NEW YORK, NY.- Los Angeles based advocate, scholar and collector Gordon W. Bailey announced a significant gift of three works by the late St. Helena Island, South Carolina artist Sam Doyle in honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat to the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM). Bailey is the scholar most closely associated with Doyle, whoworking primarily with house paint and cast-off, corrugated, metal roof panelsdocumented America's unique Gullah culture and African American achievement. Basquiat admired Doyles expressive portraits and collected a number of his works, some of which were illustrated in the catalogue for the 2022 exhibition Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure, that was organized and curated by the artists family.
For decades, Bailey has advocated for untrained artists, particularly those who struggled in the Deep South. His commitment is sustained by his belief that many marginalized artists merit canonical inclusion. Bailey has given hundreds of works to prominent museums and his philanthropy can be seen nationwide. The California African American Museum (CAAM), Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, High Museum of Art Atlanta, Intuit Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Palm Springs Art Museum, Prez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), and Speed Art Museum have accessioned Doyle works from Baileys collection.
In furtherance of his inclusive efforts, Bailey has organized and curated well-received exhibitions, notably: Fill My Heart With Hope: Works from the Gordon W. Bailey Collection in 2025 for the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville in celebration of the museums centennial; in 2013, Soul Stirring: African American Self-Taught Artists from the South for CAAM in Los Angeles; and Sam Doyle: Heart and SoulPaintings and Artists Materials from the Collection of Gordon W. Bailey which opened at the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2000 and traveled to the Mennello Museum of American Art.
Bailey gifted two important Doyle paintings to LACMA in 2024Doyles tribute Jake, Our Best. in honor of the late Los Angeles Dodger great Jackie Robinson and his distinguished wife, Rachel and Gulf 7, a nostalgic work, in honor of the noted artist Ed Ruscha, a longtime admirer of Doyle and subject of LACMAs acclaimed retrospective Ed Ruscha / Now Then which included his 1985 tribute to Doyle, Where Are You Going Man? (For Sam Doyle).
Baileys friend, PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans, with whom he organized LACMAs 2014 exhibition Sam Doyle: The Minds EyeWorks from the Gordon W. Bailey Collection, will open the much anticipated Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols, featuring the powerful Untitled (Skull) and iconic masterworks from the collection of Kenneth C. Griffin on June 25th in Miami. Bailey gifted forty-six works including three Doyles to PAMM in 2019.
AFAM has the largest public holding of Doyles work and has featured selections in important exhibitions including Multitudes (2022), Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum (2014), and American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (2002).
Bailey commented: Director, Jason T. Busch, and the brilliant curatorial team, led by Emelie Gevalt and Valérie Rousseau, have built upon the museums foundation as a preeminent institution devoted to the study and celebration of Americas diverse creative expressions. During their tenure, they have added many superb works to the permanent collection and organized dynamic exhibitions.
Bailey selected unique Doyle works for AFAM that stand out in the artists expansive oeuvre:
Dick, a rare three-dimensional assemblage created on a wood panel, depicting a man in a bateau, harvesting oysters. Doyle embedded oyster shells in thick Bondo putty emphasizing the fishermans haul.
Dr. Boles, a haunting, painted, sheet steel depiction of a legendary Lowcountry root doctor, shown sucking the blood (HI Blood) out of a poor souls forehead who was suffering from high blood pressure. An overflowing collection cup reveals Doyles sense of humor.
Mankey honors a soldier, lying in state, whose flag-drapped coffin is painted on a large piece of salvaged ceramic tile which has absorbed much of the pigment adding considerably to its poignance.
The American Folk Art Museum was founded in 1961 and celebrates the creativity of individuals whose singular talents have been refined largely through personal experience rather than formal artistic training. AFAMs collection includes more than 7,500 works of art, spanning four centuries and nearly every continent. The museum engages people of all backgrounds through its exhibitions, publications, and public programs. Thanks to the generous support of its members, patrons, and donors, admission is always free. The museum will celebrate its 65th anniversary on May 6, 2026 with a gala at the Mandarin Oriental New York. For more information, visit folkartmuseum.org.
