New Orleans Auction Galleries' April 2026 Sale Features 279 Lots of Modern and Contemporary Fine Art and Design

On April 23, 2026, at 10 a.m. CDT, New Orleans Auction Galleries will host its Fine Art and Design auction, showcasing 279 lots from modern and contemporary art. Michele Carolla, the Fine Art Director, notes that the collection embodies timeless artistic themes, addressing issues of identity, sexuality, spirituality, and social commentary. Highlights include Grace Hartigan's 1988 untitled Abstract Expressionist work, valued at $5,000–$8,000, and John McCrady's 1935 Regionalist sketch "Political Rally," estimated at $2,500–$4,000. Additionally, Floyd Newsum's 2011 piece "Confetti" is also priced between $5,000 and $8,000. Representing Mexican modernism, José Clemente Orozco's gouache "Masks" from around 1930 is valued at $15,000–$25,000, while Peter Sacks's "Book of Assyrian Reliefs" from 2012–2013 is similarly estimated. The auction features influential artists like Hartigan, a second-generation Abstract Expressionist, and McCrady, a student of Thomas Hart Benton, alongside Newsum, who co-founded Houston's Project Row Houses, and Sacks, a Harvard educator. Orozco was instrumental in the Mexican Mural Renaissance with Diego Rivera.