquired directly from the artist, Grace Meacham, Cincinnati, OH (c. 1974); private collection, Ohio. Exhibited: AfriCOBRA III., Howard University Gallery of Art, Howard University, Washington, DC (Cat. #26), April, 1973, and University Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, September, 1973; Levels and Degrees: Paintings and Drawings by James Phillips and Nelson Stevens., the Carl Van Vechten Gallery, Fisk University, Nashville, TN, 1974 (Cat. #12) Yes, We Will is a scarce, large work on paper by Nelson Stevens from his important period of work with the Chicago-based art collective AfriCOBRA. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Stevens received his BFA in painting from Ohio University in Athens, OH in 1962, and his MFA in 1969 from Kent State University in Kent, OH. After brief teaching stints in Cleveland, Ohio, Stevens was hired as Assistant Professor of Art at Northern Illinois University where he taught from 1969 to 1971. It was at this time that Stevens was invited to join the newly formed art collective AfriCOBRA - the group was founded by Chicago artists Jeff Donaldson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu, and Gerald Williams. Stevens exhibited in every AfriCOBRA art exhibition beginning with AfriCOBRA I at the Studio Museum. He then was a Professor of Art at the University of Massachusetts from 1972 to 2003. Today artworks by Nelson Stevens are in many museum collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Institution and the Tate Modern. His artwork was also featured in the recent important traveling museum exhibtion Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power organized by the Tate Modern. The University of Maryland Art Gallery has requested the loan of this work for an upcoming Nelson Stevens retrospective exhibition (dates pending after the exhibition was postponed in 2020).
Swann Auction Galleries
Feb. 06, 2021
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Spirit Sister
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Spirit Sister 2013 color serigraph signed, titled, dated and numbered 68/75 18 x 18 inches
Black Art Auction
Nov. 14, 2020
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Primal Force, Color serigraph, 22 x 24 inches
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Primal Force Color serigraph 2019 Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 38/86. Published by Raven Fine Art Editions; Curlee Raven Holton, master printer. When artist Nelson Stevens looks at a person he sees a broad palette of colors. That vision illuminates his portraits with a multi-hued, mosaic-like style. "I look at people and see the image in them," said the professor emeritus of art and Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst . "My art is anthems in praise of people." Steven's career has spanned over 5 decades and a multitude of media and style, yet has remained consistently grounded in the black experience and his exuberant celebration of color. One of the highlights of his career was getting involved with the Black Art Movement in Chicago in the 1960's. He had recently completed his M.F.A. at Kent State University. He recalled during this period he had to convince his teachers and fellow classmates that Black art existed as its own entity. Prior to the movement, there was no literature to back up Black art as an absolute genre. Murals like the Wall of Respect, painted in 1967 by Stevens and other members of the Organization of Black American Culture helped change that. Stevens was also one of the founding members of AFRICOBRA, along with Wadsworth Jarrell and others, and exhibited widely with them. Stevens' work may be found in many private and public collections, including the Smithsonian, Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City , and the Art Institute of Chicago. His work is now being shown in the exhibition, Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, which originated at Tate Modern in London, UK and will be shown at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston through August 2020. He currently lives and works in Maryland. 22 x 24 inches
Black Art Auction
May. 16, 2020
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Primal Force, Serigraph, 21 x 20 inches
Est: $1,200 - $1,500
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Primal Force Serigraph 2019 Signed and dated by artist: edition 26/86 Full Margins Master printer: Curlee Raven Holton 21 x 20 inches
Black Art Auction
May. 16, 2020
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, Self Portrait, Woodblock print, 9 x 12 inches
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 Self Portrait Woodblock print 1970 Pencil signed, titled and numbered 2/7 Artist's Proof 9 x 12 inches
Black Art Auction
May. 16, 2020
Nelson Stevens, b. 1938, E+V=C, Pen, ink, colored pencil, watercolor on paper, 25.5 x 20.5 in
Est: $6,000 - $8,000
Nelson Stevens b. 1938 E+V=C Pen, ink, colored pencil, watercolor on paper 1972 Signed and dated 25.5 x 20.5 in
Black Art Auction
Oct. 05, 2017
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Jihad Nation.
Est: $50,000 - $75,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Jihad Nation. Acrylic on cotton canvas, 1970. 1080x1080 mm; 42 1/4x42 1/4 inches. Signed and dated in acrylic, lower left. Provenance: the collection of the artist. Exhibited: AfriCobra 1: Ten in Search of a Nation. The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, June 21 - August 30, 1970. This was the first AfriCOBRA exhibition of the ten artists from Chicago. It later travelled the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Arts, Boston and Black Expo, Chicago. Illustrated: Black World/Negro Digest, October, 1970, p. 83. This iconic image by Nelson Stevens is the first important painting and AfricCOBRA art work by the artist to come to auction. Nelson Stevens was a member of the Chicago-based collective AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists). Born in Brooklyn, New York, Stevens received his BFA in painting from Ohio University in Athens, OH in 1962. He received his MFA in 1969 from Kent State University in Kent, OH. After brief teaching stints in Cleveland, Ohio, Stevens was hired as Assistant Professor of Art at Northern Illinois University where he taught from 1969 to 1971. It was at this time that Stevens was invited to join the newly formed art collective AfriCOBRA - the group was founded by Chicago artists Jeff Donaldson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu, and Gerald Williams. Stevens exhibited in every AfriCOBRA art exhibition beginning with AfriCOBRA I at the Studio Museum. Today artworks by Nelson Stevens are in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian Institution. His artwork is also included in the museum exhibtion Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power presently at the Tate Modern, London.
Swann Auction Galleries
Jun. 10, 2014
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Stevie Most Out.
Est: $3,000 - $5,000
NELSON STEVENS (1938 - ) Stevie Most Out. Acrylic on illustration board, circa 1979-80. 762x610 mm; 30x24 inches. Titled in pencil, verso. Provenance: the artist; Madge Sinclair, Los Angeles; estate of Madge Sinclair; private collection, Calabasas, CA; David Lusenhop, Detroit, MI (2010.) In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Nelson Stevens created a series of paintings based on the image of Stevie Wonder. Around 1981, an exhibition of these works was mounted at a Los Angeles gallery owned by Jamaican actress Madge Sinclair (Roots, Trapper John, MD, and other TV shows and films). The present work was included in this exhibition. Nelson Stevens was born in Brooklyn, New York. In 1962, he received his BFA (painting) from Ohio University in Athens, OH. He received his MFA in 1969 from Kent State University in Kent, OH. After brief teaching stints in Cleveland, Ohio, Stevens was hired as Assistant Professor of Art at Northern Illinois University where he taught from 1969 to 1971. It was at this time that Stevens was invited to join the newly formed art collective AfriCOBRA. He has exhibited in every AfriCOBRA exhibition since AfriCOBRA II at the Studio Museum in 1971. Stevens's work was included in exhibitions at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Fisk University Herbert F. Johnson Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Cleveland Museum of Art, and others. Well known indoor and outdoor murals by Stevens include installations at the United Community Construction Workers Labor Temple in Roxbury, MA (1973) and at Tuskegee University's administration building (1979-80). His teaching career continued in 1972 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he was first an associate professor and then Professor of Art in the Departments of Art and African American Studies. He remained there until his retirement. Nelson Stevens has a lengthy museum exhibition history and is also admired as an important muralist. Another work from the Stevie Wonder series by Stevens is in the collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Yet another work from this series was exhibited in the AfriCOBRA exhibition mounted at the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago in 2013. Works by Nelson Stevens are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and other public institutions.
Swann Auction Galleries
Apr. 21, 2012
Nelson Stevens, (African American; 1938 - ), Stevie Most Out, Shango Series VII, Colored pencil and gouache on illustration board, 3...
Est: $3,000 - $4,000
Nelson Stevens (African American; 1938 - ) Stevie Most Out, Shango Series VII Colored pencil and gouache on illustration board c. 1980. Titled on verso, identified verso. Provenance: The artist; Madge Sinclair, Los Angeles (Sinclair was a famed Jamaican actress and art collector. She later ran a gallery in California.) When artist Nelson Stevens looks at a person he sees a broad palette of colors. That vision illuminates his portraits with a multi-hued, mosaic-like style. "I look at people and see the image in them," said the professor emeritus of art and Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst . "My art is anthems in praise of people." Steven's career has spanned over 5 decades and a multitude of media and style, yet has remained consistently grounded in the black experience and his exuberant celebration of color. One of the highlights of his career was getting involved with the Black Art Movement in Chicago in the 1960's. He had recently completed his M.F.A. at Kent State University . He recalled during this period he had to convince his teachers and fellow classmates that black art existed as its own entity. Prior to the movement, there was no literature to back up black art as an absolute genre. Stevens also was one of the founding members of AFRICOBRA, along with Wadsworth Jarrell and others, and exhibited widely with them. Stevens' work may be found in many private and public collections, including the Smithsonian, Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City , and the Chicago Institute of Art. He currently lives and works in Maryland. 30" x 20"
Ripley Auctions