Who are Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz?
Alicia Keys
Alicia Keys, whose birth name is Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), is an accomplished American singer and songwriter. She possesses classical piano training and began composing songs at the age of 12. At just 15 years old, she secured a record deal with Columbia Records. Following disputes with the label, she signed with Arista Records and subsequently released her debut album, "Songs in A Minor," through J Records in 2001. The album achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. It featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Fallin'" and earned Keys an unprecedented five Grammy Awards in 2002.
Alicia Keys has achieved remarkable success, selling over 90 million records worldwide, solidifying her status as one of the world's best-selling music artists. Her accolades include 15 Grammy Awards, 17 NAACP Image Awards, 12 ASCAP Awards, and recognition from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and National Music Publishers Association. She has been honored by Billboard as the R&B/Hip-Hop Artist of the Decade (2000s) and ranked tenth on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years. VH1 included her on their lists of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and 100 Greatest Women in Music. Time magazine has named her one of the 100 most influential people in 2005 and 2017. Keys is also celebrated for her humanitarian work, philanthropy, and activism, having been awarded Ambassador of Conscience by Amnesty International. She co-founded and serves as the Global Ambassador of the nonprofit HIV/AIDS-fighting organization Keep a Child Alive.
Swizz Beatz
Kasseem Daoud Dean, born on September 13, 1978, and known professionally as Swizz Beatz, is an accomplished American record producer, rapper, disc jockey (DJ), and songwriter. He hails from the Bronx borough of New York City, where he initially kickstarted his music career as a DJ. At the young age of 18, he began to make a name for himself in the hip-hop scene, thanks to his family's record label, Ruff Ryders, and his close association with Yonkers-based rapper DMX. His role as DMX's producer, DJ, and hype man propelled Dean to prominence as a significant figure in the hip-hop world.
Collecting African-American Art
In May 2018, within the vibrant auction room of Sotheby's New York, the gavel came down on Kerry James Marshall's "Past Times" (1997), an expansive masterpiece that portrays a modern pastoral setting featuring black individuals engaged in picnicking, boating, golfing, and playing croquet. Shortly thereafter, the final selling price, a staggering $21.1 million, which marked the highest ever achieved for a work by a living African-American artist at auction, ignited a heated discussion.
Questions arose: Were black artists suddenly becoming a passing trend, and were recent surges of attention merely an attempt to rectify decades of discrimination and racism within the art world? Could the substantial sum paid by the purchaser, music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, have been directed towards more meaningful endeavors? Notably, the auction featuring Marshall's artwork also featured a special sale that raised $20.2 million for 42 pieces created by other prominent black contemporary artists, with proceeds intended to support a forthcoming establishment for the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Had Diddy acquired all of these artworks, he would have solidified his status as a significant contemporary art collector, saved nearly $1 million, and embodied his cherished concept of "black excellence." In doing so, he would have ensured that an African-American institution in his hometown of Harlem would continue to benefit artists and curators of color for generations to come.
For artists, the sale of Marshall's work - in which the artist himself received no compensation - served as a stark reminder of a more immediate question: Should visual artists be entitled to royalties from the resale of their works on the secondary market? This inquiry has garnered particular interest from collectors Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean, the renowned hip-hop producer, and his spouse, Alicia Keys, the acclaimed R&B artist who has won 15 Grammy Awards. Through their amassed holdings, which have come to be known as the Dean Collection, the couple has established themselves as enthusiastic supporters with a mission to create a protective community for the artists they endorse. Dean, an ardent advocate for the art he admires, masterminded the acquisition of Marshall's painting through his long-time friend and colleague in the music world. "It took me a decade to make it happen," he recounted, referring to the time it took to persuade Diddy to invest significantly in significant black art. "I was adamant that this Kerry James Marshall piece must remain within our cultural heritage."
Seated in a relaxed Italian restaurant across the street from his expansive recording studio in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, where notable artists like Jay-Z, Keys, and Adele record their music, he reminisced about the historic sale of Marshall's painting as a "challenging negotiation." Diddy was apprehensive, as he had never ventured into such territory before, and after the sale, he told Dean, "Don't expect me to do something like that every day." Sipping rosé, the Bronx native chuckled and stood his ground. "But we had to do it! It was a monumental moment." On the same evening, as a gesture of solidarity, Dean and Keys acquired Lynette Yiadom-Boakye's fictional portrait "An Assistance of Amber" (2017) for $550,000, adding it to their collection.
Keys remarked, "There are countless artists from various disciplines—musicians, painters, sculptors, dancers—who have made significant contributions to culture but unfortunately left this world with nothing." She continued, "That's unacceptable; it shouldn't be this way." Keys expressed her belief in the importance of society recognizing and honoring those who make substantial contributions to their communities. "As artists ourselves, we have a deep concern for fellow living artists and ensuring they receive fair recognition for their work." With this perspective in mind, both Keys and Dean are constantly exploring ways to advocate for greater equity and sustainability within the art market, not just for their benefit but for others as well. "Our aim is to create a vibrant community where everyone receives the recognition they rightfully deserve."
Visual art has played a significant role in their relationship from the very beginning. Dean fondly recalled an early date when he was running late because he was busy purchasing a painting for his future wife. The artwork depicted a piano with paintbrushes for keys, created by the Russian-born French Art Deco artist Erté. A few months later, he organized a private art exhibition for Keys, flying in artworks from around the world. The event, known as "Alicia's Erté Experience," took place at the gallery of David Rogath, a dealer and collector in Manhattan. Dean even hired a private educator to provide insights into Erté's work, and a sushi chef was on hand for the occasion. Dean added with a smile, "We strolled through the exhibition, immersing ourselves in the education provided for each piece." In later years, Keys reciprocated this gesture of affection by hosting a surprise 30th birthday celebration for Dean at the Guggenheim Museum.
Dean has been an art collector since his early success producing DMX's mega-hit "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" in 1998 when he was just 18 years old. During his career, he worked on noteworthy albums for artists like Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Eve, and Cam'ron. When he acquired his first home, he realized the significance of art to people he admired, including the influential music executive and mentor, Clive Davis. Dean shared, "I wanted to adorn my walls with meaningful artwork. I wanted to impress Clive Davis whenever he visited my home." (In fact, a Ducati motorcycle signed by Davis now proudly graces the foyer of Dean and Keys' mansion in Englewood, New Jersey.)
In the late 1990s, Dean began frequenting art galleries and posing questions, all in an attempt to comprehend how people were willing to pay substantial sums, like $50,000 for a small painting. He persisted in his quest, even when he felt unwelcome. "I became incredibly inquisitive, going back and forth. They never really took me seriously. I had braided hair and wore baggy pants."
Over time, dealers began to take notice as he started making purchases, including early acquisitions such as an Andy Warhol Campbell's soup can and Dracula from the Pop artist's diamond-dusted "Myths" series in 1981. Dean reminisced about the artists he initially acquired, referring to them all as masters. However, these acquisitions lacked personal connections.
The turning point came around 2005 when he started engaging with artists closer to home. Dean recounted an experience of flying Ernie Barnes to his home to choose locations to hang paintings. Ernie Barnes, a late African-American artist from Durham, North Carolina, who had a previous career in professional football, became known for works like "Sugar Shack" (1971), a surreal depiction of black figures dancing beneath banners bearing the names of music legends like "Big Daddy" Rucker and Marvin Gaye.
As Dean delved deeper into the realm of black art, he realized that there weren't enough collectors within the community itself. While he maintains an interest in art from all backgrounds and cultures, the Dean Collection places a particular emphasis on African-American artists who have long been overlooked. Prior to the recent surge in interest, museum curators seldom organized solo exhibitions for black artists, and both private and public collectors rarely acquired their work in significant ways. The few black artists who succeeded in establishing meaningful markets often did so with support from a select group of patrons, including A. C. Hudgins, a dedicated collector and board member at the Museum of Modern Art, the late activist and collector Peggy Cooper Cafritz from Washington, D.C., and other black artists like David Hammons, who fervently collected Ed Clark's sweeping abstract works.
In their effort to broaden this network of support, Dean and Keys made a substantial commitment to collecting black art. Dean emphasized that these artists deserve recognition, stating that they need to be the driving force behind the change they want to see.
One of the most significant collections of African American art
In the past decade, the Dean Collection has gathered a diverse array of over 1,000 artworks, featuring artists such as Kehinde Wiley, KAWS, Jeffrey Gibson, and Ansel Adams. These artworks frequently delve into themes encompassing power dynamics, historical narratives, racial perspectives, and gender issues—each holding profound personal significance for Dean and Keys. The collection also stands out for its inclusivity, highlighting numerous women artists like Toyin Ojih Odutola, Deana Lawson, and Deborah Roberts, along with self-taught artists like the emerging talent Reginald Sylvester II.
In 2015, Dean and Keys commissioned Sylvester to create a portrait of Nasir, one of their five children, which, as Sylvester expressed, "undoubtedly provided me with a launching pad." He went on to explain, "Starting out as an artist can be challenging. If you're diligently working, recognition may be elusive, and you may remain unseen by specific individuals. Receiving such early support was undoubtedly inspirational and motivating."
As the couple has concentrated on solidifying their art collection, the Dean Collection has grown to be one of the most significant compilations of works by African-American artists, including renowned figures such as Lorna Simpson, Derrick Adams, Mickalene Thomas, and Nina Chanel Abney. Keys emphasized their dedication to collecting young artists of color, considering it a cultural obligation. She elaborated, "That's the way it should be. It's about uplifting others, carrying forward a legacy." She aspires to see their approach influence others, especially young artists, to recognize the importance and influence of art.
Dean and Keys are notably more transparent about their intentions and aspirations compared to other collectors of their stature, who often keep their collections and motivations shrouded in secrecy. Their ethos is encapsulated in an informal motto, as articulated by the 38-year-old Keys: "For the artist, by the artist, with the people." They readily share newly acquired works on the Dean Collection's Instagram account for easy public viewing. Recent posts have featured artworks like Henry Taylor's "Cornerstone" (2016–19), portraying a homeless man in Los Angeles holding a sign requesting food; Jamaican artist Paul Anthony Smith's "So What" (2016), offering a vision of a woman in a feathered costume celebrating Carnival, seen through a pattern reminiscent of a breeze box fence; and the young painter Naudline Pierre's grand three-panel celestial composition, "Lead Me Gently Home" (2019), continuing the expressive and colorful tradition of the late American painter Bob Thompson.
Collectors who specifically seek out art with profound racial and cultural themes are relatively rare, and the Dean Collection is notable for its passionate engagement with such work. Much of the collection's historical significance and sense of urgency can be attributed to the work of another prominent artist, Arthur Jafa. Dean expressed his astonishment, stating, "We are the first African-American collectors of his work," underscoring the groundbreaking nature of their endeavor. This sense of pioneering spirit motivated them to make substantial acquisitions, including a monumental piece from Jafa's "Big Wheel" sculpture series, featuring imposing tires wrapped in chains. Additionally, they acquired "Apex" (2013), one of Jafa's early video works consisting of still images set to a techno beat, evoking the rhythmic sound of a heart monitor.
Dean also leveraged his influence to convince Kehinde Wiley to part with "Femme Piquée par un Serpent" (2008), a monumental 25-foot-long oil painting portraying a black male dressed in jeans, a baseball cap, and Adidas, reclining in a pose inspired by classical art spanning centuries. During the exhibition of this work in Wiley's 2015 survey at the Brooklyn Museum titled "A New Republic," Dean expressed his desire to acquire it, to which Wiley initially responded, "Oh honey, it's not for sale."
Today, this remarkable piece graces a mirrored room in their residence. Dean and Keys sometimes clear this space of furniture to allow guests, who are often invited to their renowned gatherings, to revel freely and dance to their heart's content.
Protecting artists
During a warm summer day, Dean had appointments at Sotheby's, where he delved into a cause close to his heart: "Dean's Choice." Keys, inspired by her commitment to community-building and inclusivity, elaborated on this concept as "something a collector could embrace and say, 'When I sell this artwork, I would like a royalty to be given back to the artist or the artist's family.' It makes perfect sense! How could you buy an artist's work for $10,000 at the outset, and later, it's valued at $30 million, with no share going to them or their family?"
Consider "Past Times," the Kerry James Marshall masterpiece that set a record at $21.1 million. It was originally sold in 1997 for a mere $25,000. Shortly after its high-profile acquisition by Diddy in 2018, another startling incident left the Chicago-based artist disheartened. When his hometown announced intentions to auction off a cherished mural, "Knowledge and Wonder," which he had created in 1995 for the Chicago Public Library, with an estimated price between $10 million and $15 million at Christie's New York, Marshall expressed in a statement shared with ARTnews, "The City of Big Shoulders has extracted every ounce of value possible from the fruits of my labor."
The plans for that sale were withdrawn after significant controversy arose. However, numerous instances exist where artworks by black artists have commanded substantial sums on the secondary market, leaving the artists themselves with no share of the proceeds. Notably, emerging female artists Jordan Casteel and Tschabalala Self, both featured in the Dean Collection, recently witnessed their early works, created during their graduate school years, being auctioned off for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The auction prices of these early pieces could significantly impact the trajectories of their careers.
"Dean's Choice" emerges as a potential solution to address this inequity by offering sellers the option to allocate a portion of their sales proceeds to the work's original creator. Dean emphasized that this proposal is "not about charity" but rather an appeal to genuine patrons. He drew a comparison, stating, "If you pawn something in a pawn shop, they're going to do what they need to—it's the trading post." Dean believes that conscientious buyers and sellers in the secondary market should act as protectors of artists.
Joeonna Bellorado-Samuels, a director at Jack Shainman Gallery in New York, views Keys and Dean as allies and teammates rather than mere clients. She highlighted the significance of their public advocacy for artist rights, citing "Dean's Choice" and their collaboration with Sotheby's as powerful initiatives. Bellorado-Samuels, who has facilitated the inclusion of Hank Willis Thomas's stainless-steel sculpture "Strike" (2018) and Yiadom-Boayke's "Stone Arabesque" (2018), a four-panel painting featuring a black ballerina, in the Dean Collection, sees them as leaders who are filling an important role. She noted, "They are expressing ideas that may have been whispered before. Their outspokenness is truly vital."
"Dean's Choice" represents just one of the concepts that Keys and Dean have been developing to redirect a portion of art profits back to artists. In 2015, they introduced "No Commission," an art fair where participating artists retain 100 percent of the proceeds from their sales. Last year, they launched a grant-making initiative called "St(art)ups," providing $5,000 to 20 artists worldwide to support the organization of their exhibitions. Additionally, they plan to unveil an app named "Smart Collection" next year. Dean described it as "a subscription-based platform where artists retain 100 percent of what they sell." This concept, developed in part during Dean's studies at Harvard Business School in 2017, aims to offer artists who lack access to traditional gallery representation an opportunity to showcase and sell their work.
"Dreamland" & "Creativeland"
Furthermore, there is Dreamland, an informal artist residency established by Dean and Keys in Arizona back in 2017. Dean explained that while it's open to all artists, regardless of their background, he wants African-American artists to know there's a place owned by African-Americans where they can go to free themselves from the pressures of dealing with shows and sales. He envisions Dreamland as a sanctuary for artists to reset and clear their minds.
Dean's enthusiasm peaked when discussing a long-term project he and Keys have envisioned: a new institution tentatively named Creativeland. This institution will serve as a space for creatives from various fields to collaborate on ideas related to art, technology, and business. Their vision includes plans for a campus with exhibition spaces for their collection, a performance center, classrooms, and live/work spaces for visitors. They've identified a site encompassing over 100 acres of land in upstate Macedon, New York, a small town approximately 20 miles from Rochester. Education is a crucial aspect of the project, as Dean aims to provide the cultural community with essential tools, inspired by his time at Harvard, to help artists gain multiple seats at the table and on boards. The goal is to empower creatives and provide them with resources to succeed.
Keys emphasized that their initiatives are designed to be inclusive and level the playing field, making art more accessible and beneficial for everyone. As a couple deeply involved in the kind of work that initially made them successful, they uniquely appreciate the value of artist-to-artist relationships. They understand aspects of art that others might overlook because it's not their primary source of income.
Dean and Keys are redefining the role of contemporary collectors. Alongside influential black collectors such as philanthropist Pamela J. Joyner, former MTV producer Bernard Lumpkin, and versatile music and tech executive Troy Carter, they are activist patrons who view their role as an opportunity to connect with artists and ensure their work finds a place in meaningful collections. Simultaneously, they contribute to diversifying art history while helping artists engage with audiences who share their experiences and offer a context where their representation is prioritized and valued.
Derrick Adams, whose work is part of the Dean Collection, shared his perspective: "It's essential for me to have young black collectors acquire my work. The narratives I incorporate in my art are relatable to the daily experiences of black people. Having people who not only understand it from a formal aspect but also from a legacy perspective carries more weight—it's empowering."
Furthermore, Dean and Keys have organized remarkable exhibitions featuring art from beyond their own collection. "Dreamweavers," a two-month group exhibition that opened in February at the UTA Artist Space in Los Angeles (run by the United Talent Agency), showcased 20 black contemporary artists, including Carrie Mae Weems, Cy Gavin, Ming Smith, and Karon Davis. The exhibition celebrated a contemporary "black renaissance" in artistic production, as described by curator Nicola Vassell, who oversees the Dean Collection. Friends, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, acquired works from the show for their own collections.
The couple's engagement in exhibitions extends to loaning artworks for institutional shows. Earlier this year, "Gordon Parks: Selections from the Dean Collection" featured 80 photographs spanning the iconic artist's career at Harvard University's Ethelbert Cooper Gallery. The show was made possible after Keys acquired enough pieces as a Father's Day gift to establish the Dean Collection as the largest private holder of Gordon Parks's photographs. Parks's work ranged from fashion photography to documentation of the civil rights movement in a poignant and honest manner. Keys expressed the importance of collecting their culture and highlighted her husband's commitment to this mission.
Gordon Parks Foundation Ambassadors
Peter W. Kunhardt Jr., the executive director of the Gordon Parks Foundation, remarked, "Alicia and Swizz have had a friendship spanning nearly a decade." After becoming acquainted with them, he added, "I was truly impressed by both of them due to their extensive knowledge of Parks, his narrative, and his life." When they expressed their desire to serve as advocates for the foundation, Kunhardt couldn't have been more delighted. "Here we have two highly significant artists in their own domains reflecting on artists who have passed away and contemplating how the legacy of individuals like Gordon Parks can still hold significance and make an impact in today's world."
Dean's dedication to Gordon Parks is deeply rooted in his commitment to reshaping the narrative as part of a broader mission to uphold and perpetuate the legacies of influential artists of color. In pursuit of being a more effective advocate in this regard, he took on a role as a board member at the Brooklyn Museum in 2015, where he has continued to serve diligently. Anne Pasternak, the museum's director, emphasized, "This individual utilizes his considerable influence in the world, a position of significant power, to benefit others—artists, institutions. He goes beyond self-interest, which is a rarity among those in similar positions. Both he and Alicia have purposefully and actively leveraged their positions for the greater good. It's part of their core beliefs."
Dean himself encourages others to make use of his resources, saying, "I tell everyone: listen, use me as a force for change." In addition to his role on the board of the Americas Foundation of the Serpentine Galleries in London, he aligns with Pasternak as a "disruptor." Following an afternoon discussion over rosé, he distilled his advocacy into this: "Contact me when you're ready to disrupt the status quo."
Looking ahead, he envisions the practical implementation of the initiatives he discusses, such as achieving greater balance in the art market, expanding No Commission into a more significant endeavor, and introducing Smart Collection. As he listed these endeavors, he briefly paused, acknowledging, "I can't do this alone." This acknowledgment underscores the importance of collective efforts from various quarters to further this cause.
Selene