Linda Shropshire has opened Ella West Gallery right in the heart of Black Wall Street. It’s the only Black woman owned art gallery in the Triangle. The current exhibit gave us goosebumps! Make sure to stop by. We asked Linda:

Congratulations! You opened an art gallery in Durham, how do you feel?

I feel so elated! In some way I feel like I am floating on the energy of so many people who contributed to this process. I have an amazing community here in Durham. Some really special folks have contributed to making this possible. There is some physical exhaustion at this point from all the things I need to do. But it is all worth it. I am just so excited. It’s a dream realized!

You are selective about the artists you represent. Do you care who buys the art?

I do. It’s very important to me that each piece that leaves the gallery ends up in good hands. And when I say ‘good hands’ I mean people who will honor the work; people who are going to put it on their walls and love it and pass it down to future generations. If I had two people interested in the same art and one said I am going to buy it as an investment and another person said “Oh my gosh, I love this painting” I am going to sell it to the latter every single time. I believe that Art isn’t about investment. It’s not the point of it- you should love it.

What must an artist do to be represented by Ella West Gallery?

I don’t represent artists. Representing artists is what many galleries do, but I am not at that point yet. I am not saying I won’t in the future. But right now, I am curating exhibitions and bringing in world class established and emerging artists. Two to three artists at a time per exhibit, each in a span of 60 days. But I am always open to meeting the artists. I am always open to help even though I cannot showcase them. This space is limited. It’s only 1200 sq feet. But I am always here to help and direct the artists.

Advice to a novice art collector?

The word collector can be a little intimidating. But really if you want to live with art anybody can be a collector. I bought my first art work in my 20s. I went to an art show. This is in mid 1990s when Black art wasn’t so popular (although Black artists have always been amazing). And I couldn’t afford it. But I wanted it. I fell in love with this piece. I was able to get it on a payment plan! And it was the beginning of my collection. But I want people to feel that collecting is accessible. For instance, I collect pottery mugs. Each of them is a piece of art to me. Each is individualized. They are signed. They look beautiful. And I haven’t paid more than $60 for one. I want to expand the notion of collecting art. I want art to be accessible. I plan on bringing people to talk more about this. I want to inspire a new generation to want to live with art.

Art by (left to right): Clarence Heyward, Kennedi Carter and Clarence Heyward, at Ella West Gallery.

Late artist you wish you could speak to and what would you ask them?

That’s pretty easy. There are a lot of artists that I am enamored with and admire such as Elizabeth Catlett and Edmonia Lewis. But if I could do it right now, it would be Ernie Barnes. And the questions I would ask him, “Am I doing this right? Am I on the right path?” I had the opportunity to spend the whole day with him in 1995. We talked about some of his challenges. He was a football player. And everybody said “What are you doing with all these paint brushes? You are a football player. Go play football and make tons of money.” But painting was his passion. And so there were these two paths. And so I would ask “Am I on the right path?” And I would probably get his insights on what artists are currently walking in his footsteps.

Ella West Gallery

104 W Parrish St.

Durham, NC 27701

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Linda Shropshire

Celeste Kathleen

Sheldon Scott