“Artists Auction Works to Save Nina Simone’s Birthplace and Transform it into Cultural Site”

In order to finance the project to transform Nina Simone’s birthplace into a cultural site, artists supported by Venus Williams are putting works up for auction.

This initiative settles with the aim of saving the childhood home of the diva who was one of the great voices of jazz in the United States and around the world at the time.

The project is backed by none other than tennis player Venus Williams, who said: “Nina Simone’s childhood home is where it all started. Her roots are there. It’s important to preserve her home if we wants to preserve its history.

“We do not preserve enough the stories of African Americans who mark history. This project is therefore crucial for the legacy of Nina Simone, but also for what we can accomplish in the future”, continued Venus Williams.

Located on a hill in the town of Tryon, North Carolina, in the southeastern United States, the modest 60 m2 house displays wooden plank facades.

Mounted on pillars with an entrance porch, it was on sale in 2017. But four artists, Julie Mehretu, Ellen Gallagher, Rashid Johnson and Adam Pendleton, decided to buy it for 95,000 dollars, to prevent it from disappearing .