ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Gordon W. Bailey gifts Sam Doyle works to AFAM in honor of Basquiat

institutional · 2026-04-24

Gordon W. Bailey, a Los Angeles-based collector and scholar, has donated three works by Sam Doyle to the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) in honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Doyle, who worked with house paint on corrugated metal panels, documented Gullah culture and African American achievement. Basquiat admired Doyle's portraits and collected several, some featured in the 2022 exhibition 'Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure' organized by Basquiat's family. Bailey has long advocated for untrained artists from the Deep South and has given hundreds of works to major museums.

Key facts

  • Gordon W. Bailey is a Los Angeles-based advocate, scholar and collector.
  • Bailey gifted three works by Sam Doyle to the American Folk Art Museum.
  • The gift is in honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
  • Sam Doyle was from St. Helena Island, South Carolina.
  • Doyle used house paint and corrugated metal roof panels.
  • Doyle documented Gullah culture and African American achievement.
  • Basquiat admired Doyle's expressive portraits and collected his works.
  • Some Doyle works were in the 2022 exhibition 'Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure'.

Entities

Artists

  • Gordon W. Bailey
  • Sam Doyle
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat

Institutions

  • American Folk Art Museum

Locations

  • Los Angeles
  • St. Helena Island
  • South Carolina

Sources