Subscribe
Business
Affluence Case Study Startups How To
Downtime
Music Film Books
Dress code
Beauty & Style Recommendation Jewelery
Etiquette
How to
Lifestyle
Boardroom Culinary & Cocktails Vacation Real Estate Events: On Location Memorandum City Guide Health & Wellness
Products
Yachts Automobile Tech Savvy
Featured

Rose Luangisa

Delivers African Artisans Into American Homes

Mother Of Art

ROSE LUANGISA, The African Rose

Founder of Luangisa African Gallery and the Wakanda Celebration designed to introduce African culture, art, food and history to the general populace, celebrates 25 years of bringing beautiful art and fabulous finds to cities across the United States.

The gallery was nominated by Vogue as one of five amazing artisans at the Afropunk Festival in 2016. Loyal customers are always excited to see what Luangisa has in store (literally and figuratively) and always look forward to supporting her in the beautiful and creative gallery environment. Luangisa carries authentic fine African art for the home and wearable art for the body.

MONARCH: How did your journey of becoming the proprietor of Luangisa African Gallery begin?

ROSE LUANGISA: I was born and raised in Tanzania. I came to the United States in 1987 with $200 in my pocket and settled in my ad- opted home in Mount Vernon, New York ever since. I came with a couple of Makonde artifacts and over the years my mother would send me artifacts to decorate our home. In 1996, we were forced to move out of our house, and I did not know what to do with all the artifacts I had decorated all over the house. I heard of an annual event in Mount Vernon held in July called the Afrikan Family Day. I paid $50 to vend at the event and, at the end of the day, I had made $900 in sales. I took $800 and sent it back to my mother in Tanzania to buy me more artifacts. That was the birth of Luangisa African Gallery.

MONARCH: Who influenced you?

ROSE LUANGISA: My mother is my biggest influencer. She has a shop #14 at the Mwenge Woodcarvers Market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. That is where most of my Makonde artifacts are hand crafted.

MONARCH: Does the artwork reflect Tanzania solely or is there a reflection of the entire African diaspora?

“I am inspired in telling and teaching my son and the world about our African culture, heritage, traditions and history.”

and making a fortune without acknowledging the source! I am the founder of the annual Wakanda Celebration that brings the Westchester community together to celebrate African culture, fashion, art, food, movement, history and much more. Wakanda 4ever is in its fourth year and will be celebrated on September 4, 2021. The entire Westchester

ROSE LUANGISA: We carry artifacts from all over Africa to reflect the entire African diaspora. Our Gallery has artifacts from South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Cameroon, South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Benin, Rwanda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Democratic Re- public of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Mali, Zambia and Ivory Coast. One of the main focus of Luangisa African Gallery is the Makonde sculptures from Tanzania made of premium ebony hard- wood (made from the Mpingo tree).

MONARCH: What inspires you?

ROSE LUANGISA: I am inspired in telling and teaching my son and the world about our African culture, heritage, traditions and history. I am also a strong believer in preserving African artifacts for generations to come. I love working directly with artisans to develop distinctive new products bringing the finest accents to the world.

MONARCH: Is there a resurgence of Black Americans looking to explore or reflect their African heritage?

ROSE LUANGISA: More than ever now, African Americans are in tune with the motherland especially now. With all these movies coming out such as “Black Panther” and “Coming 2 America” many African Americans are very comfortable and proud of their heritage and culture. Also artists such as Janet Jackson and Beyoncé have highlighted African fashion in their music videos, and this has portrayed the African lifestyle and fashion in a very positive way.

MONARCH: Your artwork is beautiful. Have the pieces been featured in film or on television?

ROSE LUANGISA: Our artifacts are a stellar collection and have been featured in the Spike Lee’s romance/comedy “She’s Gotta Have It.”

MONARCH: Other ethnic groups have always been able to influence American culture and successfully sell items from their culture to Americans. Do you think that the United States embraces the African culture the same as others?

ROSE LUANGISA: The United States does embrace the African culture especially with people that have a connection to the motherland. As you can see, African culture/fashion is taking center stage across the world and designers such as Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton and others are copying traditional African designs and making a fortune without acknowledging the source! I am the founder of the annual Wakanda Celebration that brings the Westchester community together to celebrate African culture, fashion, art, food, movement, history and much more. Wakanda 4ever is in its fourth year and will be celebrated on September 4, 2021. The entire Westchester community looks forward to our celebration and they embrace it. They love and look forward to the Wakanda Fashion Show which takes place at 5 p.m.

MONARCH: How has Covid-19 affected the sales and production of your artwork?

ROSE LUANGISA: Covid has put a major dent in our sales and production and we are in very poor health. Our gallery has been closed and is open by ap

pointment only. It is very difficult to ship our artifacts from Africa to New York. Shipping charges have quadrupled. The borders across Africa have closed, and it is very difficult to get our artifacts into the United States. In short, it is a nightmare!

MONARCH: Do you do custom orders?

ROSE LUANGISA: Yes we do custom orders. With custom orders, turn around used to be one month. With Covid, turnaround can take up to two months if we are lucky.

MONARCH: How can people put a request in for an order?

ROSE LUANGISA: They can visit our website: www.luangisa.com For retail partners, they can sign up to receive wholesale discounts which is 50% off our retail prices. They are even welcome to email us via rose@luangisa.com or call me via 914-720-7179 for a in person visit to the gallery.

MONARCH: What is next for Rose?

ROSE LUANGISA: I want to open up an African museum in Westchester County, New York. In the museum, we will have an African Restaurant, museum shop and all kinds of workshops, including dance, poetry and drumming classes for the community.

Further Reading
5 years ago
R&B / Soul: Winter 2022
6 years ago
Movies: Summer 2020
5 years ago
Jazz: Summer 2021
1 year ago
Authors: Spring 2025

SEPTEMBER GRAY
Proprietor of September Gray Fine Art Gallery

BIO 

Gray’s life’s work is a reflection of her enduring passion for the arts. Following a noteworthy career in the performing arts, Gray launched a successful fine art consultancy practice wherein she was celebrated for her ability to assist corporate and private collectors with articulating and executing single acquisition and long–term collecting strategies. Gray’s career in the arts and decade as an art consultant inform her role as gallerist. An avid collector, Gray has a talent for “speaking the language” of both artist and collector and a knack for connecting the gallery’s clients to works by artists whose vision and methodologies resonate with their individual tastes, complement their existing collections and honor their overall investment strategy and appetite for risk. Gray holds a B.A. in Art History from DePaul University. A committed art education advocate, Gray serves on a number of non-profit boards and is co-founder of The Gray Foundation, an organization committed to building a world of enriched life options for youth through the promotion of art and education. Gray shares art news and collection strategies in her electronic quarterly journal, The Gray Book.

https://septembergrayart.com/

JUSTIN SULIVAN, CFP
Senior Vice President Market Leader

BIO 

Justin oversees a team of professionals striving to achieve the highest level of client satisfaction. His top priority is that the team not only meets, but also exceeds the client’s expectations. Through Justin’s leadership and commitment, he helps ensure that the client benefits form a full complement of investment, trust, financial planning and private banking services to help them achieve their financial goals.

XAVIER DANIELS

BIO  

Paintings are influenced by his experiences with brotherhood at both Morehouse and as a firefighter. In creating his art, he is actively thinking about the perception of black men and attempting to be a catalyst for a different view on the black male experience. According to Daniels, the conversations happening in popular culture about black males leave them invisible in discussions about themselves. The portraits of black men Daniels creates are large in an effort to symbolically assert black male presence into those conversations. His work has been shown around the world through Almine Rech and Richard Beavers Gallery. Xavier lives and works in Atlanta, Georgia.

https://xavierdaniels.com/

MARRYAM MOMA

BIO

A Tanzanian-Nigerian visual artist based in Atlanta, GA, is renowned for her prolific exhibition history. Moma’s dedication to her art has earned her prestigious residencies at The Migration Artist Residency, Atlanta, GA, and a blended residency and teaching opportunity at The Swimming HoleFoundation in Upstate NY. The Hambidge Center for the Arts awarded her a Distinguished Artist Fellowship, enriching her narrative-driven solo exhibitions like “ICONoclasts.” This showing intertwines paper cut elements to celebrate and empower revolutionary Black figures. Moma continues to innovate within her practice, expanding her presence through murals, public art installations and exhibitions including an indoor mural for Clark Atlanta universities student innovation lounge sponsored by Dell Technologies and Home depot, ICONoclasts Atlanta building-wide public installation sponsored by Dashboard and If Not Us then Who public digital art mural sponsored by A&E Atlanta. 

https://www.marryammoma.com/

DL WARFIELD

BIO

Atlanta-based artist DL Warfield, a veteran artist who has consistently proven himself a talent of the highest caliber – one who has delivered at the highest levels repeatedly throughout his life and career. Yes, many artists are talented; DL Warfield is prolific.

Warfield’s body of work proves his instinctive knowledge and understanding of pop culture and has given him a permanent place at the cutting edge of the new and next. From St. Louis to New York City, Atlanta and worldwide, his talent, skill and endless creativity have taken him to the top of his field again and again, and he intends to push forward wherever a path to artistic excellence can be forged.

The following is a snapshot of his works and clientele. 

Nike, Sprite, Heineken, Anheuser-Busch, Geffen Records, Sony Entertainment, DreamWorks, Sony Music, OutKast Inc., Universal Records, Boys & Girls Clubs, HBO, Virgin Records, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Vibe Magazine, automotive giant Ford Motor Company. He designed the branding for the City of Atlanta’s Film and Entertainment office and at the same time, His fine art has been featured at national landmarks, including the Time-Life Building in New York City, and the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, KY, which he loaned two original pieces for three years.

https://dlwarfield.com/

EDDIE FONTNO

BIO

A native of the Bronx, New York, is most inspired by the brilliance and uniqueness of excellence within the African American culture. The subjects of his work have all possessed a transformative greatness, which paved the way and changed the lives of many, providing a guiding light for the world around them. Fontno takes a subtle approach and focuses on that “light” to capture the detailed nuances through his usage of graphite and oil paint (black and white) that enhances the contrast between light and dark. Fontno’s never-ending quest to find truth and beauty in its most natural form is reflective in the choice of figures in his pieces; paying homage to those who have in some way shaped his view of the world and positively affected his evolution as an artist, father and man. Fontno attended the High School of Art & Design in New York, New York and Howard University in Washington, DC. His work has been displayed in the White House (Madam Vice President Kamala Harris’ private office) and the much-acclaimed October Gallery in Philadelphia, Pa. He has also been commissioned for portraits throughout the Northeast region. 

www.eddiefontno.com

RSVP

We are no longer accepting RSVPs for the Art of Luxury Lifestyle Dinner, but you are welcome to RSVP Here for the Portrait Reveal Event from
9:30PM to 11:30 PM!

ROBERT KOOL BELL| LE KOOL CHAMPAGNE

BIO

For many years, Robert Kool Bell, Leader and Co-founder of Kool & The Gang, sought out Grand Cru Vineyards from owners that have been selling for generations and decided to work with Paul Berthelot a Multi-Vintage producer since 1884. Voila The Celebration Champagne was born! 

https://lekoolchampagne.com

EDDIE FONTNO

BIO

A native of the Bronx, New York, is most inspired by the brilliance and uniqueness of excellence within the African American culture. The subjects of his work have all possessed a transformative greatness, which paved the way and changed the lives of many, providing a guiding light for the world around them. Fontno takes a subtle approach and focuses on that “light” to capture the detailed nuances through his usage of graphite and oil paint (black and white) that enhances the contrast between light and dark. Fontno’s never-ending quest to find truth and beauty in its most natural form is reflective in the choice of figures in his pieces; paying homage to those who have in some way shaped his view of the world and positively affected his evolution as an artist, father and man. Fontno attended the High School of Art & Design in New York, New York and Howard University in Washington, DC. His work has been displayed in the White House (Madam Vice President Kamala Harris’ private office) and the much-acclaimed October Gallery in Philadelphia, Pa. He has also been commissioned for portraits throughout the Northeast region.

Website: www.eddiefontno.com