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on that to purchase more for my collection." The home gallery of Peg Alston contains works by the likes of Romare Bearden, Ed Clark, Pheoris West, Earl Miller, Z. K. Oloruntoba. Miller's abstracts were Alston's first pieces after her graduation from New York University preparatory to a career in sociology. "Art was just my enjoyment,"she says. "Collecting the works of Afro-Americans came later. "In the late sixties I saw an African in another part of the apartment building where I lived, with some sculpture under his arm. I got to know him and his work. I was married at the time and my husband and I purchased some of his works. Later, we went to Africa, and though we bought very little art on that trip, I did get to see Africa and become more aware of its existence as an art resource. Unfortunately, we didn't buy nearly enough. "I'm getting people interested in the arts through my association with Cinque gallery, where young artists get their chance to have a solo exhibition. Also at Cinque I've worked with its directors, Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis and Ernest Critchlow——some of the giants of the Black art world." "At my gallery I can show the works of artists that I have a special feeling for, helping them get their works seen and sold. I cannot sell anything that I have not made a total committement[[commitment]] to. I can also introduce others to finding new avenue of expression though art," she says with pride. Some of those persons are increasingly affluent Blacks. "There are some problems that can come up in my trying to develop an attitude about buying amongst Blacks who are buying for the first time. First I must get the person to understand that any time one wants something valuable or precious, he must sacrifice for it. He should not expect the works to be cheap or come easy. It is my problem to try and find ways to help the individuals afford the works, often by extending the time payments and trying to get the very best prices I can from the artists without making the artists feel that they're selling too low, of course. "Very often the person interested or who was getting interested in art had never met a professional artist, much less had the opportunity to talk with one and ask questions. So I decided that I'd organize a group and get artists to come and talk about their works, show slides of some of their project, and then chat about art and being an artist. The seminars have been so successful that I've had to expand to accommodate large numbers of collectors and would-be collectors. "I suppose the greatest pleasure I get from this role I created is that after I've sold a work to someone, sometimes for a good price, and years later to find that they're still enjoying the work as if they'd just brought it home that day. This kind of things make me feel good because I know that I had a small part in bringing this happiness and appreciation in their home and life. I love being an instrument in sharing with others things I love so much—art" ——Benny Andrews Encoe American & Worldwide News, June 21, 1976 31
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