ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Jennifer Gilbert sells collection to fund Detroit arts space Lumana

market-auction · 2026-04-19

Detroit-based designer and collector Jennifer Gilbert is auctioning works from her contemporary art and design collections at Sotheby's New York to fund the opening of Lumana, a new culture space in Detroit's Little Village neighborhood. The auctions include Joan Mitchell's 1976 canvas Loom II (est. $5m-$7m) and Kenneth Noland's 1958 Circle (est. $4m-$6m) on May 14, George Rickey's 1955 kinetic sculpture Orenary (Space Churn Theme) (est. $50,000-$70,000) on May 15, and an untitled Harry Bertoia wire construction (est. $80,000-$120,000) on June 11. Gilbert's collection recently featured in the exhibition Seen/Scene at the Shepherd art space, curated by Nick Cave and Laura Mott. Her first purchase was Bo Bartlett's Gifts of the Spirit (2001) from David Klein Gallery; recent acquisitions include works by McArthur Binion and Tavares Strachan. Gilbert serves on the board of BasBlue and the Cranbrook Academy of Art's board of governors.

Key facts

  • Jennifer Gilbert is auctioning works from her collection at Sotheby's New York to fund Lumana, a culture space in Detroit's Little Village.
  • Joan Mitchell's Loom II (1976) is estimated at $5m-$7m and Kenneth Noland's Circle (1958) at $4m-$6m, both auctioned May 14.
  • George Rickey's kinetic sculpture Orenary (Space Churn Theme) (1955) is estimated at $50,000-$70,000, auctioned May 15.
  • An untitled Harry Bertoia wire construction (c. 1950) is estimated at $80,000-$120,000, auctioned June 11.
  • Gilbert's collection was featured in Seen/Scene at the Shepherd art space in Detroit, curated by Nick Cave and Laura Mott.
  • Gilbert's first art purchase was Bo Bartlett's Gifts of the Spirit (2001) from David Klein Gallery in Detroit.
  • Recent acquisitions include works by McArthur Binion and Tavares Strachan.
  • Gilbert serves on the board of BasBlue and the Cranbrook Academy of Art's board of governors.

Entities

Artists

  • Jennifer Gilbert
  • Barkley L. Hendricks
  • Mickalene Thomas
  • Jeffrey Gibson
  • Kerry James Marshall
  • Henry Taylor
  • Ewa Juszkiewicz
  • Joan Mitchell
  • Kenneth Noland
  • George Rickey
  • Harry Bertoia
  • Nick Cave
  • Laura Mott
  • Bo Bartlett
  • McArthur Binion
  • Tavares Strachan
  • Gerhard Richter
  • Johannes Vermeer
  • Helen Frankenthaler
  • Olafur Eliasson
  • Rashid Johnson

Institutions

  • Pophouse
  • BasBlue
  • Cranbrook Academy of Art
  • Cranbrook Art Museum
  • Shepherd
  • Sotheby's
  • David Klein Gallery
  • Library Street Collective
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Art
  • Mauritshuis
  • The Art Newspaper
  • Lumana
  • Sotheby's New York
  • Christie's New York
  • SO-IL

Locations

  • Detroit
  • Little Village
  • New York
  • Chelsea
  • Hudson Yards
  • United States
  • Stanton Yards
  • East Village riverfront

Sources