Park West Gallery

Transcription

Park West Gallery

43
Years
Selection – Service – Value
2012 Volume
© 2012 Park West Gallery ®
43 Years
Park West Gallery®
S election – S er vice – Value
Visit us online at
www.parkwestgallery.com
facebook.com/parkwestgallery
twitter.com/parkwestgal
youtube.com/parkwestgallery
parkwestgallery.wordpress.com
29469 Northwestern • Southfield, MI 48034
Phone (248) 354-2343 or Toll Free (800) 521-9654
Type “Park West” in any search engine OR go directly to www.parkwestgallery.com
CONTENTS
Art World News / June-July, 2011 .......................................................38
“Park West Named Best Michigan Gallery by 'Official Best Of' Travel Program"
PARK WEST GALLERY®
An Introduction to Park West Gallery® ................................................ 3-4
Park West Gallery® Founder Albert Scaglione ......................................5
Dr. Anthony Janson Biography .................................................................4
Comments from the Gallery Director .....................................................6
Art World News / April, 2011 .......................................................... 39-41
“Galleries Benefit From Art Auctions” By Koleen Kaffan
Senior Advocate / April, 2011 ...............................................................42
“Park West Gallery® 'Art with a Heart'.”
Examiner.com / October 7, 2010..........................................................43
“Park West Gallery voted top art gallery in Detroit area.” By Vito Curcuru
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Park West - A Family Business .................................................................7
Park West Family of Artists .......................................................................8
The Oakland Press / September 26, 2010 .........................................44
“Local people have given back to the county” By L. Brooks Patterson
Park West Clients ................................................................................... 9-14
Michigan Chronicle / September 8-14, 2010 ....................................45
“Park West Gallery® donates clothing, art to Grace Centers of Hope”
Locations ................................................................................................ 15-26
The Oakland Press / August 16, 2010 .................................................46
“Gallery gives paintings to local shelter.” By Kay Nguyen
A Brief Guide to Artist Techniques ................................................... 27-28
Standard References ........................................................................... 29-30
Detroit Free Press - Do Good Detroit blog / August 11, 2010 ..............47
“Park West Gallery® donates 3,500 items of new clothing to non-profits”
Southfield Sun / June 18, 2009...............................................................48
"City honors 40 years of Park West Gallery®." By Jennie Miller
IN THE NEWS
Michigan Chronicle / December 8, 2011............................................33
“Artist Marcus Glenn making his mark” By Andrew Losen
WDIV - TV (NBC - Detroit) / November 28, 2011 ............................... 34
WDIV Voters Named Park West Gallery® "The Best" in Detroit
Fine Art Magazine / Spring 2009 ...................................................... 49-53
"Park West Gallery® Celebrates 40 Years”
The Reminder / April 15, 2009................................................................54
"It's the People You Meet!" By Roger Cathcart
The Michigan Citizen / November 27, 2011 ..................................... 35
“Local Child rights activist Lauds Michigan Adoption Law” By Kojo Sankofa
Porthole/ April 2009............................................................................. 55-56
"Going once... Going Twice... Buying art at sea with confidence"
The Oakland Press / November 23, 2011 ............................................ 36
“Abstract painter pushes the envelope to create art no one's ever seen before"
Jewish News - Detroit / March 2009................................................ 57-58
“Art & Soul” By Khristi Zimmeth
Hometownlife.com / October 10, 2011 ...............................................37
“Gallery paintings impress, not just for show” By S. Kowalsk
WDIV - TV (NBC - Detroit) / September 25, 2008 ...............................59
Park West Gallery named Best Art Gallery in Detroit
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Copyright ©2012 by Park West Gallery . All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of Park West Gallery .
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© 2012 Park West Gallery®
Centralight / Spring, 2009 ........................................................................60
“Art for all” By Barbara Sutherland Chovanec
Southfield Sun / August 23, 2007 ...........................................................71
“Art in the City.” By Kristyne E. Demske
Press Release / December 18, 2008 .....................................................61
"Park West Gallery® CEO Albert Scaglione delivers commencement address at
Central Michigan University - receives honorary degree"
Grosse Pointe News / August 16, 2007 .................................................82
“Famous Artist Steps in to aid Cornerstone.” By Bob St. John
Press Release/ August 28, 2008.............................................................62
Young Detroiters Meet Muhammad Ali
PR Newswire / August 13, 2008 .............................................................63
"Park West Gallery® sponsors Cornerstone Schools event at Comerica Park"
Art World News / August 2008 .......................................................... 64-65
“Park West® Marks 40th Anniversary”
U.S. Local Business Association/ July 17, 2008 ................................66
Park West Gallery® Receives 2008 Best of Southfield Award
Jewish Telegraphic Agency/ June 7, 2008 ...........................................67
"At 80, Yaacov Agam still vibrant with his artwork and other ideas."
NWA World Traveler/ June 1, 2008 ........................................................68
"Figuratively Speaking." By Stephanie Angelyn Casola
Windsor Star/ May 24, 2008 ....................................................................69
"Buy it because you love it." By Craig Pearson
Oakland Business Review/ May 22, 2008 ............................................70
"Gallery's cruise ship strategy makes splash with art sales." By Mike Scott
Detroit Free Press / July 19, 2007 ................................................... 83-84
“Taking art to the People.” By Tom Walsh
HOUR DETROIT / June, 2006 & 2005 ....................................................85
“Best of Detroit 2006”, "Best of Detroit 2005"
Filter/Observer & Eccentric / June 17, 2004 .................................. 86-87
“Painted Rock”
Hour Detroit / June, 2004 .........................................................................88
“Staying Alive”
Plantation Forum / March, 2004 .............................................................89
“Art Auction Raises Money for Kidney Disease.” By Jaime Lynn Deutsch
Observer & Eccentric / October 23, 2003 .............................................90
“Peter Max’s Magical Mystery Tour”
The Detroit News / September 16, 2003......................................... 91-92
“Art, music make a Dent in funds needed to aid children’s group” By Chuck Bennett
Observer & Eccentric / January 16, 2003 ....................................... 93-94
“Gallery Showing” By Linda Chomin
NJIT - Alumni Magazine / October 9, 2002 .............................................. 95
“Icons | Albert Scaglione - Crashing Into the Art World” By Sheryl Weinstein
Miami Laker/ May 16, 2008............................................................... 71-72
"Albert Molina oversees the largest collection of fine art at the Park West Art Gallery®."
By David L. Snelling
Detroit News / March 1, 2000 ................................................................ 96
“Park West® owner uses style to expand gallery.” By Maureen McDonald
The Oakland Press / January, 2008 ...................................................... 73
“Couple gives $25,000 grant to Pontiac shelter” By Diana Dillaber Murray
Architectural Digest / July 1994............................................................. 97
“Point of View”
Metromode / January, 2008 ...............................................................74-76
“The Art of Community Building.” By Amy Whitesall
Detroit News/ April 1993 ......................................................................... 98
“A Picture is Worth a Million Words”. By Maureen McDonald
DBusiness / November, 2007 ............................................................77-79
“Going Once, Going Twice.” By Minehaha Forman
The Eccentric Newspapers / November 7, 1991 ......................... 99-100
“Lovely ladies dazzle show of Tarkay art” By Linda Ann Chomin
Southfield Eccentric / September 2, 2007 ............................................80
“Israeli artist's works on display.”
EVENTS
Park West Gallery® events ............................................................. 101-106
An Introduction to Park West Gallery® / 2012
AN INTRODUCTION TO PARK WEST GALLERY®
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Park West Gallery®, founded in 1969, is based in Southfield, MI with an affiliate location in Miami Lakes, FL. Park West Gallery conducts fine art auctions
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throughout the United States and Canada. Cruise ship art auctions are conducted by our affiliate company, Park West At Sea.
Park West Gallery® is located on a beautiful 3½ acre site, including a natural pond in the rear
with a surrounding walkway and sculpture garden. The 63,000 square foot building of classical
Greco-Roman design is in the style of many museums built in North America in the 20th
century. An exterior gallery of twenty-three works of art are featured in display windows . In
front of the windows is a granite walkway protected by a covered portico supported by stone
columns.
Inside are 23 spacious exhibition galleries accented with antique furniture and fine oriental
carpets on limestone floors. Each of the galleries is devoted to a particular artist or type of art.
New collections are mounted continuously and more than 500 works fill the galleries.
Also housed within are the company's executive offices, staff offices, fine art storage facilities,
restoration studios, research department, digital catalog printing facilities, and our customer service department.
Our 181,000 square foot facility located in Miami Lakes, FL acts as our distribution center, servicing our cruise ships and land based auctions. Custom
framing, world-wide shipping, art transport and distribution of materials are just some of the activities at our
Florida location. The facility also includes executive offices and a new gallery.
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In total, Park West Gallery works with more than 400 people internationally, bringing collections of fine art of
the highest quality to the world market.
Each week, over 6,000 works of art are cataloged, photographed, custom framed, and carefully checked and
registered before leaving our facilities in Michigan and Florida to be distributed to locations and cruise ships
worldwide for inclusion in auctions and exhibitions.
To remain abreast of important developments in the art world, our gallery director and senior staff members have
logged millions of miles in international and domestic travel. We review the most important international art
expositions and also have representation
at museum exhibitions.
Through our extensive network of artists, dealers and agents, we have developed
the capacity to offer for sale and authenticate works through the artists themselves,
or the definitive experts for the various masters whose works we offer. In addition
to our full-time staff, we utilize well-recognized experts and scholars to document
and review our collections. Among these are; Joseph Jacobs, noted freelance art
writer and critic; Tony Janson, co-author of the History Of Art, the most widely
used textbook on fine art ever written; Dr. Eleanor Hight, University of New
Hampshire art professor and expert on Russian art; and many others.
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An Introduction to Park West Gallery® / 2012
Our research library includes many rare and out of print references. Our research
department catalogs each work offered at our gallery and auctions. When our seal
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is affixed to a Park West Gallery certificate of authenticity, collectors have the
assurance that the research was done according to the highest of museum or
internationally-important auction standards.
We have, for many decades, mounted extensive gallery exhibitions of works by
recognized masters and contemporary artists. Pablo Picasso, Albrecht Durer, Marc
Chagall, Francisco Goya, Joan Miro, Rembrandt van Rijn and Toulouse-Lautrec are
among the old and modern masters we have recently offered at gallery exhibitions.
Personal appearances at our exhibitions have included, Peter Max, Itzchak Tarkay, Marcel Mouly, Alfred Gockel, Linda LeKinff, Igor Medvedev, Fanch
Ledan, Tomasz Rut, Scott Jacobs and Csaba Markus, among many others. Each year more than 50 artists visit the gallery for signings and events.
For each event, catalogues are produced and distributed to attendees. We have published, and are continuing to publish, catalogue raisonnés (cata®
logue records) of graphic works created by many of the artists in the Park West group, including Igor Medvedev, Fanch Ledan and Linda LeKinff.
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Unlike many galleries or auction companies, Park West typically collects works before selling them. These collections have been built over many
years. We, and in turn, our clients, have numerous advantages as a result of the aging process we have developed in building our collections.
The identification of additional artists or collections of merit is a continuous search.
As well as attending major art events and visiting artist's studios, we also receive
literally thousands of submissions from artists and dealers each year to become a
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part of the Park West Gallery collection. Our selection process is rigorous and is
based on our continuing research and comprehensive understanding of the international art market. Once our committees have made their selections, we develop
relationships with the artists themselves, their estates, or owners of the collections.
When dealing in lithographs, serigraphs, seriolithographs, etchings, and giclées we
typically are the publishers and/or editors. Three international ateliers (studios for
the creation of the works) located in Paris, Detroit, and Tel Aviv work exclusively
creating editions of these works to be brought to the world market by Park West
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Gallery . We publish works by Max, Tarkay, Rut, Gockel, Mouly, Medvedev, LeKinff,
Krasnyansky, Fanch and dozens of other artists of the highest artistic success. These
artists work closely with the artisans from the studios at every level in the development of their imagery. When the artist signs his or her name to a
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lithograph, serigraph, seriolithograph, etching or giclée and the Park West Gallery certificate of authenticity is issued, collectors have the assurance
that each work has been subjected to the highest levels of artistic and critical scrutiny.
DR. ANTHONY JANSON BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Anthony Janson is the author of the following biography of Albert Scaglione founder of Park West Gallery .
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Dr. Janson is the author of numerous articles on a wide range of art, from the Renaissance to the present day. He
is also a recognized authority on American l9th-century painting, and specializes in the Hudson River landscape
school. He is best known as the revising author of the widely read text Janson's History of Art, the most widely
used textbook on art in colleges and universities in the United States, originally written by his father, H. W. Janson.
After teaching at the State University of New York at Buffalo and the College of Charleston, Anthony Janson spent
15 years as chief curator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota,
and the North Carolina Museum of Art. He joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington as
a visiting professor in 1994, and served as chair of the Department of Art and Theater from 1996 until 1998.
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Park West Gallery® Founder Albert Scaglione / 2012
PARK WEST GALLERY® FOUNDER ALBERT SCAGLIONE
Albert Scaglione, founder and CEO of Park West Gallery , is one of the most unusual people in the art world,
which is notable for its amazing characters. A youthful-looking and vigorous man, he is certainly a savvy
businessman, as the remarkable success of the Gallery attests. He has made it the world's largest dealer in
original art. He is also a man with a vision who is passionately committed to what he sees as his mission.
This "left brain-right brain" duality, as he puts it, is fundamental to his personality. So is his enthusiasm, for
the man is a natural -born teacher.
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As with most people, Scaglione arrived where he is in life through several twists and turns. After completing
his doctorate, he began his career in 1967 teaching mechanical engineering sciences at Wayne State University
in Detroit. At the time, his research to solve the problem of how to land an astronaut on Mars without burning
up and the co-related issue of providing a solution to the heat shield problems associated with the development
of a S.S. Supersonic Transport (SST), was heavily underwritten by NASA. When these projects were abandoned
by the government, Scaglione left in 1969 rather than work on secret Government projects that utilized his skills in magneto hydrodynamics, not however in
interplanetary travel or supersonic transport, but in weapons delivery systems. He was already searching for a different career, but at the time did not know
what it should be. He went into the art auction business at the suggestion of a friend, who saw it as the future of collecting, but the decision was dictated by
personal experience, not by reasoned calculation. As a teenager he had spent a summer working in a relative's gallery and loved everything about it, from the
framing and crating of artwork, to the sales. In the late 60's and early 70's, early success came when he met Peter Max and became one of his most important
art dealers. Shortly thereafter in the 70's in Paris, he met Yaacov Agam, considered to be the father of the kinetic art movement, and Victor Vasarely, one of
the developers of Op art, and also became one of their most important art dealers. His further successes in the 70's came when, by working directly with their
prime dealers in Europe, he introduced the works of Maurits Escher, Marc Chagall, and Joan Miro to a much larger segment of the American Public.
Park West Gallery reflects all of these different facets of Scaglione's character. Like an engineer, he loves to figure out how to solve problems in order to
make a complex project work. Like a teacher, he loves to explain things in a way that is both educational and convincing. And like an art dealer, he loves to
discover artists and to bring their work before the buying public. Yet Scaglione is something of a paradox, perhaps naturally so, given his complex personality.
Most successful dealers are part showman, and he is certainly that. Nevertheless, he prefers to remain in the background. He is at once very candid, yet very
private. He is passionate in his commitments, but they tend to be intensely personal, both in his relationships and in the charities he chooses. Scaglione is
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very businesslike in his dealings, but remains dedicated to the ideal of artistic perfection in every thing he does. In that sense, too, Park West Gallery is a
reflection of his life. Only now is Scaglione fully comfortable with himself and where he is in his life. It is interesting that he seems naturally drawn to people
who have reached a similar stage of personal understanding. Whether consciously or unconsciously, he chooses artists (and even his senior associates at
the Gallery) whose careers have been filled with personal and professional struggles, but who have achieved maturity in both areas of their lives.
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Albert bases his relationships with artists on mutual responsibility. He expects a high level of consistency and professionalism in exchange for
providing support and opportunities that they might not otherwise have, thanks to his unique understanding of the art market. Scaglione tries to
understand each one artistically and personally. Above all, he says, an artist must be alive and receptive to fresh challenges and to life. He tries to
motivate and stimulate but not to dictate to an artist what to create or when. The art looks even better to him as an insider, because he knows all the
effort that goes into making it on the part of the artist and his printmakers.
Scaglione sees his place in terms of roles. Thus he conceives a dual purpose for Park West Gallery . On the one hand, it is a kind of museum, complete
with a neoclassical facade designed by Anatole Krasnyansky, one of his artists who also happens to be a professionally trained architect. On the other
hand, it is a museum that exists to sell art. Does this seem like a contradiction? We are reminded that the word "museum" comes from the word "muse",
that it is a place to seek inspiration, something that is not at all precluded by a gallery. He also realizes that the media age has forever changed the
position of the art dealer from that of an arbiter of taste in the mold of a Leo Castelli, who, with critics and curators, helped to define "good" art after
World War II. The advent of the computer and the availability of information and digitization, in his view, allows the public to become part of that
decision-making process, so that the art market, like so many other areas of today's economy, becomes customer-driven. It is Scaglione's view that
the public of the 21st Century is an informed public which will drive art and art forms rather than have art forms be driven by what he believes has
been a pseudo-religion made up of proclamations about art which were handed down first by the Church, then kings, museums, curators, critics and
dealers. By extension, he seeks to provide the public with the level of quality that it both wants and deserves. Scaglione respects the importance of
both the artist and the public. He realizes that nothing can happen if he is not able to provide the "comfort zone" necessary for an artist to create his
work, by acting as an intermediary and buffer with the public. That remains the foundation of his transactional relationship with both. His role, then, is
to bring them together using marketing and education. He wants to provide the best forum for getting the best art to the most people in the best possible
way, whatever that may be. But since the media age also obliterates all the old landmarks, he always has his receptors out for what is going on;
otherwise it is impossible to maintain ground, let alone gain it. Scaglione is genuinely filled with excitement about the ongoing changes that will further
redefine the art world and the place of the dealer within it over the next two decades, and he wants to play a constructive part in that process
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Dr. Anthony Janson
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Comments from the Gallery Director / 2012
COMMENTS FROM THE GALLERY DIRECTOR
At Park West Gallery®, we don't tell you what you should collect, you tell
us what you want to collect and we strive to provide the highest quality in
service, information, and value to fulfill your expectations. There is a real
difference here at Park West Gallery®, and we believe it is one of many
reasons why after over 40 years in business we've become the world's
largest art dealer.
ABOUT OUR GALLERY
The current collection on display as you walk through our 23 gallery
exhibition spaces is only a small portion of our complete collection and
archives, which are vast and include works by many of the old and modern
masters of art historical significance. Many of these works are represented
in museum collections throughout the world, and include artists like: Dürer,
Rembrandt, Goya, Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec, Whistler, Chagall, Miro, Erte,
Picasso and other artists of similar stature. We mount exhibitions and sales
of masterworks by these and other artists on a regular basis, and maintain
permanent installations of the old and modern masters.
Concerning the works of contemporary artists, we feature notable and established international names, such as: Max, Tarkay, Rut, Gockel, LeKinff,
Krasnyansky, Fanch, Medvedev, Kipniss, and dozens more.
Our animation art collection is the largest in the world and includes representation by important animation studios like: Disney, Warner Bros', HannaBarbera and Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Over the years, we have maintained direct relationships with some of animation art's most respected animators and
producers - many now deceased - such as: Thomas and Charles McKimson, William Hanna and Joseph Barbara, and Chuck Jones. Recently we have
established relationships with some of the world's great athletes or their estates to bring sports collectibles to the market. These include athletes like
Muhammad Ali, Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Steve Carlton, Ken Norton, Sandy Kofax and others.
At any time when visiting the gallery, you will see several rotating exhibition spaces devoted to the aforementioned artists, plus 23 collections, and other
galleries devoted to group installations as well. Please check the directories posted in our foyer and in gallery 16 (upper level) and 5 and 9 (lower level)
for each month's specific installations and locations.
ABOUT OUR SERVICES
Our services provided at Park West Gallery® are truly unique in the art world. By being one of the world's largest art dealers, we are able to offer services
to our gallery clients that are expected by the discerning, but also others that are entirely exclusive to us. They include:
Authenticity: Every work of art purchased at Park West Gallery® carries a money back, limited guarantee of authorship and comes with a certificate of
authenticity, including the complete description and research information for each work.
Research and documentation: Every attempt is made at Park West Gallery® to provide the most extensive information on the specifics of any work
of art offered. This information includes (where available), the title, date, medium, image size, edition information and any relevant historical or
provenance information. Our research department will utilize their best efforts to answer any additional inquiries about any work of art available at Park
West Gallery®.
Expertise: Our staff of trained professional art consultants is among the most experienced and rigorously trained in the art world. We encourage you
to spend time with any of our associates, as you will find them to be knowledgeable, informative, accommodating, and completely professional.
Framing: Any work purchased in our Michigan gallery includes your choice of custom framing at no additional charge. Please visit gallery 9 on the
lower level to review our extensive selection of available frame samples. For Park West® collectors who have acquired unframed art on a cruise ship, we
are pleased to provide framing services.
Tours and Lectures: For qualified groups, lectures on and tours of specific collections, artists or topics can be arranged at no charge to the
organization. For complete details on this service, please phone the gallery at (248) 354-2343.
Thank you for visiting Park West Gallery®.
Morris Shapiro - Gallery Director
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Park West® - a Family Business / 2012
PARK WEST® - A FAMILY BUSINESS
“Over 300 years of combined experience just amongst the staff shown below—with hundreds more serving you!”
Albert Scaglione, Founder and CEO, Park West Gallery®
43 years with Park West
Albert Scaglione founded Park West Gallery® in 1969 and is Chief Executive Officer.
Albert is as passionate about people as he is about art and was a mechanical engineering
sciences college professor before founding Park West®. Albert’s door is always open
to his staff, friends and the community. His vision of a new way art could be brought to
the world has been transformational and over one million clients have been able to enjoy the artwork in their
collections through his visionary efforts. The establishment of the Park West Foundation® by Albert and
his wife Mitsie have allowed them to give back to many in the local community through outreach programs,
charitable events and an unwavering commitment to family preservation and education.
Mitsie Scaglione, Corporate Secretary
Mitsie, Albert’s wife, has been at his side since the company’s inception and like her
husband she is involved from top to bottom. She is a hard working and caring person
who is greatly respected for her wisdom, experience, warmth and compassion. Everyone’s favorite location at Park West Gallery®, Michigan is Mitsie’s office, where the
“candy bowl” is always full and anyone can stop by for a chat and a sweet. As the Executive Director of the
not-for-profit Park West Foundation®, she has created a dynamic organization that touches the lives of
underprivileged young women in the Detroit area, who refer to her as “Grandma.”
Marc Scaglione, President, Park West Gallery®
As President of Park West®, Marc Scaglione works closely with the company’s
cruise ship art auction operations, as well as the merchandising, inventory, shipping,
receiving and client services departments. Marc enjoys working to find new artists,
artwork and acquisitions and interacting with artists and collectors. By cruising with
collectors and artists on a regular basis, he is able to understand the needs and requirements of both.
He particularly enjoys bringing artists and clients together. Marc has an abundance of anecdotes about
his experiences with artists from all over the world which he loves to share with others.
Albert Molina, President, Park West® Florida
As President of Park West® Florida, Albert Molina oversees the largest custom frame
shop in the country – if not the world. Park West®, located in Miami Lakes, Florida,
comprises 181,000 square feet, with over one hundred multi-national employees.
Albert is responsible for many aspects of the company’s activities, from the supervision
of its day-to-day operations to negotiating contracts with major companies. Albert has taken pride in
seeing the company’s growth, and being one of the main reasons behind it.
Nicky Yanke, Human Resource Director
As HR Director for Park West Gallery®, Nicky has found her work to be rewarding and
challenging. She is responsible for negotiation, implementation and administration
of employee benefits plans, is involved with the daily implementation and
coordination of staff training, and handles all personal interaction with employees
concerning HR matters in both Michigan and Florida. She frequently travels to other company locations
to coordinate orientation seminars and she administrates Park West’s ® insurance programs. Nicky also
oversees travel budgets and itineraries for artists, agents, contractors and vendors associated with all
Park West® companies.
John Karay, Vice President of Operations
John oversees the day to day operations of internal and external movement of all
artwork in and out of the Miami Fulfillment Center. This very large responsibility
involves moving collections all over the world with the inherent inventory, security
and conservation challenges that are present every day. John is also involved in
administrating the Park West® compliance department.
Mary Gordon, Customer Service Manager
Mary performs one of the most important jobs in any company—managing a team
of friendly, enthusiastic and professional client service representatives. Her team’s
number one priority is customer satisfaction and Mary’s unwavering goal every
day is to provide outstanding service to ensure that our customers feel that they
are part of the Park West® family.
Morris Shapiro, Gallery Director
Gallery Director Morris Shapiro is intricately involved in a number of Park West’s®
daily operations, including: the training of new and existing art auctioneers; the
writing and production of Park West’s® print, web and video content about its art
and artists; the direction and implementation of various marketing initiatives; the
supervision of Park West’s® research team; interacting with the public to present Park West’s® collections;
and assisting clients in their acquisitions.
Maria Marsh, Director of Shipboard Operations, Park West® Florida
As Director of Shipboard Operations for Park West® Florida, Maria Marsh
serves as the main point of contact for the organization’s fine art auctions
aboard luxury cruise ships, ensuring that its cruise line partners and auctioneers
receive the ultimate level of service and support. Maria’s responsibilities
include: providing key communications to senior staff; building and maintaining relationships
with cruise line management; reinforcing compliance policies and procedures; liaising with the logistics
department; supervising the training staff; support and travel arrangements of onboard auctioneers;
and overseeing the programming and promotions for the auctions.
Donna Morrison-Musto, V.I.P. Associate
One of the most knowledgeable and experienced sales associates ever to join the Park
West® team, Donna actively advises collectors on their most important acquisitions.
Today she travels internationally with the Park West Gallery® VIP team working with
many of the company’s long standing clients. She provides insight, information and
expertise to a large and very loyal group of clients, many of whom have become friends during her twentyfive years at Park West®.
Luis Navarro, Plant Manager, Park West® Florida
As Plant Manager at Park West® Florida, Luis Navarro coordinates a myriad of
operations, including: overseeing Park West’s ® framing services; managing
framing materials inventories; handling equipment and facilities maintenance;
tracking inventory to and from the Florida facility throughout the world; tracking
daily performance levels of production; and executing budgetary evaluations. Amidst all of this, Luis
maintains a solid positive approach, and is well respected by his colleagues and subordinates.
Becky Hanel, Inventory and Research Manager
Becky was previously Park West’s ® Gallery Director and returned to the company
after years of honing her business knowledge and experience. At Park West®,
she handles the daunting task of supervising inventory control. This entails
managing a substantial departmental staff, numerous projects and initiatives,
research, conservation, interaction with artists, auction houses, estates, publishers and vendors. Her
tireless energy and concentration on the tasks at hand have been instrumental in Park West’s® overall
performance and success.
Lisa Hershberger, Gallery Sales Associate
Lisa is the “warm voice on the other end of the phone” at Park West®. With extensive
experience and expertise in the art business, Lisa has served thousands of clients in
matching their needs and preferences to just that “right” work of art. She coordinates
international sales and gallery sales, acts as art consultant for clients visiting the
gallery, calling by phone or emailing.
Maureen DiPaola, Controller
Maureen, as Controller for Park West®, analyzes and controls the organization’s
accounting and financial records, and manages the company’s financial operations.
In addition to daily interactions with her staff through which she supervises all the
accounting functions in the organization, Maureen has built strong relationships over
the years with Park West’s artists, vendors, bankers and management teams. Her easy-going, pleasant
manner and expertise were honed through years of experience accompanied by major technological
changes and have been an important factor in achieving the company’s objectives.
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The Park West® Family of Artists / 2012
OUR FAMILY OF ARTISTS
The living artists we represent make up a who’s who of the contemporary art world. Park West is the exclusive dealer
for many artists, so we are able to offer art directly from the artists’ studios. It is a special joy for us to put clients
directly in touch with our artists — an experience, prior to the founding of Park West®, extended only to the wealthiest
art patrons and collectors.
© Peter Max 2012
®
Emile Bellet
Dominic Pangborn
Peter Max
Tim Yanke
Linda Le Kinff
Fanch Ledan
Csaba Markus
Marko Mavrovich
Andrew Bone
Schaefer/Miles
Scott Jacobs
Peter Nixon
Thomas Kinkade
Igor Medvedev
Anatoly Metlan
Nano Lopez
Jean-Claude Picot
Victor Spahn
Yaacov Agam
Alexander Chen
© Peter Max 2012
Itzchak Tarkay
Claude Cambour
8
Hua Chen
Leslie Lew
David Willardson
Slava Brodinsky
Romero Britto
David Najar
Duaív
Anatole Krasnyansky
Alfred Gockel
Marcus Glenn
Park West® Clients / 2012
PARK WEST® CLIENTS
In our 43 years we have sold art to more than 1.3 million people.
Visit our online Park West Gallery® Customer Reviews Blog (www.parkwestportal.com) to find hundreds of unsolicited
letters and e-mails from our satisfied clients. The selection below is a sampling of some of that correspondence.
“Rex and I would like to thank you for the
wonderful time we had at Sunriver VIP event.
The kindnesses and generosity of Park West
Gallery CARES has been overwhelming for
our high school Art teacher and students.
They will be able to study Art right in their
classroom instead of going on expensive
trips out of town. The art pieces and books
will be used for years to come.
Rob, good to your word, you got Dominic to
Oregon and Winston!! Thank you.
Albert, thanks for embracing our Art cause
in our community, and heartfelt words for
Rex at Sunriver.
Cara, thanks for organizing this donation
event and representing Park West Gallery in
our community.
Dominic, no words can express our thanks
for everything you have done for us and
our community. The 'Rainbow Tiger' will
proudly watch over the Community Center
entrance. The new logo of the cheetah
looking through the trees shows how the
City has grown-up. Taini, the ambassador
cheetah from the Safari has never looked
better wearing your tie.
Park West Gallery has shown that people
still care about what is important in life,
helping others to better themselves.
Giving money is temporary, but the gift of
art is long lasting and can move the very
soul.
Thank you again for all your efforts in
making this a reality!!!!”
Gail & Mayor Rex Stevens
Winston, Oregon
_____
"My family went on a Carnival cruise in
August 2010 and we were curious about the
art auction. We had never been to an auction
before. We never planned to buy any artwork
but as we looked at the artworks, we were
captured by the beauty of the paintings.
At the end of the auction, we bought
14 artworks (Tarkay, Kinkade, Le Kinff,
Mavrovich, Gockel, Glenn) and we also
won some artworks. My husband liked
the 'Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics' by
Alexander Chen but we couldn't budget for
it. The Art Director made it possible for us
to acquire the ‘Beijing Olympics’ by working
around our budget.
We were so happy and couldn't believe that
we actually bought so many pieces. We
want to thank [the Art Director] for being
very professional and very understanding.
He made the auction very interesting and
we will never forget that experience."
Stephen K.
Flushing, New York
_____
"I have bought several paintings on cruise
ships, all from your company, and I must
say I have been very pleased with all of the
transactions. I only wish I had more room
on my walls for more. I even went to the
extent of remodeling. That's where I have
my Peter Max hanging.
Thanks Park West Gallery!"
Steve P.
Waco, Georgia
_____
"I would like to sing the praises of the staff
that helped us on the ship. The auctions
were a lot of fun and we will look forward
to the next cruise or opportunity to buy art
from your wonderful company."
John S.
Huntington Station, New York
_____
"We just came back from an amazing trip
to Napa Valley!!! As usual, everything was
above and beyond!
Every one of the Park West Gallery staff,
crew, etc., made us all feel just like
family. The experiences we have had the
pleasure of enjoying with you are all such
great memories.
It is such a pleasure to know how well you
take care of us on the business side also.
You continually knock our socks off with
the artists we meet and the opportunities
you give us. Every time I spend time with
Park West Gallery, I bring home so much
knowledge about art it just amazes me!!!!
Thank you for sharing your lives and your
wealth of knowledge with us."
Terry C. & Tracey S.
Salem, Oregon
_____
"Our sincere thanks for the marvelous
weekend we enjoyed at the Orlando VIP
event. You go out of your way to make our
stay as comfortable and pleasant as possible.
In particular, [the art auctioneer] and
his staff and the other associates are
knowledgeable, pleasant and fun to
be with, plus we get the opportunity to
see friends whom we have met at earlier
auctions.
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Park West® Clients cont. / 2012
PARK WEST® CLIENTS
[This art auctioneer] is a wonderful asset to
Park West Gallery, and the evening at Cirque
du Soleil was exceptional; being able to
spend time with the artists -- Linda Le Kinff,
Marcus (and his wife Yolanda) Glenn, and
the surprise visit from Marko Mavrovich is
not only an education, but a privilege.
Thanks to you, we are scrambling for wall
space, and proudly display our paintings
as we move up in the caliber of our
collection."
"I enjoyed the art auctions. Those involved
with your company were professional and
well learned. They treated me with kindness
and answered all questions. I am happy
with selections you offered and as I said
your people were helpful. I will tell my
clients to make sure to attend the actions,
if not to purchase, then for the education. I
am looking forward to seeing my art in my
home."
Twana M.
Vidor, Texas
Alan & Sharon M.
Eagan, Minnesota
_____
_____
"I would like to say thank you to the staff
on the ship, Norwegian Gem. My painting
arrived safe and sound this morning and
I'm so happy. I love it and it has the pride
place in my home. Thank you all for your
wonderful effort."
"My wife and I took our honeymoon on the
NCL Gem. We purchased 7 pieces of art on
the cruise and we couldn't be happier. We
have purchased from Park West Gallery
before, but we have never had such an
enjoyable experience.
[The art auctioneer team] was absolutely
awesome. They are extremely friendly,
they know their art, and made the auctions
so much fun. They went out of their way
to make us feel welcome, and worked so
hard to find us the right pieces of art to fit
our style. Park West Gallery is lucky to have
them as a part of their team.
I hope this message finds its way to them
to let them know how much we appreciate
everything they did for us. Thanks again."
Greg & Leigha H.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
_____
"We attended our art auction with Park
West Gallery on the Carnival Legend
last week and had a great time! The art
team was FANTASTIC!! They were VERY
knowledgeable and personable and made
our experience outstanding."
Jacob M.
Crestview, Florida
_____
Edith B.
Jurien Bay, Australia
_____
"Thank you so much for your letter thanking
me and Tom for joining you on another
memorable cruise. My goodness! I should
be thanking you and your entire staff for
inviting us and for showing us such a
wonderful, memorable time on Norwegian
Epic.
I had no idea how special the experience
was going to be... not only the
accommodations, which we are both still
talking about to anyone who will listen,
but the artists! To actually meet Yaacov
Agam and Igor Medvedev, and have them
personalize their books to ME.
I have been the proud owner of Medvedev's
‘Byzantine’ (from a Park West Gallery Tampa
land auction about six years ago); and when
I pointed out that page in his book, both he
and his wife expressed a combination of
disbelief and happiness that I did, indeed,
own that particular piece. At my request, he
autographed that page for me.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention how
special it was to have [Albert Scaglione]
join us and participate in the presentations,
particularly with Yaacov Agam. I bought
an ‘Agamograph’ piece during the auction;
and during the photo session with Yaacov,
I wished him a Happy Hanukkah. Rather
than returning the saying to me, he
proceeded to draw two overlapping Stars
of David on my autographed page, along
with his ‘rainbow,’ that he had already
drawn. I cannot express how special that
experience was to me.
I really do enjoy the overall experience of
being surrounded by the artwork and artists
- and learning - a continuing educational
experience - about the works as well as the
artists. The presentations mean a lot to me
even if I don't bid on a particular work or
artist. At times I feel as if I'm back in school
learning from [the art auctioneer's] and
others' expertise. A case in point was the
presentation of the works of Robert Kipniss.
This was our fifth VIP trip, and our third
VIP cruise. It is difficult to find room for
improvement since the hard work of your
staff really paid off with the arrangements
for the accommodations, auctions, parties,
dinners, etc., down to a science.
Again, thank you for all of your consideration,
and I look forward to seeing you at future
events."
Susan C.
Hudson, Florida
_____
“WOW, WOW and WOW. Thank you for the
MOST incredible EVENTs on Norwegian
EPIC. Truly a ONCE IN A LIFETIME
experience! Our daughter will always
remember YAACOV AGAM signing HER
BOOK!!! We came away with wonderful
books, new art, new friends, and memories
to last a lifetime.”
Barbara, Stuart & Amanda D.
Ormond Beach, Florida
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PARK WEST® CLIENTS
"I have taken many cruises, but have never
purchased any artwork. On my last cruise,
I decided to purchase a work of art for
my sister for Christmas. At the time, they
explained to me that there was a 12 week
lead time, so it would be close, and that I
may not receive it time for Christmas.
When I got home, I contacted your Customer
Service department to see if they could
'push' the process, so that I would receive it
in time. I spoke with Mary, and she assured
me that she would do everything that she
could to make it happen.
Well, I just want you to know that she did
in fact do that, and actually went above and
beyond the call of duty. She even called me
the day that it was shipped to provide me
with all of the tracking information. I actually
received it a week before Christmas!
I just want you to know that Mary made
my experience in dealing with Park West
Gallery a very pleasant one. She truly is the
best Customer Service Rep. that I have ever
dealt with. Please provide kudos to Mary,
and tell her that her efforts made one of your
customers a very happy camper!
Thank you."
Michele K.
Syracuse, New York
_____
"On behalf of the City of Clayton, I would
like to thank Park West Gallery CARES for
your generous donation of twenty works
by various artists that Park West Gallery
represents.
The City is excited to have new artwork
for display in our facilities and have
the opportunity to use these pieces as
a fundraising tool for the local nonprofit Clayton Century Foundation. This
organization was created as a fundraising
vehicle for community needs in the area of
Arts, Parks and History and, as such, will
be able to raise funds for future projects
through generous donations such as yours.
As a community that values Art in all its
forms, we are happy to have been selected
as a recipient of this donation. Thank
you again. The effort of your organization
to assist communities like Clayton is
commendable."
Craig Owens,
Clayton City Manager
_____
“I have been shopping with Park West
Gallery since my first cruise in 1985.
I have always found you to be helpful
and accommodating, but you have now
exceeded all of my expectations. I would not
even consider any other gallery. Thank you
so very much.
I am anxiously awaiting my next VIP event,
since no matter how much I vow that I won't
buy anything, your wonderful selections
and knowledgeable staff always offers me
just the things I can't live without.”
Barbara W.
Washington Twp, New Jersey
_____
"Now that the holidays are over I would
like to express to you that the cruise my
girlfriend Linda & I were so fortunate to take
was FABULOUS!!!
Never have I been treated so royally on a
cruise. From the moment we arrived at the
Hotel in NYC to the moment we disembarked
off the ship, the experience was extremely
enjoyable.
Visiting with Peter Max was the highlight
of my trip! I enjoy his works immensely &
have a few and to meet him in person was
such a treat I cannot explain to you! The
dinner afterwards was the Best! The food
and company was fantastic! Being able to
roam around the city in the morning of the
cruise gave me a new outlook of the city and
being nearby Bryant Park at that time of the
year was very nice. Watching the skaters and
visiting through the shops before Christmas
enabled me to do some great shopping for
the holidays.
As for the cruise itself, what can I say?!
Your planning and diversity of the artworks
and artists blew me away! I learned so very
much and was able to enjoy every minute of
your hard work. My time spent with fellow
art lovers allowed me to appreciate the
cruise even more.
I will cut this short because I could ramble
on and on about what a Grand time I had!
I would just like to tell you how much I
appreciated the opportunity to be part of
such a wonderful cruise!
Congratulations on a job Extremely Well
Done! Your definitely impressed me to the
Max! (Ha! pun intended.)"
Dominica B.
Cliffwood Beach, New Jersey
_____
"We would like to thank you for the wonderful
artwork that you recently shipped to us,
which we received yesterday. However, the
main reason I wanted to contact you was
for the excellent customer service that we
received from Park West Gallery.
Please could you thank Lisa on behalf of our
whole family. This lady went way above and
beyond the call of duty for us. Lisa phoned
us and emailed us regularly. Lisa treated
us like VIPs and we are extremely grateful
to her for taking the time and effort to get
to know our preferences and ensuring
that our new pieces fit perfectly into our
collection.
We cannot recommend Lisa and Park West
Galleries highly enough and look forward to
dealing with you again in the future. Thank
you for your fantastic customer service and
attention to detail."
Tracey & Thomas H.
Great Britain
_____
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PARK WEST® CLIENTS
"I just wanted to write and thank you for all
your help. You have made my experience
with Park West Gallery a great one. We
received our print and everything looks
great. We couldn’t be happier. You were
a great help in resolving our issues with
professionalism and courtesy. I look forward
to doing business with Park West Gallery
in the future largely in part because of the
great customer service I received from you."
Matthew M.
New Castle, Delaware
story. We learned of the support of his
mother and his persistence in following his
dream to become an artist. He talked about
his unique style and the hidden meanings
behind his paintings.
Your generous donation of two paintings, ‘A
Dance at the Gallery’ and ‘Girrrl, You Gotta
See This One,’ allowed the students to see
and 'touch' the paintings first-hand. These
two paintings will be auctioned off in the
Spring and will help to fund our art program.
One of our lucky families will be the proud
owner of an original Marcus Glenn.
_____
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
"Thank you for your attention to all of our
purchases. They are now all here and up on
our walls. Superior framing work! The art
was beautiful to begin with but the framing
work just makes everything pop!"
Mark L.
Pace, Florida
_____
“We have been buying art from Park West
Gallery for many years and on various
cruise lines but we learned more about art
and process involved in creating works of
art than we ever imagined.
Thank you Park West Gallery for a wonderful
experience."
Jim & Connie C.
Lakeville, Pennsylvania
"Sometimes the sweetest moments are
those that happen spontaneously. Park
West Gallery is responsible for one of those
sweet moments at our school, St. Mary
Interparochial School.
Last January, through your collaboration
with Art-Reach, [PWG] brought one of your
artists, Marcus Glenn, to visit our 8th Grade
Class. Mr. Glenn engaged the attention of
all the students in the telling of his personal
Also, thank you for providing an opportunity
for your clients to meet the artists. I met
Dominic at an event and talking with him,
hearing about his life made me want to
collect more and more of his amazing art.
I am proud to share my home with such an
amazing artist and an even more amazing
person."
Craig L.
West Hills, California
_____
_____
"Thank you so very much for all your help
in making our cruise such a wonderful and
memorable trip. It was a pleasure meeting
the artists and sharing dinner with Tim
Yanke. He truly added to all our 'fun'. [Your
staff] was so very helpful and efficient
with all our reservation needs, promptly
answering all emails. You certainly have
a fabulous team and it is proven by the
professionalism and yet personal touches
extended by all. Hope to be able to meet up
with your team and our 'Mouly' friends on a
future endeavor with Park West Galleries."
"I just wanted to take a minute to thank
the whole Park West Gallery team for a
wonderful experience on the Norwegian
Jewel last week!
Cathy & David P.
Bay Harbor, Michigan
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12
8th Grade Students
at St. Mary Interparochial School
& Donna Bridy, Arts Coordinator
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
I have learned that hanging art is akin to
inviting the artists to live with me and my
wife. By far, our favorite artist is Dominic
Pangborn. I have created a mini gallery
in the most visible part of the house that
solely displays Dominic's works. His pieces
are the centerpiece of our collection and
undoubtedly the topic of conversation with
everyone that comes to the house.
Not only was the hospitality and event
planning orchestrated to perfection, the
incredible knowledge and astounding art
that was shared along with the opportunity
meet Peter Max, Dominic Pangborn,
Andrew Bone and Nano was a lifeenriching experience!
Please extend my thanks and appreciation to
[your staff]. And special thanks for making
me feel so welcome!"
_____
Nancy W.
Apopka, Florida
"I am sitting in my living room on my laptop
and just looked around at all the wonderful
Park West Gallery art I have hanging on
the walls. I never thought about collecting
art until my first cruise that featured art
auctions. Since then I have collected at least
30 pieces that adorn the walls throughout
the house.
_____
“We've been customers of Park West Gallery
for many years and have always enjoyed our
artwork as well as the Park West experience.
The art around our home brightens and
inspires us all.
I believe that one of the things that sets
PARK WEST® CLIENTS
your company apart is the apparent family
atmosphere we feel. Not only amongst
your employees on board (which was
top notch), but the fact that my children
were welcomed so warmly by [the art
auctioneer] and his team. We had several
special moments throughout the event.
I thought you should hear directly from
one of your happy customers about the
wonderful experience my family had with
[the art auctioneer], his team and the
other folks who attended the event. It was
something that [we] will be talking about for
many years."
Al M.
Fanwood, New Jersey
_____
“Once again, my husband and I were just
blown away by the level of service and
personal attention given to each guest
traveling with Park West Gallery. We really
were treated like VIPs every moment
throughout the trip.
Everyone one of [the art team] were
absolutely amazing. They balanced a level
of professionalism with a level of comfort,
ease and genuine friendly rapport with the
guests that I believe is a very difficult skill to
master. In addition, they all were incredibly
knowledgeable about all of the art pieces
and never tired of our endless stream of
questions and requests. They really went
above and beyond to make us feel like VIPs.
One member of the art team sat on the
floor of the gallery with me for almost an
hour as I stared at several Miro lithographs
discussing my preferences for each one.
Another member of the team hauled pieces
of art out from storage on the ship just so
we could look at them in person. And most
surprisingly, I even had to call one of the
team members in their room on their one
'day off' (we didn't have any auctions or
meeting or dinners scheduled for this day)
and this team member STILL got back to me
in a very timely manner. This team REALLY
went above and beyond and every aspect
of this trip had us feeling like complete and
total VIPs.
Having the opportunity to meet the
artists was an even bigger surprise and
an unforgettable experience. Now, three
months later, Joe and I are still in contact
with all 3 artists we met on the VIP cruise.
In addition, during this cruise we had
the opportunity to expand our collection
adding another Miro as well as two Dominic
Pangborn's, a Yaacov Agam and a Fanch
Ledan. It is so exciting to see our art
collection grow and expand thanks to Park
West Gallery.
One thing I would like to take a special
moment to note is how significant it was
to both me and my husband that we were
not ignored by any team member of either
art team (the Epic or the VIP team on the
Gem). My husband and I are both very
young (both of us are still in our 20's) and
it's understandable to assume that we are
probably just 'lookyloos' or simply there for
the free champagne. ;) However, not once
were we passed over or treated as though
we were unimportant or 'too young' to be
potential customers. It was this respect
and attention that both surprised and
impressed us even further with your art
teams.
We now consider ourselves official 'art
collectors' and are enjoying our new (and
growing) art collection very much. None of
this would be possible without the tireless
efforts of your amazing art teams and
your mission to make the art world more
accessible to the everyday individual.
My husband and I both just wanted to write
and send our highest praise to both art teams
that we have had the pleasure of meeting so
far and to thank you for creating such an
amazing gallery. We eagerly look forward to
enjoying many more experiences with Park
West Gallery in the future and can't wait to
see how you and your team members will
continue to surpass our expectations.
Our fondest wishes and appreciation,”
Kimberly & Joe M. (Proud VIP Park West
Gallery members)
Laguna Niguel, California
_____
"We would like to thank you for inviting us
for the experience of a lifetime! To meet and
mingle with the artists showcased by Park
West Gallery was really a thrill. It was so
very interesting to learn and appreciate what
goes on in an artist’s mind as he creates
his work. All of the artist’s works were
amazing and so were their stories.
Our group of 50 or so was fascinating also –
to meet people from so varied places. Not to
mention the staff... Everyone was so friendly
and helpful. And, we appreciated that we
never felt any pressure to buy.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to
join your group!"
Gloria & Eliot L.
Fort Lee, New Jersey
_____
"Thank you for a new love in our lives — fine
art. Our foray started on board a cruise ship,
attending one of Park West Gallery's fun,
educational auctions. We purchased some
art and really enjoyed it. On our next cruise
we learned more and collected more. We
enjoy your auctioneers and support staff.
They are passionate, helpful, friendly and
hard working.
We recently had the pleasure of being guests
on the Park West Galleries VIP cruise on
Norwegian Sun. Thank you very much for
this experience. We had a wonderful time!
The team did an excellent job of making us
feel welcome and special. They amplified the
qualities we enjoyed on our other cruises;
more passion, more information, exposure
to much more art.
Meeting the artists — Alex Gockel, Scott
Jacobs and Marko Mavrovich — was an
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PARK WEST® CLIENTS
experience we will always be grateful for.
Hearing their stories made the art more
meaningful and gave us some good insight
into the artistic process.
Our appreciation for fine art and our desire
to collect has grown by leaps and bounds.
We are very pleased with our purchases
so far and are so excited to get our newest
purchase — a beautiful original Ilyayev. You
have made a customer forever."
Chuck, Tracy & Rachel B.
League City, Texas
_____
"I just wanted to send a quick thank you to
you, and all your staff, for your patience,
understanding and assistance in making
sure we not only received the painting we
wanted in proper condition, but to have gone
the extra step to insure the proper framing.
business is built, they not only provide
exceptional customer service but also
build relationships.
And what can't I say about [the assistants]??
They were so sweet and nice!! Talked to
them a lot too.
Bravo, keep up the great work and I look
forward to dealing with Park West Gallery."
I am very excited about getting my artwork
in two months. But I could not wait to tell
you guys that you have the best group of
staff. They knew our names right away,
noticed I hung around a certain piece and
just made the viewing/buying a really
positive experience, without being pushy or
demanding like regular 'sales' people.
Ted I.
Great Neck, New York
_____
"All items have arrived in our order that you
so patiently helped us with. We are delighted
with them and with the framing. We still
have a few to hang, and some cartons to
get rid of, otherwise we're just enjoying the
added stimulation in our condo.
We finally received the art in the desired
frame today, and could not be happier. The
empty wall space that was waiting for it, is
now perfectly filled. Once again, a sincere
thanks to all.
Also want to tell you that Park West Gallery's
website is really good! Shopping with it is a
still further way we have bought from you,
beyond cruise auctions (that got us started),
a VIP land auction, and the VIP cruise to the
Mexican Riviera. We've recommended the
website to our friends to use for enjoyment
and hope they will also do some buying.
It has so much information on artists and
wide choice of works to choose from!
I am honored to say I worked with and
purchased my art from the Park West Gallery."
We certainly appreciate Park West Gallery
and your help!"
Patti A. & Vern E.
Gibsonton, Florida
Evans & Nancy R.
Knoxville, Tennessee
_____
_____
"Wanted to drop a quick note to commend
your Customer Service staff.
“Our cruise on Carnival Victory was
truly enhanced by the art auctions. The
auctioneer was easily one of the best I’ve
listened to on a cruise ship. He shared a
depth of knowledge that was truly helpful.
I’ve already had most of it framed and hung
and the whole family is enjoying the art."
The professionalism of your customer
service people not only makes me feel
comfortable and trust you but makes me
excited to purchase from you because I know
there are no problems only quick solutions.
I was a Managing Director for a very large
multinational company; Customer Service
was one of the areas under my control. This
tends to make me critical, but I applaud
your people as they truly understand what
exceptional customer service is and are
truly the foundation upon which your
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Gerald S.
Barbados
_____
"OMG - You guys have the BEST staff ever!
I must have talked [the auctioneer's] ear off
for the three days leading up to the auction.
He was attentive, interested and very nice.
I am definitely going to recommend you guys
to people and hope [your staff is] rewarded,
because they earned the recognition!!!"
Sonia F.
Los Angeles, California
_____
"On behalf of my daughter Sophia and I, we
would like to thank you, Park West Gallery
and all the people involved in making this
cruise a memorable one for years to come.
We all felt that we were given nothing less
than first-class treatment by you and the
staff on board.
My daughter and I have been exclusive
collectors from Park West Gallery for over
10 years now and intend to be for a long time
to come. We admired the expert information
and opinions that were given to all of us.
Thank you very much and we hope to see
you all again in the near future."
Benny Q.
Pine Bush, New York
_____
"Please convey to Morry, Albert and Mitsie,
and all of the people associated with the
August auction event at the Henry, we were
thrilled with the artists and the access to them.
Everyone treated us like royalty. We were not
expecting this type of event. Again, thank you
for the invitation and the hospitality."
Lynn & Bonnie B.
Latrobe, Pennsylvania
Locations / 2012
LOCATIONS
You can purchase our art in our galleries in Southfield, Michigan, Miami Lakes, Florida, aboard many cruise ships and
at world class resorts through our event locations.
Arizona Biltmore
Known throughout the world as the "Jewel of the Desert," Arizona
Biltmore provides a restful oasis of 39 acres covered with lush gardens,
glistening swimming pools, and Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced
architecture. Set in the heart of Phoenix, the hotel has been a favorite of
celebrities and U.S. presidents throughout its colorful history.
The Balboa Bay Club & Resort, California
Escape to this waterfront paradise, a world-class destination along the California
Rivera. Reminiscent of an Italian villa in grace and charm, this Mediterraneanstyle Four-Diamond resort is the only waterfront resort in Newport Beach, and
enjoys stunning bay views and sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. The Resort
was recognized as one of the Top 500 Hotels in the World by Travel + Leisure
Magazine, and is the only Newport Beach hotel on this exclusive list.
Barton Creek Resort, Texas
Like the Hill Country that surrounds this luxury resort hotel, Barton Creek
is known for its distinctive combination of peaceful beauty and gracious
warmth. Nestled within 4,000 secluded acres of rolling hills just outside
the gem that is Austin, Texas, Barton Creek creates a magical escape as
unique as every sunset and as timeless as the hills themselves.
Belterra Casino Resort, Indiana
A casino, resort, and spa, Belterra is known for their personal touch. Boasting
one of the best public golf courses and amenities like pools, shopping, and
a salon that will endlessly pamper you, Belterra also has an array of dining
experiences from steakhouses and grills to an atrium café, coffee shop, and
ice cream parlor. Don’t forget about the casino – new events are held every
weekend, sure to spark a fun-filled night of entertainment.
The Boca Raton Resort & Club, Florida
The Boca Raton Resort & Club has an iconic legacy of more than 80 years. Designed by Addison
Mizner and described as having a “barefoot elegance”, the club accommodations provide dazzling
views and impeccable furnishings. The resort’s glamorous and exciting amenities range from
outdoor Florida adventures like lying on the beach or pool, enjoying the marina or golf course, to
shopping or exploring the nightlife and entertainment. With almost a dozen dining options and an
incredible venue for events and weddings, modern luxury is brought to new heights.
Carnival Cruise Line
In 2009, Park West opened a new art gallery with a new art program on
Carnival's newest ship, the Carnival Dream. Park West has operated
galleries and art auctions on Carnival Cruise Line ships since 1998.
®
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Cesars Palace, Las Vegas
Cesar’s reputation precedes it, known as the grandest of all Las Vegas resorts. More
than 129,000 square feet, Cesar’s also boasts 26 restaurants and bars, shopping,
nightlife, salons, spas, and entertainment. Last but not least is the Garden of the Gods
Pool Oasis, consisting of six pools surrounded by relaxing cabanas and sunbathing
spots. From sprawling out on daybeds and chaise lounges to playing blackjack and
drinking whisky sours in the pool, this oasis collection provides everything.
The Chateau Elan Inn, Georgia
The Chateau Elan Resort, a 16th century style French château, and
a luxury Four Diamond leisure destination is situated on 3,500
gorgeous acres. It is the only resort in Georgia that includes a 200
acre vineyard, a full-production winery, European spa, equestrian
show center, tennis center, seven restaurants and 63 holes of
championship golf.
Chateau on the Lake Resort & Spa, Missouri
One of the world's most extraordinary resort destinations, Chateau on the Lake
is Branson, Missouri's only AAA Four-Diamond Hotel, Spa & Convention
Center. Standing on a beautiful Ozark mountaintop, overlooking the pristine
waters of Table Rock Lake, this extraordinary hotel combines modern luxury
with traditional charm to create an experience that is both elegant and exciting.
Doubletree by Hilton Metropolitan, New York
A modern landmark with a contemporary twist, this hotel resides on the
east side of Midtown Manhattan, blocks from Grand Central Station,
Central Park, fabulous shopping, Broadway, and world-class museums. If
you’re looking for a bit of history, in 1955, standing in front of this building
on a subway vent, Marilyn Monroe’s famous white dress was windblown
by the train below her, infamously caught on film for the rest of history.
Eaglewood Resort & Spa, Chicago
From the moment you arrive at Eaglewood Resort & Spa, you feel the
warmth of a relaxing resort destination away from the hectic city pace
but conveniently close to downtown Chicago and O'Hare International
Airport. Everything at Eaglewood Resort & Spa is designed to balance
pleasure and productivity – from the IACC-certified function space and
championship golf course, to impressive dining, spa and fitness options.
French Lick Springs Hotel, Indiana
Established in 1845, the tradition lives on at the historic French Lick
Springs Hotel. The healing “miracle waters” of the hotel’s nearby
sulfur springs attract visitors from around the world. Guests will step
back in time as they experience the famed charm and grandeur of this
luxurious Indiana hotel.
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Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas
Four Seasons Resort, surrounded by 400 rolling acres of North Texas
hills, and just minutes from downtown Dallas. Four Seasons is the
only Five Diamond resort in Texas, and offers irresistible leisure
activities – from an award-winning spa to two championship golf
courses and lagoon-style outdoor swimming pools – to enhance the
experience for every guest.
Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, Florida
On South Florida’s finest sweep of sun-splashed beach, Four Seasons
Resort Palm Beach offers a haven of easy tropical elegance – graced
by silken sand, gently swaying palms and the sparkling Atlantic. The
ultimate in comfortable chic, Four Seasons is one of the most celebrated
gathering spots in this fabled Florida community.
Four Seasons Resort - The Biltmore Santa Barbara
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, situated in the
heart of the American Riviera. The Spanish Colonial style resort is
surrounded by 20 acres of lush landscaping that includes thousands
of tropical plants. Guest accommodations are oversized and
luxuriously appointed, making The Biltmore a favored retreat of old
Hollywood and America's elite since 1927.
Four Seasons Seattle
Embodying the natural character and relaxed confidence of the
Pacific Northwest, Four Seasons Seattle blends city sophistication
and outdoor adventure. With prime convenience to the downtown
waterfront, the location is in the heart of business and shopping –
just steps away from the Seattle Art Museum and Pike Place Market.
Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Washington DC
Just minutes outside of Washington, DC, Gaylord National Hotel &
Convention Center is a jewel of the capital region, offering visitors
everything for a first-class weekend getaway. Welcoming guests to the
resort is a spectacular 18-story glass atrium featuring sweeping views
of the Potomac River, Washington, DC and Old Town Alexandria.
Gaylord Palms Resort, Florida
Located just 1.5 miles from the front gate of Walt Disney World ,
Gaylord Palms Hotel brings excitement to life through world-class
restaurants, dynamic on-site recreation, and breathtakingly beautiful
gardens. This sun-drenched and spectacular Orlando hotel was built
in the sumptuous style and grandeur of a turn-of-the-century Florida
mansion, but offers modern amenities and deluxe accommodations.
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Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Wisconsin
One of the nation's premier vacation destinations, Grand Geneva
Resort is historic Lake Geneva’s only Four Diamond hotel. This
beautiful Wisconsin resort, conveniently located between Chicago
and Milwaukee, offers two championship golf courses, indoor and
outdoor tennis, hiking paths, and superb guest accommodations.
Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, North Carolina
Guests of Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa will enjoy a relaxing getaway
at one of the South's most venerable and famous grand resorts.
Built in 1913 from granite stones mined from Sunset Mountain, the
North Carolina resort overlooks the glimmering Asheville skyline and
provides majestic views of the legendary Blue Ridge Mountains.
The Henry, Michigan
In the fall of 2010 Park West opened a gallery in the Henry. Park West
art is on display throughout this beautiful art themed hotel. The Henry
is located just minutes from the historic Henry Ford History museum
and Greenfield Village. The Henry offers luxury accommodations and
world-class dining. In the "Gallery Restaurant," guests will experience
“The Art of Dining Well” surrounded by fine art from Park West Gallery .
®
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Holland America Cruise Line
Holland America Cruise Line’s fleet of 15 ships offers more than 500
cruises to 350 ports on all seven continents. In 2011, Park West
launched its popular art auction program on 10 Holland America Cruise
Line ships.
Hotel Galvez & Spa, Texas
Just steps away from the magnificent Gulf of Mexico, Hotel Galvez &
Spa is where sun and surf meet century-old splendor. The charming
beach front Texas hotel was built in 1911 and has undergone a total
renovation to capture its original glamour. Guests of this historic
Galveston property will understand why Hotel Galvez was nicknamed
the “Queen of the Gulf” nearly 100 years ago.
Hotel Victor, Miami Beach, Florida
A beautiful representation of the Miami art deco style, this is a sophisticated hotel with a history
of more than seventy five years. Now modernized and luxurious, the accommodations present
custom-made fabrics and furniture by Jacques Garcia. Each suite is personalized with various
features, some suites styled with outdoor rain showers, private terraces, cabanas, lounges, and
dazzling ocean views. Dining options include restaurants, cafes, and bars throughout the hotel
and terrace plus the in-house Spa V has more than 6,000 feet of space to relax and rejuvenate.
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Hyatt Bellevue, Washington
One of Seattle’s premier luxury hotels. Located on the city’s desirable
Eastside, this sophisticated hotel offers unparalleled service, elegant
surroundings and breathtaking views of the Pacific Northwest, all setting
the tone for an exceptional guest experience. Stroll through connecting sky
bridges and discover more than 250 shops, 45 restaurants and lounges and
plenty of entertainment options harbored inside this chic urban streetscape.
Hyatt Regency Boston, Massachusetts
Enjoy spending time with artists and fellow collectors at Hyatt Regency
Boston, located in the heart of downtown’s vibrant Financial and Theater
Districts. Elegant accommodations, deluxe amenities and expansive guest
services typify Hyatt Regency Boston. Experience the excitement of the
city, tour the Freedom Trail, shop at Faneuil Hall, visit museums, or catch
a game at Fenway Park; it’s all just minutes from this award-winning hotel.
Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Missouri
Genuine smiles and personalized attention ensure a stay at the inviting
Hyatt Regency Crown Center is exceptional, from start to finish. With a
unique blend of Midwestern warmth and a prime location in the heart
of Kansas City, the Hyatt provides renowned service and amenities
that have made it the outstanding choice among Missouri hotels.
Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa, Texas
A world of timeless charm awaits at Hyatt Regency Hill Country
Resort & Spa. Building upon its heritage as Rogers - Wiseman
Ranch, the casually luxurious Texas hotel is the perfect blend of AAA
Four Diamond pampering in an inviting setting. Exquisite amenities,
championship golf, a world-class spa and unmatched service make
this the unsurpassed choice among San Antonio resorts.
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa, Texas
The expansive Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa is located
on 405-acres of rugged Texas wilderness, and features distinctively
approachable luxury where jeans and business suits intermingle with
ease.
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Situated in the heart of the Twin Cities, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
allows easy exploration of an incredible array of attractions, from
shopping to sports and anything in between. With renowned dining,
an exciting new health club, premier accommodations, and enchanting
views of the city and sights, Hyatt Regency Minneapolis is the
outstanding choice among Minnesota hotels.
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Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina, California
The luxurious Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina has become
the unparalleled choice for discerning travelers. This San Diego resort
hotel is the epitome of California coastal chic, with incredible ocean
views, waterfront dining, a contemporary poolside lounge and an
eco-friendly spa, all in a premier location close to famous sights and
attractions such as Sea World.
Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa, Rhode Island
Located on the renowned yachting destination Narragansett Bay, Hyatt
Regency Newport Hotel & Spa has something for everyone. An escape
from the ordinary, this picturesque resort is the perfect combination
of New England culture and luxury retreat. Guests can immerse in the
relaxing atmosphere of the award-winning Stillwater Spa, or take in some
of Newport’s famed activities while visiting the beautiful “City by the Sea.”
Hyatt Regency North Dallas, Texas
Travelers will enjoy state-of-the-art luxury, upscale contemporary
decor and sumptuous guestrooms at Hyatt Regency North Dallas,
conveniently located in the Richardson high-tech corridor. The
exciting North Dallas hotel features all the special amenities
sophisticated travelers need, along with legendary Texas hospitality
and the exemplary Hyatt Touch guests expect.
The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, California
The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, Hidden in the golden foothills of Old
California and just four miles inland from the Pacific, this romantic
Spanish style property overlooks 23 pristine acres of rolling hills, bridle
trails and winding pathways that inspire nature lovers, sunset lovers and
romantics of all ages.
The Island Resort, Newport Beach, California
Get the full California experience at the Island Hotel. Bask in the
glorious Pacific Ocean views of Newport Harbor. Relax in the Italianwoven linens, enjoy their signature revitalizing spa treatments, and
indulge at the Palm Terrace Lounge and Restaurant. With an accessible
golf course, fitness and recreation, shopping and entertainment, there
will never be a dull moment on the Island – unless you want one.
The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, Virginia
The Jefferson Hotel, recognized by discerning travelers as Richmond's grandest
hotel and one of the finest in America since 1895. Known for its genuinely friendly
service, luxurious guestrooms, breathtaking architecture and elegant décor, the
Hotel is reminiscent of a more gracious era. Centrally located in the heart of
downtown, The Jefferson is just blocks from the state capital, historic Shockoe
Slip, the Richmond Convention Center and Richmond’s financial district.
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JW Marriott Chicago
The JW Marriott Chicago, the epitome of refined elegance. This
premier luxury hotel is the largest of its kind in Chicago, soaring
above skyscrapers in the heart of one of the world’s most powerful
financial districts. Discover this landmark downtown Chicago hotel,
located in the Loop, near State Street, Millennium Park, Magnificent
Mile and historic Chicago museums.
La Torretta Resort & Spa, Texas
Just an hour north of downtown Houston, nestled along the shores of
beautiful 22,000 acre Lake Conroe, La Torretta Resort & Spa is a world
apart from the bustle of city life, and a unique gem blending modern
luxury and Texas comfort. Guests of this AAA Four Diamond Texas
Resort can expect to find a contemporary lakeside retreat balancing
nature, relaxation and world-class sophistication
The Lansdown Resort, Leesburg, Virginia
The only AAA Four Diamond-rated, full-service resort in the Northern Virginia and
Washington, DC area, The Lansdowne Resort is a mid-Atlantic destination that surpasses
expectations. Perfect for upscale events, large gatherings, and intimate weddings, the
resort provides a completely custom experience without giving up the luxury. Awardwinning facilities like the Spa Minérale, the championship golf course, and five restaurants
and lounges provide an escape unsurpassed by any other resort in the area.
Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort
Natural splendor meets luxurious accommodations at Loews Lake
Las Vegas Resort. Guests can enjoy championship golf, exquisite
cuisine, rejuvenating spa treatments, and water sports galore at this
magnificent desert hotel. Rooms and suites feature sweeping views of
the lake and surrounding mountains, all within reach of the glitz and
glamour of the Strip.
Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
At the heart of Las Vegas, Mandalay Bay presents premier access to
entertainment, relaxation, and even a 1.6 million gallon Shark Reef
Aquarium. The rooms, designed in rich, earthy tones, permit a perfect
night’s sleep with triple-thread count sheets and plasma TV’s. With
more than seven clubs and lounges, nearby golf courses, shops, and
fitness centers, there’s always something happening at Mandalay Bay.
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Pennsylvania
The luxurious Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, one of only 6 hotels
and resorts in the world to host Forbes Five-Star, AAA FiveDiamond lodging and dining. Situated on 2,000 mountain acres in
the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania, the award-winning
resort boasts amenities that include two championship golf courses,
fine dining and an acclaimed spa.
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Norwegian Cruise Line
In 2010, Park West ® opened a new art gallery with a new art program
on Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, the NCL EPIC. Park West
has maintained galleries and been conducting art auctions on all NCL
vessels since 2003.
Paradise Point Resort & Spa, California
On a private 44-acre island tucked away on gentle Mission Bay,
Paradise Point Resort & Spa is minutes from the heart of downtown
San Diego and adjacent to the famous SeaWorld Adventure Park.
This San Diego luxury resort features comfortable, California beach
bungalow-style guest rooms amidst lush, tropical gardens and
meandering lagoons.
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, California
On Southern California’s sun-drenched Pacific coast just north of San
Diego, Park Hyatt Aviara Resort lies on the north shore of Batiquitos
Lagoon – a vast protected wildlife sanctuary and an enclave of natural
beauty. From atop the highest ridge, overlooking the ocean and the lagoon,
this AAA Five Diamond luxury resort provides a respite from the ordinary.
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort, Colorado
The extraordinary Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa
is a magnificent chateau-style Vail resort that incorporates
the grandeur of its idyllic Colorado Rocky Mountain setting.
Reminiscent of a modern mountain lodge, guests will delight in
the warm Beaver Creek accommodations that set the standard
for year-round Vail luxury hotel destinations.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
The ships of Regent Seven Seas Cruises offer voyages of exploration
and discovery to more than 300 ports on all seven continents. The
ambiance on board is personal, individual, accommodating - "upscale
but not uptight." Park West has operated galleries and art auctions on
Regent Cruise Line ships since 2005.
Renaissance Westchester Hotel, New York
The Renaissance Westchester, a New York hotel that expertly combines
luxury and nature. Nestled on 30 acres of scenic countryside in
Westchester County, this historic resort hotel offers a timeless
elegance amongst its beautiful natural surroundings. Renaissance
Westchester is conveniently located near historic Hudson Valley
attractions, premier shopping and challenging golf courses.
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Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, Colorado
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, embodying Rocky Mountain luxury and the adventurous,
pioneering spirit of the American West. This year-round destination on Beaver Creek
Mountain offers guests an unforgettable escape in the heart of the majestic Rockies.
Boasting unparalleled ski-in/ski-out access, an exclusive partnership with Colorado’s
highest-rated golf courses, a world-class spa and fine dining at Wolfgang Puck’s renowned
Spazgo, The Ritz-Carlton in Beaver Creek is a luxurious and revitalizing retreat.
Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common, a unique experience combining
contemporary sophistication and classic charm awaits you at this
award-winning Boston hotel. A short walk to the historic Freedom Trail
and Faneuil Hall Marketplace and just steps from the Theatre District
and picturesque Boston Common, this luxury hotel is the perfect spot
to take in all the culture and history the city has to offer.
Ritz-Carlton Charlotte, North Carolina
Urbane and sophisticated, yet warm and friendly, the Ritz-Carlton,
Charlotte offers guests an unforgettable experience just steps from the
city’s cultural heart. This luxury hotel features exceptional amenities,
outstanding dining choices, dramatic skyline views, a penthouse Spa
& Wellness Center, and a commitment to sustainable luxury travel
rarely seen in a contemporary urban hotel.
Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove, Florida
Often called an urban retreat, the Ritz Carlton in Coconut Grove is a neighborhood
escape with a villa-like ambience. Melding Venetian stucco, glossy marble
floors, and romantic touches like cozy fireplaces and ever-blooming roses, this
resort will pamper you whether you’re staying for business or leisure. From
the balconies overlooking verdant Miami to the variety of vibrant local events,
guests can choose to explore downtown or retreat into the heart of the resort.
Ritz-Carlton, Dallas
As one of the premier hotels in the heart of trendy Uptown, RitzCarlton, Dallas is situated amidst gourmet dining, upscale shopping,
pro sports, live entertainment, parks and gardens and the largest
urban arts community in the U.S. The stylish, contemporary, hotel
features an opulent spa, a multi-venue restaurant, and is where
glamour, graciousness and the Texas spirit meet.
Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, Arizona
Nestled in the high Sonoran Desert against the Tortolita Mountains,
the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain features a destination spa, adventure
programs, world-class hiking, Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf, indoor
and outdoor dining, and richly appointed accommodations in a
striking canyon setting. This distinctive resort in Tucson is a place
where adventure and a gracious spirit come to life.
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Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples
The exceptionally luxurious Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples
boasts two Greg Norman-designed championship golf courses,
world-class dining, a relaxing spa and spacious suites, all set on
the breathtakingly beautiful Paradise Coast of Florida. The Naples
resort was ranked by Travel + Leisure readers among the best 50
hotels in the U.S. in August 2010.
Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, California
The stunning Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay provides a magnificent
backdrop for the perfect Northern California coast vacation. This elite
golf and spa resort combines modern convenience with the history of
old Scotland. Guests can enjoy innovative cuisine in the ocean-view
restaurants, championship golf courses and miles of walking trails at
the most romantic setting in Northern California.
Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe, located high in the magnificent Sierra
Nevada Mountains. At this sophisticated Northern California mountain
retreat, you’ll discover the pristine beauty of the crystal-clear Lake
Tahoe and this breathtaking region. Featuring ski-in-ski-out access, a
luxurious spa and championship golf, The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe is
an exceptional four-season resort hotel.
Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, Georgia
Amidst the engaging backdrop of verdant hills and towering pines, on
stunning Lake Oconee, sits the elegant Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds
Plantation. At this Georgia luxury resort, guests are treated with
gracious Southern hospitality, and can enjoy golfing on championship
courses, a relaxing day of fishing or unwind at the spa.
Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey,California
Enjoy the warmth of the waterfront, as a getaway at the Marina awaits you in sun-drenched
Southern California. This luxury hotel lies close to Venice Beach and Malibu, allowing
visitors easy access to the area’s numerous desirable attractions and opportunities. As
one of the premier luxury hotels near Santa Monica, The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey
is located less than five miles from Los Angeles International Airport and is surrounded
by fine dining, upscale shopping and an array of recreational and entertainment options.
Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia
At The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, you'll take in all the sights and sounds of this
amazing city in a spectacular historic building. This urban sanctuary in Center
City wows by combining a historic lobby with the modern touches of today. Stay
in one of America’s most venerable cities and absorb the character of landmark
buildings like Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and other cultural treasures.
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Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix
The Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix, a premier hotel in the Southwest. Nestled
in the heart of the picturesque Camelback Corridor, the city's
shopping, dining and financial district, this elegant luxury hotel
features well appointed guest rooms and suites, exceptional dining
options, beautiful outdoor areas and much, much more.
Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota, where the casual Gulf Coast lifestyle meets the
sophisticated, cosmopolitan excitement of the city. Featuring exceptional dining, a
luxurious spa, championship golf, lavish accommodations and sweeping bay and city
views, this AAA Five-Diamond resort provides a relaxing escape from the everyday.
Visitors can also enjoy the "Sunset Experience" on the sands of the Hotel’s Sarasota
Beach, recently named one of the Top 10 Beaches in the country by TripAdvisor.com.
Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis
Discover The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis and experience one of the premier
downtown St. Louis hotels. This luxury hotel is located in the heart of
Clayton, a thriving business district filled with elegant residences and
an extensive selection of restaurants and galleries. Boasting the city’s
legendary Midwestern hospitality and energetic soul, hotel guests will
enjoy exceptional dining, luxurious suites and impeccable service.
Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, New York
The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, Minutes from Manhattan and yet miles
from ordinary. The intimate hotel marries sophisticated elegance and
legendary Mobil Four Star service with unparalleled value. As one of
the best hotels in New York, The Ritz-Carlton immerses its guests in
all the luxury and cultural heritage that is Westchester County.
Salishan Spa and Golf Resort, Oregon
Designed for comfort and convenience while striking a symbiotic
balance with nature, the lavish Salishan Spa & Golf Resort is the
perfect place to relax and unwind on the Oregon coast. Nestled
between the beach and the bluffs on Siletz Bay, with rustic elegance
and casual sophistication, this resort is the ultimate upscale yet
intimate experience.
The Seelbach Hilton, Louisville
The Seelbach Hilton Hotel is located in the heart of downtown Louisville, just
minutes from Churchill Downs. Built in 1905, The Seelbach is a landmark to "the
golden era" with its grand ambiance inspiring author F. Scott Fitzgerald to use
it as a backdrop for Tom and Daisy Buchanan's wedding in “The Great Gatsby.”
Appearing on the National Register of Historical Places, this premiere 4-diamond
luxury hotel offers genteel, Southern hospitality amongst historic grandeur.
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Sunriver Resort, Oregon
Located near the breathtaking Cascade Mountain range, Sunriver
Resort offers a unique Oregon vacation experience in a serene, natural
setting. Sunriver has become the Pacific Northwest's finest resort
community, offering premium accommodations and year-round worldclass recreational opportunities – an outdoor enthusiast’s dream.
The Thayer Hotel at West Point, New York
Perched on a hilltop in Upstate New York, with commanding views of
the Hudson River and Military Academy, Thayer Hotel West Point is
a national historic treasure, visited by U.S. Presidents, international
leaders, and celebrities. With its array of modern comforts and
amenities, this landmark hotel is a true monument to impeccable style
and service.
Townsend Hotel, Michigan
With its splendid combination of amenities, unparalleled service
and elegant setting, the 4-Star, AAA 4-Diamond Townsend Hotel in
Birmingham offers impeccable European refinement with the indulgence
of unsurpassed American luxury. At the hotel’s Rugby Grille, named
Zagat’s "Best Restaurant in Michigan,” guests can savor award-winning
cuisine while surrounded by fine art from Park West Gallery.
Vintage Inn, Napa Valley, California
Nestled among the rolling vineyards of the Napa Valley wine region is the affordable
luxury of Vintage Inn on the 23-acre Vintage Estate, just steps from the dining
tables of America's most celebrated chefs in the legendary epicurean walking town
of Yountville. Discover the quiet romance of lavender and lilies swaying in the
gentle breeze and the splendor of waterways flowing through lush green gardens
of what Sunset Magazine calls "an inn that’s more like a French chateau".
The W New Orleans
Conveniently located just steps from the French Quarter, Harrah’s
Casino and the Warehouse District, W New Orleans is ideally situated
in a quieter location for a peaceful night’s rest. Legendary restaurants,
incredible jazz and the best of the notorious nightlife surround this chic
hotel, the perfect spot to indulge the senses in The Big Easy.
Westin Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri
The Westin Crown Center, located in the heart of downtown Kansas
City. Midwestern hospitality infuses every moment of your stay at this
AAA Four Diamond hotel, whose features include five-star dining, a
heated swimming pool, sauna, and tennis courts. Hallmark's Crown
Center, a city within a city, offers guests 85 acres of shops, restaurants,
and theatres—all of which can be accessed from within the hotel.
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A Brief Guide to Artist Techniques / 2012
A BRIEF GUIDE TO ARTIST TECHNIQUES
Types of Paints, Painting materials and techniques
Oil: A type of paint made with natural oils, such as linseed, walnut, or poppy, as
the medium to bind the pigment (color). Oil painting, the traditional technique
employed by artists for centuries is typically applied to canvas, linen, paper, or
wood.
Acrylic: The substance that binds the pigment (color) is a synthetic resin, rather
than natural oils (as in above). Acrylic painting has the advantage of drying faster
than oil paint. This modern technique is in widespread use today by artists
internationally, and can be applied to canvas, linen, paper, or wood.
Tempera: A water-base painting medium which has been employed for centuries,
typically bound with egg yolks. It is applied primarily to paper or paper-board.
Watercolor: A transparent painting medium, using ground pigment mixed with
water. Most often using the whiteness of the paper in conjunction with the
transparency of the pigment (color) to create effects. A highly difficult medium to
master, watercolor dries very quickly, and requires a great degree of practice.
Gouache: A medium similar to watercolor, but heavier, because of a gum
substance added to the ground pigment (color) and water. Most often applied to
paper.
Pastel: A type of dried paste made of pigments ground with chalk and compounded
with gum water.
Gesso: A material used to prime a canvas or linen surface, which allows it to
accept the paint more readily and not be absorbed into the canvas. It can also be
applied to wood and sanded to create a fine and smooth painting surface.
Impasto: The application of thick paint to the surface of the canvas or board to
build up the textures. Can be applied with brush, or a palette knife.
Glazing: The opposite of impasto, glazing is done by diluting the pigments and
layering one color over another. Lends a softness and delicacy to the surface. It is
most effective with an under painted tone, and glazings applied on top.
Varnish: A solution (either oil or water-based) applied to a finished painting to
cover and protect the work. May be either gloss, satin, or matte finish. Also may be
applied purely for aesthetic reasons.
Drybrush: The use of a small amount of pigment on the brush to create a linear
application of pigment yielding a range of line characteristics.
Scumbling: a shading technique that is created by forcing the brush to open with
pressure onto the surface of the canvas or board, creating a loose and textural type
of brush stroke.
The Creation of an Original Graphic Work
Etching: Etching was first used by artists early in the 16th century. The medium
is a copper or zinc plate coated with acid-resistant varnish. To produce an
illustration, the artist draws lines through the varnish coating. The plate is then
immersed in acid, which bites into the drawn lines. When printing, the plate is
inked and wiped so that the ink remains only in the etched lines or areas. It is then
printed under pressure on dampened paper, producing the plate mark which is
common to both etchings and engravings. If more than one color is to be used,
a separate plate is made for each color.
Aquatint: An intaglio, etching, and tonal printing process in which a porous
ground allows acid to penetrate to form a network of small dots in the plate, as well
as the impressions made by this process. Aquatints often resemble wash drawings.
Any pure whites are stopped out entirely before etching begins, then the palest tints
are bitten and stopped out, and so on as in etching. This process is repeated 20 to
30 times until the darkest tones (deepest recesses in the plate) are reached.
Engraving: A tool called a burin cuts a design directly into the surface of a metal
plate. The plate is inked, placed in a press, a sheet of fine paper is placed over it,
and the impression made.
Drypoint: An intaglio process in which burrs are left on the plate by the pointed
needle that directly inscribes lines. A kind of engraving which has a soft, fuzzy line
because of the metal burrs. Its disadvantage is that because such plates wear out
quickly, editions are usually limited.
Mezzotint: An intaglio process, in which the work is done in two stages. A metal
plate is initially grained by working over it systematically with a spiked tool known
as the rocker (which has a thick blade with a serrated, semicircular cutting edge).
This creates a multitude of fine dots all over its surface. If inked, the plate would
create a rich black.
The second stage of the process consists in smoothing away parts of the
roughened surface with the aid of a scraper and a burnisher in order to create the
white and highlighted parts of the resulting image.
The scraping of the plate is a skillful job; delicate tonal transitions can be obtained
if it is done well, but the flat appearance of some mezzotints is an indication of the
difficulties involved. This flatness is also caused by the fact that mezzotint plates
wear down very quickly. Color mezzotints can be created with several plates, one
for each color.
Giclée: The French word Giclée means "spraying of ink". A Giclée print is produced
by a very precise spraying of ink. In the Giclée process, an original artwork is
digitized. The scan or transparency of the original art is stored in a computer file.
This computer is the controlling element of a highly specialized precision ink jet.
This jet sprays several million droplets per second onto paper or canvas mounted
on a drum that rotates while the spraying is taking place. The material printed upon
is normally the type of medium an artist may use for an original painting (watercolor
paper or cotton/poly canvas, for instance).
27
A Brief Guide to Artist Techniques / 2012
The artist is an integral part of this printing process. A print is made, the artist "red
lines" the proof, changes are made and another print is made. This process
continues until the artist is satisfied with the result. Once the final settings are
decided, the final print is made, approved by the artist and the edition is created.
Woodcut: In place of a metal plate, a wooden block is the medium. Similar to the
engraving process, a sharp tool to cuts the design into the block’s surface. With a
woodcut, all the undesired surface is cut away, leaving only that which constitutes
the design. This surface is inked, paper placed over it, and the finished woodcut is
the result. If more than one color is to be used, a separate block, or a reduction of
an existing block must be used for each color.
Serigraph: Most of us are familiar with silk screening,and the process of
making serigraphs is similar. A tightly-stretched screen, often of silk, blocks out
the areas that are not to be printed by filling the screen mesh with a varnish-like
substance. Through the remaining open mesh, ink is forced onto paper under
the screen. The finished print is a serigraph. If more than one color is to be
used, separate screen work must be used for each color. Serigraphy is often
chosen because it allows many opaque or transparent colors to be overlapped.
Lithograph: Lithography was discovered in 1798 and Goya was probably the
first to make truly memorable use of it. To produce a lithographic print, the artist,
or an assistant under the artist's supervision, draws on a limestone slab with a
grease crayon or with tusche (liquid ink). Water is spread over the stone and
covers only the undrawn areas. Ink is rolled over the stone, adhering to the
greasy lines drawn by the artist, but not those areas covered by the water. The
final lithograph is a result of printing from a number of stones or plates drawn
separately, one for each color in the image. In the art world today, artists use
various mediums - from zinc plates to acetate sheets - in creating lithographs.
Seriolithograph: A combination of the two print making processes; serigraphy
and lithography. Also known as a "seri-lithograph"
Monotype: A unique impression on paper printed from a smooth surface such as
metal or glass painted in ink by the artist.
Collage: A composition made up of various materials such as paper or cloth.
Ceramic: A product (earthenware or porcelain) made essentially from a nonmetallic
mineral such as clay by firing at a high temperature.
Linocut: Print created from a design carved into a piece of linoleum.
A Note on Numbering and Signing of Limited editions
In each graphic medium, a limited number of impressions are pulled from the
plates, stones, blocks, or screens. Each one is first inspected on the actual paper
- not on the plate and eventually numbered. The matrix is then defaced or
destroyed to ensure that the limited edition stays limited.
The numbering is displayed as a fraction, with the bottom number indicating the number
of impressions pulled (not including proofs), and the upper number indicating the “serial”
or identification number of that individual impression.
28
There is some misunderstanding on the significance of the numbering, and it is
sometimes assumed that the lower the number, the more valuable the work.
Although this may be true of dry point etchings because the burr may wear down,
it is not necessarily true of all etchings, lithographs, serigraphs, seriolithographs,
or woodcuts.
First, the impression may not have been signed in the order they were pulled.
Impressions are not normally signed until the entire edition is pulled, dried, trimmed
and stacked and it is difficult to always handle the impressions in the order they were
pulled. Secondly, as in any new project, the technical assistant does not always learn
to get the most from a plate until they have pulled several impressions.
Types of Proofs:
Artist Proof (AP) or
Epreuve d’Artiste (EA)
An artist proof is one outside the regular edition but pulled at the same time or after
the regular edition from the same plates, blocks, stones, or screens without
changes. Sometimes, the artist retains the AP’s for his/her own personal use or
sale. They are often released to the market with the numbered edition(s). Along
with the numbered impressions in an edition, there are often proof impressions
pulled, aside from the regular numbered edition.
Printer’s Proof (PP)
Proof reserved for the printer and collaborators, but they are often released to the
market as well.
Hors Commerce (HC) French “Before Trade”
A proof typically reserved for the publisher, but they are often released into the
market as well.
Bon a Tirer (BAT)
When the artist is satisfied with the impression from the finished plate, he/she works
with the assistant to pull one or several perfect examples and they are marked Bon A
Tirer (Good to Pull). The assistant then compares each edition impression with the
BAT before being submitted to the artist for approval and signing.
Trial Proof (Working Proof)
An early proof before the numbered or edition prints. They most often incorporate the
artist’s modifications and are generally slightly different from the prints that follow.
Progressive Proof (Decomposition)
Series of prints taken to show each individual color plate or block as well as the
product of the series as a whole, in its complete version.
Cancellation Proof
A proof taken from a cancelled plate, block or stone, guaranteeing that no cancelled
impressions can be pulled. When an entire edition has been completed, the plate,
block or stone is effaced or X-ed out. A cancellation proof reflects this.
Standard References / 2012
STANDARD REFERENCES
A considerable number of old and modern master prints as well as graphic prints by major Twenty-first Century artists have been cataloged and described in
various reference books or “catalogues raisonnés.” Several of our catalogue descriptions contain a reference number, which is found after the date in the body
of the description. The reference may contain one or more initials followed by a number. Below is a list of the major references and a bibliography listed
alphabetically by artist.
AGAM
Popper, Frank. Agam, New York: Harry N. Abrams,
Inc., 1980
(revised edition).
Art and Judaism, Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House,
1985.
Agam - Beyond the Visible, Gefen Publishing House,
(first edition 2003).
Agam - Beyond the Visible, Gefen Publishing House,
(revised edition 2007).
Agam - The Elysee Salon, Centre Pompidou, 2007.
Chagall Lithograph Volume III 1962-1968, Andre
Sauret, 1969.
(includes Mourlot numbers 377-560)
Chagall Lithograph Volume IV 1969-1973, Andre
Sauret, 1974.
Chagall Lithograph Volume V 1974-1979, Andre
Sauret, 1984.
Chagall Lithograph Volume VI 1980-1985, Crown
Publisher, 1986. (includes Mourlot numbers 9581102)
Agam: Art and Judaism: A Conversation between
Yaacov Agam and Bernard Mandelbaum, Keter
Publishing House, 1985.
Sorlier, Charles, ed. Chagall’s Posters - A Catalogue
Raisonne, New York: Crown, 1975.
AGAM, RON
Ron Agam – At the Wall,
Gefen Publishing House Inc., 1998.
DURER
Bartsch, Adam. Le Peintre-Graveur. 21 vols. Vienna,
1803-21.
BULL
Bull, Simon, Celebration of Life, 2001.
Kurth, Willi (ed.). The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht
Durer.
BRITTO
Guggenheim, Eileen Ph D., Colors Around the World,
Birkenhalde Verlag, Winterthur, Switzerland, 2006.
ERTE
Erte at Ninety the Complete Graphics, Balance House,
Ltd. (E. P. Dutton), 1982
CHAGALL
The Initial “M” refers to Mourlot, the standard
reference for Chagall’s lithographic work.
There are six volumes.
Erte at Ninety-Five the Complete New Graphics The
Extended Edition, Balance House, Ltd. (E. P. Dutton),
1987.
Chagall Lithograph Volume I 1922-1957, Andre
Sauret, 1960.
Chagall Lithograph Volume II 1957-1962, Andre
Sauret, 1963.
Erte My Life/My Art an Autobiography, Balance
House, Ltd. (E. P. Dutton); Fitzhenry &
Whiteside, Ltd., 1989.
Designs by Erte Fashion Drawings & Illustrations
from “Harper’s Bazar”, Dover Publications, Inc.;
General Publishing Company, Ltd.; Constable and
Company, Ltd., 1976.
Erte Art to Wear the Complete Jewelry, Balance House
Book (E. P. Dutton), 1991
FANCH (Francois Ledan)
Alson, Peter. The Collected Works of Fanch Ledan.
Distributed by Blinder Fine Arts, 1990.
Hight, Dr. Eleanor. Fanch The Graphic Work. Park
West Gallery , Southfield, MI, 2003.
®
ESCHER
The Complete Graphic Work of M.C. Escher,
Koninklijke Ervin J.J.; Meredith Press, 1960,
Holland; 1967, New York
M.C. Escher His Life and Complete Graphic Work,
Meulenhoff & Co.; Harry N. Abrams,
Inc.; Thames and Hudson, Ltd., 1981, Amsterdam;
1982 New York, London
GOYA
Delteil, Loys. Le Peintre-Graveur Illustre, XIXe Siecle.
Vols. XIV-XV, Paris, 1906-30.
Gassier, Pierre and Juliet Wilson. The Life and
Complete Work of Francisco Goya. New York:
Harrison House, 1971.
Harris, Tomas. Goya: Engravings and Lithographs, 2
vols. Oxford: Bruno Cassirer, 1964.
ICART
Louis Icart The Complete Etchings Revised 3rd
Edition with New and “Additional
Illustrations, Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1990, 1998.
Schmessel, Michael S. and McClinton, Katharine M.
Icart, Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1976.
The Etchings of Louis Icart, Schiffler Publishing, Ltd.,
1982.
29
Standard References / 2012
JACOBS
Jacobs, Scott. The Art of Scott Jacobs: The Complete
Works, Airbrush Action, Inc, 2009.
MEDVEDEV
Janson, Anthony F. , Igor Medvedev, The Serigraphs
of Igor Medvedev Volumes I and II, Park West
Gallery , Southfield, MI 2007.
Hind, Arthur M. A Catalogue of Rembrandt’s Etchings.
London, 1923.
®
Biorklund, George with assistance of Barnard, Osbert
H., Rembrandt’s Etchings True or False. Stockholm.
1968. (Library of Congress catalog card #68-55427)
Jacobs, Scott. The Motorcycle Art of Scott Jacobs,
Airbrush Action, Inc, 2001.
MOULY
Marcel Mouly. Paris: Edition Ateliers Gourdon, 1990.
LEKINFF
Joseph Jacobs. Linda Le Kinff: The Graphic Work.
Park West Gallery , Southfield, MI 2008.
NOAH
Creating an Angel: Inspirational Art by Noah. Poetry by
Brandon Scott Elrod, Great Flood Publishing inc., 2008.
Nowell-Eusticke, G.W., Rembrandts etchings.
New York: Hacker Art Books, 1967, 1988
PANGBORN
Polackdharry, Steve and Pangborn, Oliver,
Evolutionist, Pangborn Design, Ltd., 2009.
PINO
Pierce, Patricia J., Timeless Visions,
Regent Publishing Services Limited, 2006.
PICASSO
The initials “B” or “BL” refer to Bloch, the standard
reference for Picasso’s graphic work and ceramics.
RENOIR
Stella, Joseph G. The Graphic Work of Renoir:
Catalogue Raisonne. London: Humphries.
Bloch, Georges. Picasso The Catalogue of the Printed
Graphic Work,
Volume I 1904-1967. Berne: Kornfeld et Cie, 1984.
Delteil, Loys. Le Peintre-Graveur Illustre, XIXe Siecle.
Volume XVII. Paris, 1906-30.
Graphic Work,
Volume II 1966-1969. Berne: Kornfeld et Klipstein,
1977.
RUT
Damian, Carol Ph D., Helander, Bruce, Tomasz Rut,
MAC Fine Art, 2002.
Ceramics,
Volume III 1949-1971. Berne: Kornfeld et Klipstein,
1972.
STEYNOVITZ
Meilechson, Alex, Zamy Stevnovitz, Kshatot Arts,
Rishon Le Zion, Israel, 1992.
®
MARKUS
Csaba Markus: Artist and Muses, Dreaming Muse
Fine Art Books, 2007.
Csaba Markus: Gems and Rhapsodies, Dreaming
Muse Fine Art Books, 2004.
MAX
Riley, Charles L. II, The Art of Peter Max, Harry N.
Abrams, 2002
MAILLOL
Catalogue Raisonné de L’oeuvre Grave et Lithographie
de Aristide Maillol Tome Premier
Les Bois, Editions Pierre Cailler, 1965.
MIRO
The initial “M” refers to Mourlot, the standard
reference for Miro’s lithographic work. There are four
volumes.
Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume I 1930-1952, Tudor
Publishing Co., 1972.
Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume II 1953-1963, Leon
Amiel Publisher, 1975.
Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume III 1964-1969,
Maeght, 1977.
Joan Miro Lithographs, Volume IV 1969-1972,
Maeght, 1981.
30
Graphic Work,
Volume IV 1970-1972. Berne: Kornfeld et Klipstein,
1979.
Baer, Brigitte. Picasso: Catalogue Raisonné, Volume
I-VII. 1899-1972
Berne: Kornfield 1986-1996
PICOT
Cognet, Andre. Jean-Claude Picot. Paris: Editions
Atelier Gourdon and Editions Vision sur les Arts, 1985.
TARKAY
Tarkay. Rutland and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc.,
1992.
Itzchak Tarkay, Works on Paper. New York: Logo Art
Corp., 1993.
Itzchak Tarkay, The Park West Editions. 48 page color
catalog published in 1993 by Park West Gallery ,
Southfield, Michigan.
®
®
Tarkay, The Park West Paintings. 35 page color
catalog published in 1994 by Park West Gallery ,
®
REMBRANDT
Bartsch, Adam. Le Peintre-Graveur. 21 vols. Vienna,
1803-21.
Schwartz, Gary. Rembrandt All the Etchings
Reproduced in True Size. London: Oresko Books Ltd.,
1977.
®
WILLARDSON
Disney, Roy, Willardson, David, The Disney Art of
David Willardson, Insight Editions, 2008.
In The News
PARK WEST GALLERY
INTRODUCES
40-40-40 POLICY, AN
ENHANCED CUSTOMER
SERVICE GUARANTEE
Yaacov
Agam Romero Britto
Marcus Glenn Alfred
Gockel Thomas Kinkade
Csaba Markus Peter Max
Dominic Pangborn
Itzchak Tarkay
Chagall
Dali Picasso Rembrandt
Renoir
ery s 40 years in same today as it was 40 art patrons. Extending that online world can
In attendance years ago. We were con- opportunity to 1.2 million Wild, Wild West s
arly four dozen vinced that introducing fine art clients has been one of our with anybody sa
ho traveled from into the lives of people who proudest accomplishments.
thing about anyth
e world to cele- did not live in New York, Los
are few checks on
achievement, as Angeles, or other major mar- AWN : Please name some accountability, and
llectors and staff kets with a strong presence of your living artists.
So as art dealers
re
bu
ut
ly
to
ea
rt
ov
he
ye
he
ch
oto
he
gu
cse
is
m
in
po
es
s
cl
ry
ur
ar
nvi
w
es
rs
ri
t.
m
Bottom row, from left: Simon Bull, Jay Lefkowitz, Mark Kanovich, Victor Spahn, David Najar,
th
m- Alfred Gockel, Marko Mavrovich, and Dominic Pangborn.
p
ry Middle row, from left: Wendy Schaffer, Anatole Krasnyansky, Holland Berkley, Albert
an
Scaglione,
Itzchak
Tarkay,
Morry
Shapiro,
Csaba
Markus,
Noah,
and
Toby
Bluth.
w
ue
pi- Top row, from left: Harrison Ellenshaw, Hua Chen, Peter Nixon, Alexander Chen, Kevin Miles,
S
a
se Yuval Wolfson, Jean-Claude Picot, Lisa Grubb, Nano Lopez, Fanch Ledan, Debra Tritico,
James
Coleman,
Charles
Lee,
Yolanda
Glenn,
Marcus
Glenn,
Dick
Duerrstein,
Andrew
Bone,
po
is
si- Tom Murray, and Howard Behrens.
h
is
th
th the same chal- of galleries and auction hous- AS: The photograph taken ence by bringing
t all galleries face. es would be a successful and at our event (above) shows gether with peopl
onse to the market rewarding business. So that’s the more than 40 artists who the computer scre
from their phil- what we did and continue to participated in our 40th annd their commit- do through our galleries and niversary celebration.
AWN: With so m
focus
Art World
A UGUST 2008
THE INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE
INTERNATIONAL
ARTEXPO MIAMI TO
L AUNCH IN DECEMB ER
In t er n at i o n al A r t ex p o
Mi am i will debut in the
Miami Midtown Art District
from December 12–14.
The trade and consumer
show will take place in a
125,000-square-foot
pavilion, the same used by
Art Miami, December 3–7.
Eric Smith, vice president
of Summit Business
Media’s Art and Framing
Group, says, “In today’s
economy, and considering
PARK WEST GALLERY
INTRODUCES 40-40-40
POL ICY, A N ENHA NCED
CUSTOMER
SATISFA CTION
GUA RA NTEE
SOUTHFIELD, MI—Park
Wes t Gal l er y is introducing
a 40-40-40 policy that
guarantees the quality and
authenticity of every work
sold—as the company has
done for four decades. Additionally, this new policy
offers clients the options of
returning a work of art, for
any reason, within 40 days
THE BUSINESS OF ART
Going Once, Going Twice
u
ALBERT SCAGLIONE PASSED UP A PROMISING CAREER AS A
ROCKET SCIENTIST, AND INSTEAD CREATED A HIGH-POWERED
ART GALLERY AND AUCTION HOUSE THAT GENERATES NEARLY
$500 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE BY MINEHAHA FORMAN
PAGE 22
nder a coffered ceiling, striding between
illuminated walls adorned with artistic
masterpieces, Albert Scaglione is a man
on a mission. It's a sunny day outside
and he's making sure it stays that way,
even indoors, greeting everyone by
name as he passes with a welcome smile
and a brisk nod. The former truck driver,
ROTC reservist, professor, astrophysicist, and now prominent owner of Park
West Gallery® in Southfield stops just
short of the exit to shake hands with a
prominent collector, before leading an
intricate tour of the gallery.
quarters, Park West® has facili
WORLD NEWS
nationwide, with a south FloridaART
fram
factory that's roughly the size of six fo
ball fields, a large storage facility
Wixom, Mich., and a new gallery op
ing in Miami. Their art is even availa
at sea. Scaglione has made his affil
company, Park West®, a major dr
among cruise lines, including Carni
Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean, allo
ing for international distribution of
artwork in 60 countries. Park West® a
hosts auctions at hotels such as
Radisson, the Marriott, and locally at
Park West Gallery
IN THE NEWS
Michigan Chronicle / December 8, 2011............................................33
“Artist Marcus Glenn making his mark” By Andrew Losen
U.S. Local Business Association/ July 17, 2008 ................................66
Park West Gallery® Receives 2008 Best of Southfield Award
WDIV - TV (NBC - Detroit) / November 28, 2011 ............................... 34
WDIV Voters Named Park West Gallery® "The Best" in Detroit
Jewish Telegraphic Agency/ June 7, 2008 ...........................................67
"At 80, Yaacov Agam still vibrant with his artwork and other ideas."
The Michigan Citizen / November 27, 2011 ..................................... 35
“Local Child rights activist Lauds Michigan Adoption Law” By Kojo Sankofa
NWA World Traveler/ June 1, 2008 ........................................................68
"Figuratively Speaking." By Stephanie Angelyn Casola
The Oakland Press / November 23, 2011 ............................................ 36
“Abstract painter pushes the envelope to create art no one's ever seen before"
Windsor Star/ May 24, 2008 ....................................................................69
"Buy it because you love it." By Craig Pearson
Hometownlife.com / October 10, 2011 ...............................................37
“Gallery paintings impress, not just for show” By S. Kowalsk
Oakland Business Review/ May 22, 2008 ............................................70
"Gallery's cruise ship strategy makes splash with art sales." By Mike Scott
Art World News / June-July, 2011 .......................................................38
“Park West Named Best Michigan Gallery by 'Official Best Of' Travel Program"
Miami Laker/ May 16, 2008............................................................... 71-72
"Albert Molina oversees the largest collection of fine art at the Park West Art Gallery®."
Art World News / April, 2011 .......................................................... 39-41
“Galleries Benefit From Art Auctions” By Koleen Kaffan
The Oakland Press / January, 2008 ...................................................... 73
“Couple gives $25,000 grant to Pontiac shelter” By Diana Dillaber Murray
Senior Advocate / April, 2011 ...............................................................42
“Park West Gallery® 'Art with a Heart'.”
Metromode / January, 2008 ...............................................................74-76
“The Art of Community Building.” By Amy Whitesall
Examiner.com / October 7, 2010..........................................................43
“Park West Gallery voted top art gallery in Detroit area.” By Vito Curcuru
DBusiness / November, 2007 ............................................................77-79
“Going Once, Going Twice.” By Minehaha Forman
The Oakland Press / September 26, 2010 .........................................44
“Local people have given back to the county” By L. Brooks Patterson
Southfield Eccentric / September 2, 2007 ............................................80
“Israeli artist's works on display.”
Michigan Chronicle / September 8-14, 2010 ....................................45
“Park West Gallery® donates clothing, art to Grace Centers of Hope”
Southfield Sun / August 23, 2007 ...........................................................71
“Art in the City.” By Kristyne E. Demske
The Oakland Press / August 16, 2010 .................................................46
“Gallery gives paintings to local shelter.” By Kay Nguyen
Grosse Pointe News / August 16, 2007 .................................................82
“Famous Artist Steps in to aid Cornerstone.” By Bob St. John
Detroit Free Press - Do Good Detroit blog / August 11, 2010 ..............47
“Park West Gallery® donates 3,500 items of new clothing to non-profits”
Detroit Free Press / July 19, 2007 ................................................... 83-84
“Taking art to the People.” By Tom Walsh
Southfield Sun / June 18, 2009...............................................................48
"City honors 40 years of Park West Gallery®." By Jennie Miller
HOUR DETROIT / June, 2006 & 2005 ....................................................85
“Best of Detroit 2006”, "Best of Detroit 2005"
®
Fine Art Magazine / Spring 2009 ...................................................... 49-53
"Park West Gallery® Celebrates 40 Years”
The Reminder / April 15, 2009................................................................54
"It's the People You Meet!" By Roger Cathcart
Porthole/ April 2009............................................................................. 55-56
"Going once... Going Twice... Buying art at sea with confidence"
Jewish News - Detroit / March 2009................................................ 57-58
“Art & Soul” By Khristi Zimmeth
WDIV - TV (NBC - Detroit) / September 25, 2008 ...............................59
Filter/Observer & Eccentric / June 17, 2004 .................................. 86-87
“Painted Rock”
Hour Detroit / June, 2004 .........................................................................88
“Staying Alive”
Plantation Forum / March, 2004 .............................................................89
“Art Auction Raises Money for Kidney Disease.” By Jaime Lynn Deutsch
Observer & Eccentric / October 23, 2003 .............................................90
“Peter Max’s Magical Mystery Tour”
The Detroit News / September 16, 2003......................................... 91-92
“Art, music make a Dent in funds needed to aid children’s group” By Chuck Bennett
®
Centralight / Spring, 2009 ........................................................................60
“Art for all” By Barbara Sutherland Chovanec
Press Release / December 18, 2008 .....................................................61
"Park West Gallery® CEO Albert Scaglione delivers commencement address at
Central Michigan University - receives honorary degree"
Observer & Eccentric / January 16, 2003 ....................................... 93-94
“Gallery Showing” By Linda Chomin
NJIT - Alumni Magazine / October 9, 2002 .............................................. 95
“Icons | Albert Scaglione - Crashing Into the Art World” By Sheryl Weinstein
Detroit News / March 1, 2000 ................................................................ 96
“Park West® owner uses style to expand gallery.” By Maureen McDonald
Press Release/ August 28, 2008.............................................................62
Architectural Digest / July 1994............................................................. 97
“Point of View”
PR Newswire / August 13, 2008 .............................................................63
"Park West Gallery® sponsors Cornerstone Schools event at Comerica Park"
Detroit News/ April 1993 ......................................................................... 98
“A Picture is Worth a Million Words”. By Maureen McDonald
Art World News / August 2008 .......................................................... 64-65
“Park West® Marks 40th Anniversary”
The Eccentric Newspapers / November 7, 1991 ......................... 99-100
“Lovely ladies dazzle show of Tarkay art” By Linda Ann Chomin
32
December 8, 2011
Artist Marcus Glenn making his mark
Southfield-based Marcus Glenn is an artist on the
move. He is a featured artist at Park West Gallery,
and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African
American History has acquired one of his works
to be part of its permanent collection.
Glenn, 43, said his mother, herself a landscape
artist, was the primary inspiration for his
becoming an artist. Other inspirations include
Picasso, Romare Bearden, and Jacob Lawrence.
He also said his mother always knew he was
interested in art, because one of his favorite
pastimes was doodling. She encouraged that by
keeping pencils and paper in his hands.
His kindergarten teacher also tapped into his
interest in art when he spearheaded a project
in which the students made representations of
themselves for a parent-teacher conference.
“As the parents would walk into the room, they
would see a replica of their kids sitting in the
chair,” he said. “We had to bring in our shirts, and
we actually made them [the replicas] out of bags.”
Glenn recalled that a lot of the other kids came to
him for help. “It was kind of cute,” he said, adding
that his teacher raved about how he took control of
the event, and helped his classmates. The teacher
also encouraged Glenn’s parents to nurture his
artistic talents.
Asked if he had a preferred medium, Glenn said
he took sculpture classes, and loves to sculpt.
He added that part of his art is “Flat Life,” which
derives from him taking a flat surface and bringing
it to life through dimension.
He started out in oil pants, a medium in which
his mother had dabbled. He found, however, that
oils took too long to dry. Instead, he went to the
speedier medium of acrylics.
“You can achieve the same effect with acrylics,” he
said. “So at this point in my career, I like working
By Andrew Losen, Chronicle Web Editor
in the acrylic medium with the collage technique.
Which, again, I label Flat Life.”
to them,” he said, speaking of the Flat Life piece
called “Any Man’s Pain.”
A Flat Life work might have a portion of an
otherwise flat surface raised to create a threedimensional look.
A few years ago, Glenn was one of the featured
artists at a Park West Gallery Event curated by the
museum. Officials there subsequently decided it
would be a good idea to have one of his pieces in
their collection.
When Glenn first dabbled in the Flat Life
technique, he frequented a lot of museums and
galleries and studied collage imagery. He also
studied the technique of Bas Relief.
That particular style intrigued him, so he initially
used Styrofoam when he started doing the Flat
Life style.
“I would carve that, and then I would prime it with a
texture, and then I would lay fabrics on to of it and
glue it to a wood surface,” he said. “At the time,
no other artist was doing that particular style of art
to that degree. I mean I’ve seen dimensional art
in a collage, even to the point where most artists
would glue known objects to the surface of the
canvas, but for me, I was creating my surfaces.”
“It was different,” he added. “everything was
technical in the aspect of not just taking objects
and throwing them and gluing them, but actually
having an effect on everything that went into the
composition.”
Despite Michigan’s uncertain economy, Glenn
said he tries to keep a positive outlook. He added
that being with Park West Gallery, which sets up
venues in different states and cities, and also has
a presence on cruise ships, has helped.
“You don’t necessarily target your market locally,”
he said. Glenn and his wife, Yolanda, travel a lot
in order to promote his art. He is not a big lover of
travel but she is.
His long-term goals are to continue to explore his
creativity as an artist. He also said that what he
does in the art community is a great responsibility.
“I feel that I can be a positive role model for upand-coming artists of all nationalities,” he said.
“This is a tough business to crack into, to be able
to say that you live, eat and pay your bills solely
on your art.”
A lot of his work features jazz in some way. Glenn
said his father was an avid jazz listener. He also
has three older sisters, and said he found women
to be an inspiring subject matter in his paintings.
Glenn has been working as full-time artist for 12
years. Prior to that, he worked at Chrysler, and for
a period of about five years he juggled working at
Chrysler and selling his art before he made the
decision to focus on being a full-time artist.
Some painting feature multicolored floorboards.
Glenn said they reflect the variety of God’s
creations, athat they’re like a spiritual foundation
of his art.
A permanent collection of Marcus Glenn’s work is
at Park West Galley, which is open, free of charge,
six days a week. Visit http://www.parkwest-glenn.
com for more information.
Regarding the piece chosen for permanent
display in the Charles H. Wright Museum of
African American History, Glenn said because of
repairs the museum was undergoing, it’s still in
his possession. “I’m going to have to deliver it
33
November 28, 2011
WDIV Voters Name Park West Gallery “The Best” in Detroit
The contest has ended. The
votes have been tallied.
Over 270 local businesses
competed under the “Art
Gallery” category in WDIV
Channel 4 clickondetroit.
com’s “2011 Vote 4 The Best”
Contest. And the First Place
Winner is…
PARK WEST GALLERY!!!
For the second year in a row,
clickondetroit.com
voters
have named Park West Gallery
as “The Best” Art Gallery in
Detroit!
To see all of this year’s “Vote
4 The Best” Contest Winners,
please visit http://4thebest.
clickondetroit.com/home/
winners.
34
November 27, 2011
Local Child rights activist Lauds Michigan Adoption Law
By Kojo Sankofa - Special to the Michigan Citizen
DETROIT — Ethiopian-born child rights
advocate Saba Gebrai has lauded state
legislature for the new law extending care
to Michigan foster youth.
The law, signed Nov. 22, encourages
adoption, foster care, mentoring, tutoring
and respite care.
Saba Gebrai is the director for the
Blue Babies Park West Foundation, an
organization in Detroit committed to
supporting and uplifting youth in the
social welfare system eager to improve
themselves, as well as those who are in
foster care.
Published • Sun, Nov 27, 2011
new law will encourage more qualified
persons and families to adopt and support
youth in foster care.
Approximately 107,000 children throughout
America await the chance to be taken home
with adoptive parents. According to recent
Children’s Bureau statistics, the prospects
for finding loving families and stable
surroundings are often poor, particularly for
Black youth.
Gebrai explained that there is a stigma
attached to foster care, thus Blue Babies,
which represents youth who are supported
by the state, is set to restore the dignity
and empower youth who
become destitute through
no fault of theirs.
Gebrai
says
she
gravitated to social work
naturally, acknowledging
her background that
instilled in her what it
takes to be of service to
her community. “This is
my calling, it has been
my passion to work with
young adults who are
deprived and poor,” she
said. “We don’t have a
Park West Foundation youth, Kinita McDaniels, with Saba Gebrai
wrap around the problem
Blue Babies is made up of former and but we keep pushing on.”
current foster care youth who believe in
themselves and in service of their peers She says she has always believed it takes a
and communities, daily transforming lives village to raise a child and further asserted
that “we accept that some people are not
through youth-led, creative solutions.
as important and as an African I found
Gebrai pointed out that November is out that Africans go through that kind of
National Adoption month, therefore it is treatment and that motivates me to create
significant that the adoption law has been an environment that will enable each child
signed to extend care to Michigan youth in to know that they are important.”
foster care.
Blue Babies Park West Foundation is
So far there have been over 2000 adoptions involved with Child Welfare, working to
and it is expected that the signing of this create families for children and young
adults who do not have families. The
foundation also serves as a resource center
for Child Welfare issues and does referrals
in cases that requires special needs.
Thousands of children all over Michigan
and the world are growing up without a
parent or family. This has inspired the
Be1andBlue campaign that helps youth to
formally connect to caring people, families,
organizations, businesses and faith
communities everywhere.
Gebrai explained that extended community
support is particularly important to Black
youth, who are often adopted at lower rates
than their white peers.
A look at five states that include cities with
large Black populations shows that seldom
were more than half of adopted youth from
Black communities. From 2009 to 2010, of
Michigan’s 2,597 adopted, just 30.8 percent
were Black; of Louisiana’s 641, 47.1
percent were Black; of Illinois’ 1,214, 51.9
percent were Black; of Georgia’s 1,196, 0.7
percent were Black. Only in the District
of Columbia were Black adopted youth
the overwhelming majority, but D.C.’s
94.6 percent came from a total of just 129
children.
On Global Dignity Day, Oct. 20, Blue
Babies of Park West Foundation Launched
the Be1andBlue campaign to promote and
support Life with Dignity for all Children
in Michigan and around the world.
For Saba Gebrai, who has committed and
dedicated her entire life to working with
youth in foster care, she is excited about the
new law to extend care to Michigan youth in
foster care. She views it as a breakthrough
and an achievement that will go a long way
in empowering many young adults who
need the help of the entire society.
35
November 23, 2011
Abstract painter pushes the envelope to create art no one’s ever seen before
Published: Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Detroit artist Tim Yanke strives to
create art no one has ever seen before.
And he needs noise to do it.
“Your brain thinks with words, but your
soul thinks with music and art,” he
said, noting that for him, working in a
quiet room lacks creativity.
“When you get that music going, it
generates from your soul, from your
head, to your hands, to the canvas
or whatever it is you’re painting. And
that is ideal. I can’t imagine painting in
silence.”
Yanke enjoys a wide variety of music.
“Anything that gets me going. From
reggae to Duke Ellington to Bob
Marley,” he said.
Yanke began drawing as a child. In
elementary school, students were
required to sit alphabetically, placing
him in the back of the room. He took
the isolating opportunity to practice
drawing and continued through middle
school and high school. He drew
everything and received encouraging
compliments from his peers.
After completing high school, Yanke
continued his studies at the University
of North Texas in Denton and graduated
with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts.
Four years ago Yanke was asked to
be the full-time abstract artist for Park
West. He agreed after conversing with
his wife about the opportunity.
“The pivotal point came during an
art history course back in college,”
Yankee said. “I didn’t know it then, but
my career changed during a certain
class. I look back at it now like that’s
when I wanted to become an artist.
It’s when I started to learn about the
impressionists.”
“My work cubical never looked the
same again,” he said. “There are a lot
of people who would like to be where I
am. I’m very fortunate.”
Yanke was drawn to the impressionist
art era because it “departed from
mainstream art,” he said. Yanke,
an
abstract
painter,
believes
impressionism changed the world.
When creating his paintings, Yanke
uses “anything that makes a mark or
leaves a color,” he said.
“From sidewalk chalk to spray paint
to tar. Acrylic to graphite to charcoal,”
Yanke said.
make
“Anything to add dimension or cast a
shadow.” He also uses staples, sand
and a variety of textures, but never
oils. Yanke said he doesn’t have the
patience to wait for it to dry.
“You’ve got a great imagination or
you’re very creative,” Yankee recalls
his father saying.
Yanke has been painting in his
1,200-square-foot
studio
in
Birmingham since 2007, but he started
painting in the mid-1980s.
Yanke’s father would also
comments about his work.
Yanke believed his father’s comments
gave him confidence.
When Yanke reached high school, he
geared his classes toward becoming
a graphic artist, but always knew he
wanted to be a painter.
36
He began his art career by painting
for Park West Gallery in Southfield. In
the mid-’80s he sent 35mm art slides
to the gallery. At the time, Yanke was
working at Ameritech, now AT&T, as
a graphic artist. Eight months passed
before he received a call to sign an
exclusive contract with the gallery.
Yanke’s artwork is on display at Park
West and is often sold to cruise ships
and hotels around the world. His
art sells for anywhere from $850 to
$15,000.
Yanke and his wife, Nicky, love the
West and frequently travel to Colorado,
New Mexico, Arizona and Lake Tahoe.
He collects Native American items to
add to his studio for inspiration.
“The sky out there is different,” Yanke
said. “I try to translate it into my
paintings.”
Yanke plans to continue creating art
the world has never seen.
“You wanna push your own envelope,”
Yanke said. “My last painting is always
my favorite because I keep pushing
those boundaries.”
If YOU GO
As a Park West Gallery artist, Tim
Yanke’s artwork is continuously on
display, at 29469 Northwestern Hwy.
in Southfield.
Park West is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday through Friday, 11a.m. to 6
p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday. For
more information call 248-354-2343 or
visit http://www.parkwestgallery.com.
October 10, 2011
HOMETOWNlife.com
Gallery paintings impress, not just for show
By S. Kowalsk
SOUTHFIELD — Prior to a 1999 renovation at
Park West Gallery on Northwestern Highway,
window shopping was a popular pastime.
On one side of the 63,000-square-foot
building were seven tenants, including a
popular pizzeria, which attracted potential
art fans, according to gallery owner Albert
Scaglione.
With art sales increasing, Scaglione
completed a $3 million renovation, turning
the entire building into a gallery.
“When I bought the building (in 1979), I had
a dream of one day occupying the whole
building,” Scaglione said.
A marble floor, Greco-Roman exterior, and a
park with a pond were among the renovations
made to the building and property, Scaglione
said.
But with the gallery expansion came the
elimination of sublessors who attracted
potential customers.
More than a decade since the renovation,
Scaglione said it's still a challenge getting
passersby to recognize the building as a
gallery with paintings for sale, and not a
museum, with paintings just for show. On
every wall are paintings from world renowned
artists, and next to each is a price tag.
“You'd be surprised how many people drive
by and think it's a museum,” Scaglione said.
“It is, but it's not. It's a place where you come
and buy something, or browse.
“I had more traffic when it was a strip mall.
Many think we are an art museum in the
suburbs. That's not what we are. We're a
gallery where you shop.”
Paintings are valued at more than $100,000
to less than $1,000, according to Scaglione.
It takes advanced technology and a devoted
workforce to keep the inventory up to date,
he said.
“Behind these walls, I have 150 people
working,” Scaglione said, pointing to the
right, facing the front desk. “It's the only
entity of its kind with hundreds of people
whose mission is to serve the art community,
bringing the work of living artists to a wider
audience in a non-intimidating, educational
and entertaining way with the thought that art
is for everyone, not just for the super rich or
the intellectual.”
Joanne Leonetti, the receptionist and client
services representative, feels like she has the
best view in town. Her chair swivels, which
allows for a view of the paintings on the back
wall without getting on her feet.
“I turn around (in the chair) and look at
everything (on the walls),” Leonetti said.
“I'm also that ‘crazy' person that makes sure
everything is straight. I like to straighten out
the paintings. Right now, I'm noticing (a)
Picasso (painting) is crooked.”
Scaglione, 72, is a New Jersey native
who moved to Michigan after enrolling in
graduate school in mechanical engineering at
Michigan State University in 1964.
Wayne State University, before taking a risk
and opening the Park West Gallery out of a
building he rented at Nine Mile and Telegraph
in Southfield.
Scaglione remembers the rent being $500 per
month at the start, which was steep for the
kind of budget he was used to having.
“I was a good saver, and my wife and child
lived on $15 a week for food,” Scaglione said.
“You could buy three pounds of hamburger
for a dollar, powdered milk. That was my food
staples.”
Park West Gallery's business grew to the
point that an expansion was necessary,
Scaglione said. In 1979, he constructed the
building the gallery now occupies at 29469
Northwestern Highway for $1.7 million.
“When you think about it, that was about the
price of what a ‘big home' is today,” Scaglione
said.
Where it’s at
What: Park West Gallery
Where: 29469 Northwestern (between 12
and 13 Mile roads), Southfield, MI
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday;
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6
p.m. Saturday.
Phone: (248) 354-2343
A teacher in New Jersey convinced him to
consider MSU, he remembers.
“He told me, ‘I think you'd like the midwest,
the work ethic,'” Scaglione recalled. “I moved
here, never left.”
Scaglione said he taught mechanical
engineering courses at MSU, and then
37
July 2011
Art World News
J U N E – J U L Y 2 0 11
PARK WEST NAMED BEST MICHIGAN
GALLERY BY ‘OFFICIAL BEST OF’
TRAVEL PROGRAM
EXPOSITION CHICAGO
ART FAIRS ARE
COMING
TO NAVY
PIER has
CONVERGING
ON MI—Park
SOUTHFIELD,
West
Gallery
LOS ANGELES
been named “The Offi
cial Best
Art Gallery
Exposition
Chicago
in Michigan—2011”
by the Official Best
Art of
Merchandise
Mart PropExpositions
LLC
erties
Inc.
travel TV program that features the best
family attractions,
restaurants, spas, hotels,
Art
Platform
– Los Angeles
and more,
from across the U.S.. Park West
Gallery CEO and founder Albert Scaglione
says, “It is an honor to be recognized in
the company of such prestigious past
winners— local favorites like the Detroit
Zoo, as well as national cultural institutions
including the Denver Museum of Nature
& Science, PULSE
the Muhammad Ali Center in
Louisville, and the Minneapolis Institute
of Arts. We are proud to accept this
distinguished title.” The Official Best of travel
program airs on The Discovery Channel
and other major networks including ABC,
NBC,
CBS,
and Fox. Park West Gallery
Affordable
Art Fair
will be spotlighted during a 30- minute
AAF
YORK
SEES
television special, Offi
cialNEW
Best
of Michigan
,
$2.2 MIL. IN SALES
scheduled to air in early July.
Affordable Art Fair
Founded in 1969 New
byYorkMr. Scaglione,
Park West Gallery offers work by such
Masters as Picasso and Chagall, as well
as contemporary artists Yaccov Agam,
Romero Britto, Peter Max and others
through its galleries in Michigan and
Florida, as well as art auctions on cruise
ships and in major cities. For more, visit:
www.parkwestgallery.com.
38
rt Galle
st A
ry
e
B
OFFICIAL
BESTOF
M
THE
ic h
1
igan 201
April 2011
Art World News
A P R I L 2 0 11
GALLERIES BENEFIT FROM ART AUCTIONS
Koleen Kaffan is Managing Editor of Art World News.
CHICAGO DEALER
ARTEXPO NEW YORK
Art auctions—either held in the gallery, at a collectors appreciate having a new way to grow Creating an “experience” different to what people
ACCUSED OF FRAUD
AN ENCOURAGING SHOW
different location, or online—have proven to be a their collections. “By keeping the guest list limited would get at the gallery alone, is important to the
lucrative way for galleries to bring in new Artexpo
buyers, New
to yourYork
current collectors or top prospects, you’re atmosphere, says Stoney Goldstein, executive
whilst also providing an extra service to existing practically guaranteed success,” she says. “These vice president of sales at Park West Gallery. The
collectors. At the same time, they reduce inventory are the people that have bought art from you in company, headquartered in Southfield, MI, holds
taking up valuable space. Auctions feature large the past and, in the case of your top prospects, auctions in its gallery and at sea. “Auctions are
amounts of artwork that, for one reason or another, could likely buy in the future. To that end, you effective because clients enjoy the experience—
is no longer viable on the showroom floor. These are providing them an exclusive opportunity to from the preview to the bidding to seeing the
events can breathe new life into a gallery by acquire art at what could be an exceptional value. presentations— and that certain indescribable
providing much needed cash flow while adding Before the auction even begins, the collectors and energy that only an auction can provide. In a
a new dimension to the business itself. “Auctions prospects have been enticed and highly motivated gallery, artworks may hang on a wall for months
offer galleries a chance to move slower selling by the pre-set opening bid prices they see in the waiting for a collector. An auction is not only a fun
artwork, and the cash generated allows them booklets handed to them as they arrive, and the and exciting event, it also helps clients evaluate
to purchase better selling product, reinvest the atmosphere becomes highly charged. Aside from what works they are interested in collecting
money somewhere else in the business, or even the potential to save money on art, here you have and a price point at which they are comfortable
just survive in some instances,” says Sage Stark, a gallery brimming with passionate collectors, spending more quickly; especially when there are
gallery director of American Visions Art Gallery in and competition is sparking. And then the bidding 300 other people there who may be interested in
Folsom, CA.
begins! At times, the competition can become the same artworks.”
extremely lively and quite entertaining for all in
Eric Dannemann, president of Martin Lawrence the room. Keep in mind that the number of guests Making an auction special helps create ambiance.
WILD
IS A throughout
GREAT the
KEN
TObeEXPAND
should
fairly modest, say fifty or so. This works “We absolutely take pleasure in offering clients
Galleries,
withAPPLE
10 locations
U.S.,ORTON
PLACE
TO
WORK!
GALLERY
NETWORK
much,
much
better than hosting an event with a an elegant setting for our live auctions,” Mr.
feels that while auctions have several benefits,
large
number
of general audience visitors about Dannemann says. “They are typically held at
success depends on various factors. “The
Wild
Apple
Ken
Orton
whom
you
know
very little.”
dynamics for a successful auction contain many
very high-end hotel ballrooms or interesting city
elements that must work symbiotically, such as
venues around the U.S. and in the general vicinity
offering great artwork at a great value, contagious Richard Hart, owner and principal auctioneer at of a local Martin Lawrence Gallery. The idea is
energy from art consultants, a professional Baterbys Art Auction and Gallery, a full-service for clients to enjoy a night out on the town while
auctioneer, and, most importantly, a sense of gallery and auction house in Orlando, FL, notes also having the opportunity to add to their art
urgency. Consultants must impart to clients that that his business is in a highly tourist-trafficked collection.”
if they wish to own a work of art in that season’s area, so he uses auctions as a way to connect
auctions, it is imperative that they seize the with many of his local collectors, keeping them Gallery staff play a big role in generating
opportunity now.”
engaged and educated. “Twenty-five percent of excitement centered around the event. “Auctions
our sales come from auctions,” Mr. Hart says. give the staff heightened energy,” says Giovanna
Martin Lawrence Galleries holds several auctions “Most of our auction clients are collectors Stark, owner of American Visions Art Gallery. “It
a year around the country. The Spring 2011 from our retail gallery. Those that buy from our feels like lots of action is going on, even though
schedule alone includes five auctions in cities auctions are always looking to learn more about there may only be a few bidders. Everyone gets
such as New York, San Francisco, and New art. Auctions have to be a part of the gallery, and excited—from the artists themselves who feel it
Orleans. Summer of this year marks the opening they have to be educational and informative.” draws added attention to their pieces to the retail
of the company’s eleventh gallery in Las Vegas. Baterbys is housed in a 10,000-square-foot space community around us who express that they
Ideally, auctions offer galleries an outlet to clear that features unique walls, designed to swivel out get some of the pulses of energy coming from
out some inventory, making room for new, fresh of the way to make room to accommodate 150 the attraction of the auction.” Alexander Salazar,
IDENTIFYING
When an auction owner of Alexander Salazar Fine Art and Auctions
works of art. Cristi Smith, owner of Ford Smith seats for attendees of auctions.
put back to display in San Diego, saw the benefits of holding art
Fine Art, Roswell, GA, has spoken with a number is over, the showroom can beFRAMING
of the galleries carrying the work of Ford Smith the artwork.
auctions early on in his business model as a way
OPPORTUNITIES
regarding auctions, and has learned that many
of appealing to all types of collectors. He opened
39
April 2011
Art World News
A P R I L 2 0 11
the gallery space in 2010, followed a few months when he gives you advice about how to prepare for
later by an auction house nearby. “I have found the auction (booklets, paddles, how to efficiently
that some collectors never buy at galleries, but handle the many financial transactions, etc.).
CHICAGO DEALER
ARTEXPO NEW YORK
prefer to acquire at auction because of the feeling While an auction creates a lively and bustling
ACCUSED OF FRAUD
AN ENCOURAGING SHOW
that they are getting a better price.” Mr. Salazar’s atmosphere, it should be meticulously organized
auction house oftentimes holds events tiedArtexpo
in with New
and executed.”
York
local charities.
WILD APPLE IS A GREAT
PLACE TO WORK!
KEN ORTON TO EXPAND
GALLERY NETWORK
Wild Apple
Ken Orton
Celebrating it’s 42nd year in business, Park West Gallery holds monthly auctions featuring hundreds
of pieces of art.
Rules for auctions do need to be set in order
for people to know that the artwork is a once in
a lifetime opportunity. “First, do not skimp on
the auctioneer, the food, or the drinks for your
esteemed guests,” Mrs. Smith stresses. “It’s
a unique and exclusive event and should be
treated as such. Hire a professional auctioneer
and enough help to ensure that the art is moved
quickly and seamlessly. Second, make auctions a
rarity for your gallery. This sort of event should
be extraordinary and exceptional. The last thing
you want to do is to train your clients to wait for
an auction to make a purchase. My advice is to
consider hosting one no more than every other
year, or possibly just the one time.” She also
notes that, since you’ve hired the auctioneer, use
this opportunity to pick his/her brain on how to be
successful in an auction. Listen to the auctioneer
40
Many galleries also find that sticking to stricter
rules, such as no layaway or inhouse financing
on auction pieces, lets collectors know that there
is a difference between this sale and ones done
in the retail gallery. The build up to the event is
important. Mr. Goldstein suggests “hosting a well
staffed auction preview in which clients can view
the artwork, ask any questions, etc. Most people
who bid at auctions have likely previewed the
artwork and determined that they are going to bid
before the item makes it on the auction block.”
recently held one using eBay. It worked out really
well, because I didn’t have to keep track of the
bidding. It does cost a little to use eBay, but the
amount of time and effort that I did not have to put
into running the auction made it worth it.”
When choosing artwork for the auction, galleries
often have different criteria, but diversity is
important. “Auctions need a careful balance of
artists, styles, and mediums,” says Giovanna
Stark. “Some pieces in the mix need to be highly
desirable—yet you don’t want to put a valuable
piece of art into the mix if that artist is going to
be coming to the gallery in the next few months.
We have to be careful to not devalue the work of
any of the artists that we have. So the selection is
balanced, we will have a few pieces that we would
be glad to move out, and a few pieces we can sell
knowing we may not make a profit.”
Auctions at Park West Gallery feature different
numbers of work, depending on the type of event.
“There is a large range,” says Mr. Goldstein. “I’ve
seen auctions with six works of art, and auctions
where 1,000 pieces were made available. There
needs to be a balance of enough selection versus
overloading clients with too many choices.
My recommendation is around 250 works at a
preview, followed by an auction limited mainly to
works that are requested in the preview.” Hiring
a professional, accredited auctioneer elevates the
event, and often-times, helps entertain customers.
Some states require the auctioneer to be licensed
after attending a state-recognized auction school.
“I have found that an educated and passionate
and fun auctioneer can make bidders raise their
paddles,” Mr. Salazar adds.
“Galleries need an experienced auctioneer who is
not just a ‘bid caller’ but someone who can present
the artwork effectively, is well-spoken, has taken
the time to educate themselves extensively about
the artworks, will conduct the auction with utmost
integrity, and will keep the audience engaged and
interested in the artworks being presented,” says
Mr. Goldstein.
At CFM Gallery, located in Chelsea, New York
City, auctions are held online only. “We don’t
IDENTIFYING
hold the auction in the gallery.
All of the bidding
is done online,” says owner Neil
Zukerman. “We
FRAMING
usually run the auction through
our
website, but
OPPORTUNITIES
April 2011
Art World News
A P R I L 2 0 11
Gallery One in Mentor, Ohio, has been in business Mr. Zukerman uses auctions strictly as a way can often be corrected by setting a disclosed,
for 37 years. Since then, they’ve held hundreds to rid his gallery of miscellaneous pieces, or undisclosed, reserve price. Depending on
of auctions, but it was their first foray into this something he is honest about to his customers. how the auctions are structured, a bidding client
CHICAGO DEALER
ARTEXPO NEW YORK
different way to sell art that really shaped gallery “Those buying from our auctions are generally may be able to withdraw their offer and create
ACCUSED OF FRAUD
AN ENCOURAGING SHOW
owners Norah Lynne and Alan Brown’s mind set. existing clients—in fact about 85% are regulars. a bit of a dilemma. Having tight requirements
“We held our first auction in 1977 when we
were New
WhenYork
presenting the work to clients, I let them on participating in the auctions may solve this
Artexpo
approached by a woman that ran a local charity,” know that this is miscellaneous work and here is problem, but allowing customers to easily bid
Mrs. Brown says. “We knew absolutely nothing an opportunity to get some bargains. For us, no without collecting too much information makes
about it and were intimidated at first, but she education is needed. One big rule is to always be everybody feel welcome to participate.”
was persistent. We hired a major auctioneer to honest. Auctions help me to reduce my inventory
run the event. Right away, he began taking bids of those items no longer germain to what the As an added service to loyal collectors, some
off the wall—essentially, he was faking bids. Our gallery is doing.”
galleries hold auctions to help sell someone’s
ethics were reeling. These were our collectors that
personal collection or estate, with the gallery
he was lying to and we were livid. At the end of For Mrs. Brown, choosing artwork for auction is getting a percentage of the sale. A bonus effect
the auction, he got to leave, but we had to still ever-changing. “Maybe it’s an original done years of holding auctions is that it reinvigorates a
face our customers and if they lost trust in us, any ago by one of our gallery artists, and the style is collector’s interest in other pieces in your gallery.
future business would have been lost.”
slightly different. That would be a perfect piece for “We found that our clients pay attention to all the
an auction. It gets the artist’s existing collectors artists in the auction, even though they browse
The auction, in fact, turned out to be highly excited and allows them to obtain a rare piece of through the gallery often and might just pass them
successful for the gallery and the non-profit work. An auction also allows an item to be priced by,” says Giovanna Stark. “One client came in to
involved, the Browns knew there was something the way it should be because the public is setting look at some of the other sculptures we had by
to them, even after the bad experience with the the price. It’s a valid representation of what the Todd Warner. We’ve had his work in the gallery
auctioneer. “We knew that we wanted to do more of price should be.” Charities can play a big role since the day we opened eight years ago, and yet
WILDand
APPLE
IS AtoGREAT
KEN ORTON
EXPAND
these events
sent Alan
auctioneer school.”
in a TO
successful
auction as well. First, it allows our client hadn’t paid that much attention to the
PLACE
TO
WORK!
GALLERY
NETWORK
Mr. Brown received a CAI (Certified Auctioneers the gallery to do fund-raising work, whilst also collection.”
Institute) and AARE (Accredited Auctioneer bringing new people into the gallery. Park West
Apple
Ken Orton
of RealWild
Estate)
designation from University
of recently did an auction for the Florida Caribbean Another perk is getting your customer’s undivided
Indiana. Outside of the gallery, he also donates his Cruise Association Foundation, and raised nearly attention. “Auctions allow the gallery to get a large
time as an auctioneer as a community service. The $30,000 for their children’s outreach programs number of people together at one time, and have
Browns also specifically buy work for auctions. to the Caribbean and Latin America. At American them captivated for an hour or more,” Mr. Hart
“When we are looking for art to buy for the gallery, Visions Art Gallery, Giovanna Stark touts the adds. “If the event is done by professionals, and in
we may come across something that we know advantages of getting the artists involved to create an educational manner, the audience will become
will work really well in an auction and we will a buzz. “When we do a show with Michael Godard, enlightened and in a position of knowledge to
buy it specifically for that purpose,” Mrs. Brown he’ll start the evening with a sketch that he then make that decision to bid, and ultimately own art
says. “Sometimes we’ll make an exceptional buy auctions for his favorite charity. Sometimes the themselves, without being sold too.”
of something, and put it aside for the auction.” piece will sell at a high price, other times it will be
Gallery One also includes their website in the lower, depending on the mood, the audience, and
auctions. “The last few auctions that we have had the times. All the funds for this piece are given to
were very poorly attended, but despite that, we the charity, but it gives the evening a great feel and
ended up having the biggest volume of sales ever. people get into the spirit of things. For Godard, it’s
We run so much of the auction on our website and a highly personal touch that connects him right
in the gallery simultaneously that we have been away to the very large group of people who have
able to include, not only locals, but also collectors come to the show.”
that are not in our area.” She notes that many of
IDENTIFYING
the online bidders are locals that just felt like Sage Stark warns of auctions
that may not live
staying at home. “These online bidders already up to expectations. “There are
some downsides
FRAMING
know us as a gallery with quality work, so they to auctions, such as receiving offers that may
OPPORTUNITIES
feel confident.”
not fit the galleries’ desired profit margins. This
41
April 2011
PARK WEST
GALLERY
“ART WITH A
HEART”
Park West Gallery houses more than one thousand pieces of beautiful artwork in its 63,000 square foot opulent Greco
Roman designed building. But Park West, rated the number one art gallery in Metropolitan Detroit in a survey
conducted by WDIV-TV Channel 4, offers much more than just the finest pieces of artwork anywhere in the world.
Owners Albert and Mitsie Scaglione have made it their
mission in life to give back to the community which
has afforded them the opportunity to be successful in
business. Park West Cares, which the couple established
last July, has donated $1.5 million worth of clothing
and works of art to literally thousands of charities and
educational organizations worldwide.
The Park West Foundation, which the Scaglione’s
founded in 2006, has provided assistance to hundreds of
young men and women who, because of state law, have
been forced to opt out of Michigan’s Foster Care system
at the age of eighteen.
The Park West Foundation has taken these individuals
under its protective wing and helped them find clothing, housing, jobs and even made it possible for some of them to
continue their education at a college or university.
Albert and Mitsie also invite any 501(c) 3 charities to host fundraisers and parties at the gallery, free of charge.
The Scaglione’s practice the old scripture: “To Whom Much Is
Given, Much Is Expected.” At Park West Gallery, an apt motto
might be “Art with A Heart.”
Park West Gallery is located at 29469 Northwestern Highway in
Southfield. For more information about Park West Gallery go to
www.parkwestgallery.com
42
October 7, 2010
Park West Gallery voted top art gallery in the Detroit area
By Vito Curcuru
Park West Gallery has been voted the
#1 art gallery in the metro Detroit area
in WDIV’s “4 the Best” contest. Nearly
240,000 web site visitors cast votes for
their favorites in a number of categories
from Best Burger to Best Local Bands.
More than 70 art galleries from Detroit and
the surrounding area were nominated.
“We’re honored to once again be
voted the top art gallery in metro Detroit,”
said Albert Scaglione, CEO of Park West
Gallery. “For over 40 years we’ve been
bringing art and artists to the area, and
we look forward to many more years of
supporting the arts in Detroit.”
Voters could leave comments, and
those who voted for Park West Gallery
had the following to say:
“Park West Galleries ROCKS supreme!
Finally a gallery that has art that I actually
want to look at! I discovered them on a
cruise ship at sea, and it wasn’t until a
few months ago I realized they are in our
own back yard.”
“Amazing collection of art in so many genres. From the Old Classics to some very modern, fun stuff. Original pieces of art are
available, sculptures and jewelry are a big part of the collection. It is amazing how much knowledge the staff have under their belts
and how eager they are to share what they know with you! By far the best place to begin your search for art.”
“They have always treated us like family.”
“Park West is amazing and the people that work for Park West are very professional. The best of the best!”
“I’ve done business with them several times over the years. They make collecting original art easy and fun. Their staff has always
impressed me with their knowledge and love of art.”
“Over the past 21 years, I have purchased over 100 works of art from Park West. The customer service, knowledge of all
involved, and the provenance of all works was impeccable. Thank you !!!!”
Founded in 1969, Park West Gallery offers works of art through its galleries in Michigan and Florida, at art auction events across
the country, and on cruise art auctions at sea internationally. The Park West Gallery collection includes oil and acrylic paintings,
watercolors and drawings, hand-signed limited edition etchings, lithographs, serigraphs and hand-embellished graphic works.
Park West Gallery also offers an extensive selection of sports memorabilia and a unique collection of rare animation art. Park West
Gallery occupies a 63,000 square foot headquarters and gallery in Southfield, Michigan and an 181,000 square foot fulfillment
center and gallery in Miami Lakes, Florida.
When your company wins an award, send your marketing department into overdrive like this gallery. Get the word out that you
are the best there is and customers will start to line-up.
43
September 26, 2010
Local people have given back to county
By L. Brooks Patterson
Even in the darkness of economic distress, there
are those among us who step forward to brighten
our world by enhancing the quality of life for their
fellow citizens.
That certainly applies to the four outstanding
individuals who will be honored at my 18th
Annual Quality People, Quality County Awards
Breakfast in the Centerpointe Marriott on Tuesday,
Sept. 28.
Albert Scaglione, president and owner of Park
West Gallery in Southfield, learned the value of
a dollar at the age of 8 working Saturdays on his
father’s scrap metal truck in Nutley, N.J. When
he turned 16, Scaglione jumped down off his
dad’s truck and into a job at a cousin’s art gallery
where he learned the techniques of stretching and
varnishing canvasses and framing works of art.
After receiving his doctorate in mechanical
engineering, Scaglione landed a job with NASA.
When the government canceled the project on
which he had been working, he re-entered the
art world. His Park West Gallery on Northwestern
Highway has served more than 1.3 million
customers over the past 41 years.
The gallery has prospered and so have the
individuals and organizations Scaglione and his
family have taken under their wing. The Park
West Foundation, which he founded, has been
a source of support for young women forced
to leave the foster care system at the age of 18.
Park West Gallery also donates art to charitable
groups, opens the gallery to 501(c)(3) charities
for fundraisers and has made available about
$1.5 million worth of clothing to those in need.
Scaglione has what might be called an “Art with
a Heart” perspective on life, which has given
him the joy and satisfaction of being able to give
back to his community by helping to improve the
quality of life for others.
44
Ron Kagan, executive director
and CEO of the Detroit Zoological
Society, has had two passions in life:
Cars and animals. Fortunately for the
1.2 million visitors who walk through
the gates of the zoo annually, Ron
chose the latter as his life’s work.
In his 17 years as director, Kagan
has transformed the zoo into
Michigan’s number one tourist
attraction with a variety of innovative
and exciting exhibits. Among these
are the Wildlife Interpretive Gallery,
The Arctic Ring of Life, the National
Conservation Center and the 126
seat 3-D/4-D Theater at the Ford
Education Center.
Kagan has shaped the Detroit Zoo
into a one-of-a-kind experience that
can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
A healthy dose of good news is the
new Oakland University/William
Beaumont School of Medicine.
Spearheading this joint venture is Albert Scaglione & Brooks Patterson at Q2 Awards Breakfast
Dr. Gary Russi, president of Oakland
In addition, the OU/Beaumont School of Medicine
University and Ken Matzick, the
recently retired CEO of Beaumont Hospitals. will pack an economic wallop.
These two highly skilled administrators have
It will spawn an estimated $1 billion in new
successfully shepherded this ambitious, multiinvestment and create 11,000 new jobs.
million dollar project through a labyrinth of
challenges and hurdles. As a result of their Scaglione, Kagan, Russi and Matzick are living
leadership, the OU/Beaumont School of Medicine symbols of what the great Greek orator and
is poised to welcome its first class of 50 aspiring philosopher, Pericles, meant when he wrote the
doctors in August, 2011.
following words thousands of years ago: “What
you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone
The need for doctors has never been more acute. monuments, but what is woven into the lives of
It’s estimated that 4,400 Michigan doctors and others.”
100,000 nationwide will hang up their white coats
in the next few years.
September 8-14, 2010
Park West Gallery donates clothing, art to Grace Centers of Hope
®
Michigan Chronicle/DETROIT (Sept. 8-14,
2010) - Grace Centers is one of six Metro
Detroit nonprofit organizations benefiting
from Park West Gallery‘s generosity this
summer. Locally, the other organizations
are Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Covenant
House, Detroit Rescue Mission, HAVEN of
Oakland County and Vista Maria.
Organizations in southeast Florida where
Park West has additional locations also
received merchandise.
Park West owners Albert and Mitsie
Scaglione have a long standing
relationship with Grace Centers of Hope.
In 2008, they donated more than $25,000
to the nonprofit towards its Men’s Dorm
Renovation Project. This generous gift
spearheaded Grace Center’s fund-raising
campaign for the project. The renovation
of the men’s dorm, which now houses
emergency clients separately from
residential ones in a dignified and uplifting
setting, was completed with additional
funding from other sources.
The nonprofit not only provides temporary
shelter, food and clothing, but also
conducts one-year and two-year programs
to help men, women and children
overcome the reasons they are homeless,
such as addiction and abuse, and move
forward positively with their lives. One
hundred percent of this new clothing will
go to the Grace Centers of Hope Thrift
Stores. Monies raised by selling the
merchandise in the stores will benefit the
organization’s programs and services.
REPRESENTITIVES OF Grace Centers of Hope, Mike Maslyn, Darin Weiss and Pastor Kent Clark, with Mitsie and Albert Scaglione
of Park West Gallery; Mitsie and Albert receiving plaque from Grace Center of Hope’s CEO, Pastor Kent Clark. – Photos courtesy of
Grace Centers of Hope and Park West Gallery.
The same day as the clothing donation,
Park West also gave Grace Centers of
Hope 11 pieces of art by Thomas Kinkade,
a Christian painter, through the foundation.
Most of the paintings will go to the homes
in Little Grace Village, Grace Centers of
Hope’s safe and affordable housing
revitalization effort on Seneca Street in
Pontiac. Graduates of Grace Centers of
Hope’s one year life skills program rent
the homes. The other paintings will hang
at Grace Gospel Fellowship.
art pieces. One showed an idyllic scene,
another a simple cross on top of a hill and
the third was Kinkade’s interpretation of
the face of Jesus.
Three of the paintings were displayed in
the gallery, ready for packing and loading
onto the Grace Centers of Hope truck
along with the clothing and the other eight
Acts of generosity such as these are the
types of stories that, sadly, all too often
fail to make the news – television, print or
radio.
Park West Gallery and Grace Centers of
Hope will continue working together to
help those in need in the community. To
donate merchandise and clothing, volunteer
or learn more information about Grace
Centers of Hope, call (248) 334-2187, or
visit www.gracecentersofhope.org.
45
August 16, 2010
Gallery gives
paintings to
local shelter
By KAY NGUYEN
Special to The Oakland Press
Through its Park West CARES philanthropy
initiative, Park West Gallery donated more than
600 items of clothing and 11 Thomas Kincade
paintings to Pontiac-based Grace Centers of
Hope.
Grace Centers of Hope has been providing its
services to Southeast Michigan as a homeless
shelter since 1942.
“We are very grateful for the wonderful
generosity of Park West Gallery,” the Rev. Kent
Clark, CEO of Grace Centers of Hope, said
in a statement. “This donation is not the first
time they have supported our organization. For
the past several years, Park West Gallery has
been a valued partner in our efforts to address
homelessness in Michigan.”
The relationship between the two organizations
began in 2008 when Park West founder and CEO
Albert Scaglione and his wife, Mitsie, made a
$25,000 donation to Grace Centers.
“We are deeply appreciative to Mr. and Mrs.
Scaglione’s contributions in supporting our
organization and positively impacting the lives of
those who come through the doors here at Grace
Centers of Hope,” said Michelle Atwell, director
of development for Grace Centers of Hope.
The Grace donation Friday was one stop
during Park West’s Southeast Michigan donation
blitz throughout August.
46
Albert Scaglione presents Thomas Kinkade artwork to the Rev. Kent Clark
of Grace Centers of Hope.
Other organizations benefiting from this
include the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit,
Covenant House, a privately funded child-care
agency, Detroit Rescue Mission, HAVEN of
Oakland County and Vista Maria, an organization
that helps women and children who have been
abused.
Park West Galleries is headquartered in
Southfield.
Clothing donated by Park West was all new
merchandise that was previously being sold on
cruise ships, where its galleries operate.
“We were just determined to donate it,” Robin
Danek, director of marketing and communication
for Park West Gallery, said. “We probably will do
second donations to most of these places.”
Atwell said all of the clothing items donated
will be used for resale in thrift stores operated by
Grace Centers.
Atwell said revenue from the thrift stores
accounts for 50 percent of the organization’s
operating budget.
The paintings will be placed at homes in Little
Grace Village, along Seneca Street in Pontiac.
The homes are inhabited by graduates of the
center’s one-year life skills program.
“These folks are now working, they’re sober,
they’re paying rent and are part of the community
which ensures their transition into sobriety and
ensures their part as a lasting member of society,”
Atwell said.
Kincade’s Christian-themed paintings were
chosen specifically for donation by Park West
because of the message residents of Little Grace
Village resonate, Danek said.
Grace Centers of Hope is funded through
donations and receives help from more than
10,000 volunteers a year, Atwell said. Visit www.
gracecentersofhope.com for more information.
August 11, 2010
Do Good Detroit blog
Park West Gallery is kicking off its Park West CARES
initiative by donating more than 3,500 items of new
clothing and merchandise to six metro Detroit nonprofit
organizations. The benefitting organizations include Grace
Centers of Hope, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Covenant House,
Detroit Rescue Mission, HAVEN of Oakland County and
Vista Maria.
Grace Centers of Hope, one of southeast Michigan's oldest
and largest homeless shelters, will receive more than 600
items of merchandise at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 13,
2010 at Park West Gallery® located on 29469 Northwestern
Highway in Southfield. The donation will be used to
support the men, women and children participating in the
organization's homeless and rehabilitation programs.
"We are very grateful for the wonderful generosity of Park
West Gallery," said Pastor Kent Clark, CEO of Grace
Centers of Hope. "This donation is not the first time they
have supported our organization. For the past several years,
Park West Gallery has been a valued partner in our efforts
to address homelessness in Michigan."
"We recognize the important role that Grace Centers of
Hope plays in our local community," said Albert Scaglione,
CEO of Park West Gallery. "We hope this clothing will
make a difference in the lives of those who rely on them for
assistance in becoming self-sufficient."
On August 13, Park West Gallery also will donate 11 pieces
of art for the homes located in Little Grace Village, Grace
Centers of Hope's safe and affordable housing revitalization
effort on Seneca St. in Pontiac.
47
June 18, 2009
SU N
Southfield
City honors 40 years of Park West Gallery
June 15 named Park West Gallery Day in Southfield, MI
JENNIE MILLER C & G Staff Writer
Published: June 18, 2009
SOUTHFIELD - Driving southbound
on Northwestern Highway into the city
of Southfield years ago, City Councilman
Myron Frasier was overwhelmed as he
came upon the sight of Park West Gallery.
"Now that's what a building ought to look
like," Frasier said June 15, recalling the
memory of first spotting the 63,000-squarefoot gallery, a Greco-Roman structure with
towering columns designed in 1979.
"It was just really great (to see), and it still
is," said Frasier as the city celebrated Park
West Gallery Day June 15 in recognition
of the company's 40 years of operation in
Southfield, dating back even further than its
awe-inspiring facility to 1969 with its first
location on Nine Mile Road.
Founded by Albert Scaglione, Park West
is now one of the largest art dealers in
the world, selling works of art through its
galleries in Michigan and Florida, as well as
on cruise ships internationally.
"We are proud to be the home town
of this internationally respected business
celebrating its 40th year," said Southfield
Mayor Brenda Lawrence, who thanked
Scaglione and his wife, Mitsie, for their
"loyalty and outstanding contributions to this
city." The Scagliones have also been active
in the region through the establishment of
the Park West Foundation, which provides
support to young people who have been
aged out of the foster care system.
Proud of the honor bestowed upon him
and his company, Scaglione thanked the city
for its support.
"It's very gratifying," he said. "It's been a
long journey for me here in Southfield. I've
been in the city for a long time, and it's great
48
Southfield Mayor, Brenda Lawrence, Mitsie & Albert Scaglione, Myron Frasier
to be recognized in this way." He said it's
been a pleasure to work with the city and
the community over the last four decades.
"The city has been terrific," Scaglione
said. "It's a great place for us to build our
homes (and) build our businesses. I think
one of the best things about this (region) is
the work ethic. (And) we have a great mixed
population. We have all different kinds of
ethnic groups. (It is) a melting pot of a very
high-quality talent pool." As he enters his
own 70th year of life, Scaglione isn't sure
what the future holds for his company,
which he admits is seeing diminished sales
in this struggling economy, but he hopes
Park West will go on.
"We'll probably do this until we aren't
around to do it anymore," Scaglione said,
adding that he and Mitsie have five children
who work in the family business. "We
can work together - it's a privilege; it's a
pleasure; it's an honor. I know we're in a
tough time, but we just hope we can keep
going the way we have been.
We're seeing mild improvements, and
I hope that continues. I'm hopeful that the
recovery has quietly begun, and we are
starting to see that." Scaglione planned
to host a celebration for gallery staff this
week complete with pizza and wings to
commemorate the occasion.
"I'm very close to the staff here; some
of them have been here 25-30 years," he
said. As cause for further celebration, Albert
and Mitsie Scaglione plan to renew their
marriage vows on his birthday, July 4.
For more information about Park West
Gallery, visit www.parkwestgallery.com, call
(248) 354-2343, Toll Free (800) 521-9654
or stop by 29469 Northwestern Highway in
Southfield.
Copyright, 2009, Southfield Sun (MI),
All Rights Reserved.
Spring 2009
Park West Gallery Celebrates 40 Years
(back row) Harrison Ellenshaw, Hua Chen, Peter Nixon, Alexander Chen, Yuval Wolfson, Jean-Claude Picot, Lisa Grubb, Nano Lopez, Fanch Ledan, Alice
Riordan, James Coleman, Charles Lee, Yolanda Glenn, Marcus Glenn, Dick Duerrstein, Andrew Bone, Tom Murry, Howard Behrens (middle row) Kevin Miles,
Wendy Schaefer, Anatole Krasnyansky, Holland Berkley, Albert Scaglione, Itzchak Tarkay, Morris Shapiro, Csaba Markus, Noah, Toby Bluth (front row) Simon
Bull, Jay Lefkowitz, Mark Kanovich, Victor Spahn, David Najar, Alfred Gockel, Marko Mavrovich and Dominic Pangborn
RUBY --- THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY GEMSTONE --- POSSESSES AN ETERNAL INNER FLAME
A SYMBOL THAT THE PASSION IS STILL VERY ALIVE AND STRONG AFTER FOUR DECADES.
A
lbert Scaglione infused his enthusiasm as
a collector, connoisseur, art lover, and
accomplished businessman at the 40th
year anniversary of Park West Gallery in an
exciting three-day event this past summer in its
hometown of Southfield, Michigan. A mixture of
seasoned dealers, well known, accomplished
artists, and collectors hailing from all over the
globe attended the festivities, boosting the
high-energy level of Park West Gallery’s festive
event. A fever of excitement hung in the air as
the opportunity to meet, greet, and mingle with
all forty artists, film makers, book writers,
publishers, and art specialists was present to
those in attendance. The 63,000 sq. ft space
was filled with a retrospective presentation in a
league with international showcase expositions
and was viewed by a vibrant group of movers
and shakers.
Good food, entertainment, discussion and
art presentations were laced throughout the
well-planned event. On display was a full
spectrum of each artist - past and present - in a
vetted palette of imagery displayed. Walls
containing a retrospective of works and the
By JAMIE ELLIN FORBES
current images of the artists in attendance were
displayed in a salon-like environment. This offered
the art enthusiast space to comprehensively view
each artist’s body of work while this impressive
collective of artists exchanged creative vision
freely, making for quite the rarefied atmosphere.
Among those on hand for the revelries were
Agam, Peter Max, Itzchak Tarkay, Thomas
Kinkade, Csaba Markus, Linda Le Kinff, Alfred
Gockel, Marcel Mouly, Scott Jacobs, Howard
Behrens, Fanch Ledan and many, many,
others. The celebration was driven by a
blend of Albert Scaglione’s enthusiasm and
dynamic energies offered by these
international artists during the gracious
three-day festivities.
In his opening remarks, the Park West
Gallery CEO commented, “Peter Max’s
work is recognized the world over and
Yaacov Agam arguably has created more
monumental works than any other artist in
history. Agam,” added Mr. Scaglione,
“came here directly from installing a 75’ x
33’ sculpture in front of the new Olympic
Stadium in Taiwan. Simon Bull has been
working for the past year-and-a-half on more
than 100 original paintings of Muhammad
Ali, four of which were selected by the
Champ and are now hanging in his new
Yaacov Agam and CEO Albert Scaglione at Park West Gallery's 40th Anniversary
49
Spring 2009 / cont.
Itzchak Tarkay, Hua Chen, and Anatole Krasnyansky
AN INTERVIEW WITH TARKAY
One of the most daunting experiences of my three plus decades
writing about the creative spirit of artists took place in 1997 when I
was assigned to interview Itzchak Tarkay for a monograph, Profile of
An Artist. At the time, Tarkay was one of the hottest sellers in the art
business and his originals and limited edition serigraphs were flying
off gallery walls. As he was in Israel and I was in Ronkonkoma (NY),
the interview took place via fax, at the artist’s suggestion. I was to
send him a series of questions and in short order he would reply. Oh,
how I wracked my brain to come up with some queries of quality and
depth. Weeks later, I practically ripped the roll out of the fax machine
as his replies came in. Much to my chagrin, they were mostly
monosyllabic response, as in “Yes,” “NO” and a “Been there, done
that, have the T-shirt.” But then I saw the genius in this man - his
capacity to break everything down into basics. As I was typesetting
the pages, I realized that the interview was much like his paintings: a
dash of red here, a hat, a figure, the same woman. The repetition was
like a mantra and the beauty and brilliance of this man was summed
up in his concluding statement, which I repeat verbatim:
“LIFE IS GOOD.”
- VICTOR FORBES
home in Louisville, Kentucky. I am truly energized by all of these creative,
artistic talents converging in one place at one time.”
Scaglione’s discerning eye for artistic line, enhanced through his
engineering degrees, love of art and an informed art history background, is
instilled into the overall Park West approach toward art collecting. The
Gallery has a rich history of exhibitions. Picasso, Durer, Chagall, Dali, Goya,
Miro, Rembrandt and Lautrec have all been exhibited. Park West Gallery’s
owner and his staff consider the individual artists’ contemporary works in this
collective for artistic style and statement of lasting value. Scaglione’s years
traveling the world is evident in his knowledge and experience as a dedicated
50
Itchak Tarkay, Lakeside Cafe (Summertime Suite), circa 1995, 20'' x 20'', Serigraph.
collector, dealer and gallerist and are applied as a guideline in his company’s
understanding of a traditional fine art line. The collection thus represents an
over-all standard for classic composition and cohesion in image and style.
The Park West Gallery approach to collecting, archiving, and seeing the
provenance of these works, developed over 40 years of participation in the art
business, was outlined by Scaglione at the event. Each artist represented in
the collection has a lengthy bibliography of accomplishments. Herein lies
Scaglione’s success. It is a polished cognizance for recognizing talent of the
individual artists and offering their imagery to the seasoned collector or
novice buyer at the national and international level. Scaglione’s past success
in collecting master works and understanding the role of art in contemporary
culture informs his decision-making process when signing new artists. It is
based on a polished cognizance for line - a detailed, thorough and in-depth
approach based on his company’s commitment to quality, his personal belief
in maintaining artistic integrity and discernment in selecting contemporary
art.
The 63,000 sq. ft. exhibition space was filled with art and people, making
this a unique crossover display between museum and showcase venues such
as Art Miami and this summer’s recent art fair in East Hampton NY, as a
review of current master market trends. Walls containing a retrospective of
works and the current images of the contemporary group of artists in
attendance offered the viewer space to enjoy a well-curated collection of each
artist’s body of work.
An energetic exchange of artistic visions and personal histories and ideas
among the artists made for an atmosphere sparkling with creativity. The
opportunity to meet, greet, and mingle with such a diverse group added to the
spice in the air. Second generation art dealer Mitchell Meisner reminisced
and likened the excitement of the event to the enthusiasm of the original Art
Expos where Warhol, Vasarely, Erté, Agam, Neiman, Agudelo-Botero and so
Spring 2009 / cont.
many others ushered in the modern era of collecting
art multiples. Meisner noted Scaglione’s personal
investment of interest was the key element. In art
shows, energy, momentum and excitement equate to
success. Andy Warhol called for the defining fifteen
was the day I met Mr. Albert
minutes of fame. This was more fifteen minutes Scaglione.
You don’t need many art
well articulated.
dealers. You need the best. The trick is
Upon entering, the front wall of the gallery
to find him amongst the others. There
displayed the master works. Renoir, Dali, Picasso,
and Chagall images all greeted the eye. The space
are not great artists without great
opened up to the top left balcony gallery, and in the
dealers, because, while one is
lower gallery to the right a hall of Simon Bull and
creativity, the other is it’s
Peter Max works. Further to the right, a vast room
revelation;… they can only exist in
opened to multiple display halls of all the artists’
recognizing each other and working
works. Hospitality was offered everywhere, akin to
with each other. The triumph of the
European events. A free- flow exchange of ideas
artist
will be that of the dealer, but the
instilled the ambiance if excitement in the air upon
artist will never have any limelight or
entering. This positive high energy accompanied
recognition if his dealer doesn’t bring
every phase of the event.
In speaking to Simon Bull about this new
it about. The only way for an artist to
portrait series on Muhammad Ali (Park West
exist is to be seen by others. The art
Gallery has sponsored a project of painting the life of
dealer offers this to him.”
Muhammad Ali with Simon Bull and is also the
Linda Le Kinff
exclusive representative for all signed objects and
photographs of Muhammad Ali on cruise ships
worldwide), he emphasized his enthusiasm about the
new direction of his paintings, his admiration of Ali
which he is famous.
as a person and the opportunity to capture a bit of history. The tempo of Bull’s
Romero Britto, who arrived in this country from his native Brazil, and
style, from the use of color creates an effect, that, along with a studied
became an international phenomenon in his twenties as one of the
knowledge of light as an accent, enhanced the Champ’s
mainstays of the incredibly popular Absolute Vodka advertising
portraits. Bull captured the force of the “floats like a
campaign, is an artist widely noted for his many
butterfly and stings like a bee” Ali. Well-regarded for
contributions to charitable causes. His personal interest
landscapes, unfolding flowers and musical motifs, Bull
in working with children and his Rain Forest
includes in his work a reverence for the mysterious in
preservation efforts always make him shine. Britto
life, employing a great sense of color and gesture.
spoke of his upcoming show at the Louvre where
Hungarian-born Csaba Markus delighted
he will be the youngest artist in a group exhibit this
those in attendance as he spoke of his rapport with
fall. Britto’s Pop style, influenced by Braque and
Albert Scaglione. Markus found a supporter of
Picasso, is well-recognized and continually
his dedication to beauty in the Park West Gallery
growing in stature with every new body of work.
founder. His masterful, old world, Renaissance
Comparisons to his Absolute ad-mates - Warhol,
style is offered to everyday collectors, as the works
Haring, Ron English and Scharf - are obvious and
of Rembrandt were offered to the burger-meisters of
Britto is still a very young man, a mature artistic
his day. Csaba went on to explain that in today’s
voice of importance. His works enhance many public
marketplace - where the trend may lean toward art less
places where his installations serve to lift people’s spirits
6
than beautiful - he has the opportunity to express his love Lin
00 with bright color and wonderful energy, while maintaining
d
h ,2
p
of the ethereal via his stylistic representation. Markus’ images a Le Ki
a
a connection to his signature forms.
nff, Avenir, Serigr
of mythic influences and Old World traditions comprise a pure
Since its establishment, Park West Gallery has provided fine
seriousness of composition depicting his love of feminine beauty with his artwork with a high level of dynamic creativity and quality to more than 1.2
unique line of form.
million clients in over 70 countries, helped launch the careers of scores of
Israeli artist Itzchak Tarkay, so well-known for his renditions of ladies artists and has grown to become the world’s largest dealer of fine art.
bathed in splashes of color, stylistically post-impressionistic, displayed some
With his great success, Scaglione gives back to the Detroit community via
intense works in the form of powerful landscapes. One, a solitary tree the Park West Foundation. Mitsie Scaglione brought her awareness of a need
grounded in moody color, carried the grit and emotion of the Tree of Life. to begin an outreach program for young women at risk to her husband’s
Another was bright in color with more complexity, conveying the same attention.
vibratory life force of energy as the first. Tarkay’s divergence thematically
One of its many beneficiaries, New Directions for Youth, provides a
offered insight into the depth of his psyche, accenting the collected works for support system to ease the difficult transition from foster care to a fulfilling
“THE LUCKIEST
DAY OF MY LIFE
51
Spring 2009 / cont.
Wendy Schaefer and Linda Le Kinff
Romero Britto and Charles Lee
Albert Scaglione, CEO, Park West Galleries
Lisa Grubb, Howard Behrens, Csaba Markus, Judi Behrens,
Simon Bull and Marko Mavrovich (kneeling in front of group)
Scott Jacobs, Jean-Claude Picot, Dominic
Pangborn and Peter Nixon
Alfred Gockel, Linda Le Kinff and Simon Bull
Aldo Luongo with Judi & Howard Behrens
Tim Yanke, Maggie Chen, Hua Chen, Nicky Yanke
and Marcus Glenn
Nano Lopez
Kevin Miles, James Coleman, Simon Bull, Marcus Glenn,
Alfred Gockel and Wendy Schaefer
Dick Durrstein and Scott Jacobs
52
Albert Scaglione addresses the crowd
Spring 2009 / cont.
Simon Bull, All I Need Is You, 1997, 23" x 23"
Aquatint, hand-colored with acrylic inks, pastel and hand-applied gold foil on wove paper.
Signed in pencil and numbered
life for young adults about to “age-out” of the state-sponsored support system.
Today, seventy young women who may otherwise have been forgotten are
given personal, professional guidance and unfailing accessibility to the Scaglione’s
day and night, 24/7. “We’re confident we will achieve our goal of providing a safe
environment for those most vulnerable in our community,” says Scaglione, “and
provide opportunities for these young people to attain a better life and a chance to
experience the American Dream.”
Scaglione’s dedication to the Detroit community is a fabric of the Park West
Gallery’s corporate policy. Through its artists and affiliations with universities and
organizations, Park West Gallery also supports young artists throughout the world.
For more details, visit www.parkwestgallery.com
Csaba Markus, Beau Eudoria, From the Beau Monde Suite, 2006, 8" x 5 3/4"
Hand-embellished serigraph on wood panel. Signed in gold ink and numbered.
THE LEGENDARY AGAM
philosophy.
Yaacov Gipstein - AGAM - was born
Agam’s great opportunity came in
in 1928 to an orthodox family in Rishon
1953, when he exhibited his new creations
Lezion in the costal plain south of Tel Aviv,
at the Galérie Craven, Paris, in his first
than a small, semi-rural settlement. His
one-man show. This was the first solo
father, Rabbi Yehoshua Gipstein (who
exhibition ever held totally dedicated to
devoted his life to Jewish religious learning,
“Art in Movement” and was described by
meditation and fasting) refused to register
Agam as his “artistic birth.”
He
his son in a school, because no place in a
immediately became a focus of public
religious school was available (the excellent
interest, and he soon became acknowledged
local secular school was, apparently, out of
as one of the pioneers of the new kinetic
the question). Consequently, the boy
Agam, Yaacov, Hidden Rainbow, c. 1985, 11 3/4'' x 21 1/4'', Serigraph
art and the greatest virtuoso of the group.
grew up without any formal education and
almost without the company of other children. At home, however, Ever since, Agam has created numerous works which can be seen in
Agam absorbed the heritage of Jewish spiritual values and thought all parts of the world. Although they show a great variety of artistic
and was particularly attracted to Jewish mystic lore and Kabbalistic content, from, style, technique and materials, all are marked by the
studies as practiced by his father, the learned rabbi. Agam considers same constant features, which are characteristic of his creative
himself as his spiritual continuant in his devotion to the study of these mentality, joie de vivre and spiritual training.
values. This heritage remains at the core of much of Agam’s artistic
53
April 15, 2009
EDITORIAL
3PHFSµT3JHIU$PSOFS
Commentary By
Roger Cathcart
Its' the People You Meet!
cruise is a great way to get away
and meet new people.
The cruise we recently took was
on my favourite line – Norwegian – and was
out of the great winter cruise hub of Miami,
an amazing port with great numbers of
cruise ships leaving most days.
Our ship was the Norwegian Jewel, a
fairly new vessel as luxurious as they make
them. The cruise consultant spent a lot of
her time in the nine-day run promoting
future cruises, including a $100 credit to
those signing up for a $250 deposit for a
future cruise. A lot of people took advantage
of the offer.
The Jewel was full with about 2,500
guests and over a thousand staff, with a lot
of them from eastern Europe and the
Philippines, but also from other places in the
world. Most don’t make a lot of money but
are well looked after and make a lot on tips.
The first two people I met were two
Welsh guys, both steelworker retirees who
had the unusual job of looking after the
floors on this and other ships, checking
A
54
ii
themi ford cleanliness,
wear and tear, and to
be sure no one would slip and fall or receive
any injuries.
They told me that they mainly worked in
late hours and for a contractor who flew
them around the world and paid for their
accommodation, food and travel, plus a
decent salary. The cruise lines obviously
pay for this service, and they enjoyed the
work even though the hours were long and
they were well past retirement age.
I chatted with a number of waiters and
waitresses, including a young man from the
Philippines who said he was very interested
in convincing his wife to immigrate to
Canada. He spoke good English and said he
was a hard worker. I agreed that he would
make a good Canadian.
The most interesting people were the Park
West Art Auction people – a fixture on
Norwegian lines – whose job was to sell art
from the largest gallery in the world.
This was the third cruise with an
auctioneer and his/her assistants, and they
surely are the best even though it was a
tough sell as a lot of people were not
bidding in spite of a lot of low beginning
prices.
The head guy was a young and enthusiastic
man named Trevor Johnson from Houston,
Texas. Trevor had worked in other capacities
on cruise ships, but said he really liked this
job.
He had learned about art and the artists
while on the job, but his knowledge is
impressive and you would swear he had a
degree in fine arts. He is also very articulate
– a true auctioneer – and really works at
getting the bids and selling the paintings.
His main assistant was Etienne, a white
South African. He and I discussed the
present dangers of being a white person in
this dangerous country. He told me that his
mother still lives there but had lost her
business, and the last time he visited he was
held up and robbed. Etienne does not plan
April 15, 2009 Page 11 The Reminder
to return to his native country but will go
elsewhere – a wise decision.
Trevor’s second assistant was a Serbian
named Aggy. He told me he had been in
Canada but was sent away when his visa
expired. He hopes to get an American visa
and then apply to become a Canadian. Let’s
hope he makes it.
One other person of interest was a
Canadian passenger from Calgary, a
manager in the oil patch. His company had
promoted him and sent him to manage in
the oil industry of Siberia. He had traveled
back and forth but married a Siberian girl
and has actually been living there. He told
me the oil industry was not doing well and
he had recently been forced to lay off 300
Siberians and five Canadians – a painful
experience.
By the way, a few tips for cruising that
this writer has learned. First, do not eat as
much as the others, as there is food, food,
food everywhere and anytime, and you will
surely gain unwanted pounds.
Secondly, work out in the great workout
rooms to stay in shape and keep the pounds
off. Thirdly, bring lots of money, as
everything is costly and designed to separate
the passenger from his cash – drink prices
are even much higher than in Manitoba!
Fourthly, if you are driving home do not
go through International Falls and Fort
Francis on the route to Kenora. We had to
because of the floods, but never again! The
border crossing has an outrageous toll
bridge, about 100 feet of old steel at a cost
for cars of $6 and more for trucks. The
roads are brutal, confusing and slow right up
to the Manitoba border. I can’t imagine a
worse way to get back to Canada!
Roger’s Right Corner runs Wednesdays.
April 2009
Going Once …
Going Twice …
Buying art at sea with confidence
Art auctions at sea have become
one of the most talked-about
activities on cruise ships around the
world. Many passengers are
introduced to the idea of collecting
fine art for the first time at these
glamorous onboard events. The
paintings and prints on display are
beautiful; the auctioneers are
informative and engaging. But
how can newcomers to art get past
their initial reluctance to
participate?
Savvy shoppers can now have fun
at the auctions and purchase works
of art with more confidence than
ever before thanks to an enhanced
customer satisfaction guarantee
introduced by Park West Gallery,
the cruise industry leader in art
auctions at sea. One of the largest
art dealerships in the world based
on unit sales, Park West Gallery has
been in business for 40 years. Park
West Gallery guarantees the quality
and authenticity for every work
sold — as the company has done
for 40 years.
“Since our founding in 1969,
we’ve had the pleasure of
providing fine art to more than 1.2
55
April 2009 / cont.
million people through our land and sea
auctions and our gallery,” said Albert
Scaglione, Park West Gallery founder and
chief executive officer. “Customers have
always been able to purchase art and
collectables with confidence at Park West
Gallery.”
Park West Gallery’s collection includes
works by such popular living artists as
Peter max, Romero Britto, Itzchak Tarkay,
Thomas Kinkade, Scott Jacobs, JeanClaude Picot, Alfred Gockel, Csaba
Markus, Yaacov Agam, Marcus Glenn, and
Dominic Pangborn, as well as historic
works by Picasso, Chagall, Dali,
Rembrandt, Renoir, and other great
masters.
“More than 90 percent of the works we
sell are by living artists our customers can
meet and interact with on their cruises,”
said Scaglione. “Acquiring beautiful
objects for your home created by talented
people you actually learn from face-toface is especially rewarding. We have
thousands of clients who have told us the
experiences interacting with the artists
are among the most enjoyable of their
lives. That’s the greatest compliment we
and the cruise operators can receive.”
More information about Park West
Gallery and its customer satisfaction
policy can be found on the company’s
Web site at www.parkwestgallery.com.
56
March 2009
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Peek inside the personal collection of Park West Gallery's director.
WRITTEN BY KHRISTI ZIMMETH | PHOTOGRAPHS BY GENE MEADOWS
A large work by Marc Chagall hangs
in the front hall of Morris and
MaryAnn Shapiro’s Novi home.
“It’s definitely one of my
favorites,” the 56-year-old Park West
Gallery says of Le Mariage, a 1976
aquatint framed in black that depicts
a traditional Jewish wedding. “We
bought it for each other as a wedding
gift.”
A tour of the Shapiros’
contemporary home reveals more
than 100 other works, all with
personal meaning. Hanging over the
living-room sofa is a large
contemporary piece by Miro; and
nearby, the small gold-framed
Portrait of Jan Lutman the Goldsmith
is by Rembrandt. In the family room,
a large piece by Detroit artist Marcus
Glenn hangs over the fireplace.
Other walls hold a Matisse-like
drawing, works by 1998 World Cup
artist Linda LeKinff and mysterious
and otherworldly images by New
York artist Robert Kipness. Many
share Shapiro’s Jewish heritage.
“I don’t have a traditional art
collection, per se,” he explains. “I’m
immersed in art. My collection is
eclectic and based on personal
experiences and relationships with
artists. Each means something
special to me.”
Working with Southfield’s
63,000-square-foot Park West
Gallery has enabled Shapiro to meet
many of the artists whose work now
hangs in the home he shares with
MaryAnn and 14-year-old daughter
Amanda. Three other children –
Mia, Myles and Mason – are grown.
A family portrait by artist Peter Max
hangs over the living room’s grand
piano, and a tour of his collection is
sprinkled with stories and
reminiscences of artists he has been
fortunate enough to meet and work
with.
Working directly with artists is
one of the best parts of the job, he
says, and a dream since he was a
child. Shapiro grew up in Chicago
in the 1950s and ‘60s. His mother,
he says, decorated the house with
gaudy French Provincial furniture
and accessories. “It was really
hideous,” he remembers. “There
was no art on the walls, so I made my
own. I drew and painted in part to
rebel against my parents.”
Thumbing through a book on the
Holy Land one day in his parents’
library, he came across a woodcut of
Adam and Eve by Albrecht Durer. “I
was mesmerized by the contours and
lines and Durer’s use of space,” he
says. “From that moment on, I was
smitten.”
He eventually followed Durer
into drawing, going on to study at
the Minneapolis College of Art and
Design. While there, he shifted his
emphasis from studio art to art
history and art criticism, later
working at the Minneapolis Institute
of Arts before returning to the Windy
City to pursue another passion –
music.
After playing the drums
professionally for a time, Shapiro
took a position as gallery director for
Chicago’s Merrill Chase Galleries,
where he worked from 1977-1983.
Park West Gallery director Morris Shapiro sits with his wife, MaryAnn, in
front of the painting Family Portrait, a gift from artist Peter Max.
Contemporary artist Igor Medvedev, whose quietly elegant Late Fishing
hangs above a cherry-wood Ello sideboard in the dining room of Morris
and MaryAnn Shapiro’s Novi home, says that his work is about capturing
“visual miracles.”
57
March 2009 / cont.
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Above, left; Shapiro suggests rotating the artwork in your house: “It helps to revisit the works and refresh the
home,” he says. Currently in the prized spot above the fireplace is Harmony of Equilibriums Flow by Marcus
Glenn, an African-American Southfield artist. Shapiro, a musician, and Glenn have visited jazz clubs together in
Detroit, where Glenn has sketched Shapiro in a series of his paintings. Above, right: In this 1656 etching,
Rembrandt depicts Jan Lutma, a well-known goldsmith at the time whose son presumably studied with
Rembrandt. “Rembrandt sought a psychological portraiture,” says Shapiro. “He wanted to convey the inner
personality of the sitter, not just a likeness.”
In 1983, he came to Detroit to head Park West’s retail gallery, where he’s been
ever since.
After 25 years, he’s still passionate about the company’s philosophy of
bringing art to the public.
“In many ways, art has been taken away from the people and made less
accessible,” he says. “It’s gratifying to be able to swing the pendulum back to
allow people to experience art firsthand.”
While Shapiro is serious about his art, not all of his
art is serious. Another favorite piece in his collection is a drawing by animator
Chuck Jones, dedicated to daughter Amanda. “It was really neat to meet
him,” Shapiro says.
While eclectic, Shapiro says his collection reflects his interests and life.
He’s passionate about reading, writing and music. He loves to travel to
Europe and the family’s second home in Scottsdale, Ariz. He participates in
jazz jam sessions whenever possible and is currently collaborating with
Amanda, a burgeoning singer-songwriter, on her first demo recording. He
enjoys spending his time with his first grandchild, Matthew.
A member of Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield, Shapiro also is
passionate about his family and his faith. He believes it “is about being
appreciative of the blessings I have in life, the sanctity of family, the observance
of and passing on of tradition,” he says. “My religion also provides for me a
perspective of how short life is, how miniscule and insignificant we are, how
God’s creations are miraculous and infinite and how fortunate [we are] for
every day we are given. Each day is a gift of inestimable value.”
He believes others interested in collecting art should follow the same
philosophy, allowing art to enhance their life, not just their wallets.
“Knowing what you like is the entrance into the art world,” he says.
“People should buy art because they love it. It should be collected for its
emotional and spiritual benefits, not its financial benefits. It’s really the only
way to go.”
58
Above; Morris Shapiro sits in front of Le Marriage by Marc Chagall, a wedding
gift Shapiro and his wife, MaryAnn, gave to each other. “The couple stands
together under the chuppah and surrounding them is a visual feast of celebration – dancers, musicians, friends, family and children,” says Shapiro. “His
drawing talent was one of Chagall’s greatest gifts, and this work, absent of
color, focuses the viewer on his extraordinary draftsmanship.”
Two lithographs by Robert Kipness, gifts from the artist, are displayed
in the light-strewn powder room. “They take on a dreamy, déjà-vu
quality, and you have to take time to look at them,” says Shapiro.
September 25, 2008
in WDIV-TV (NBC – Detroit) “Vote 4 the Best” contest
SOUTHFIELD, MI. – Park West Gallery has been named
the Best Art Gallery in metro Detroit in the WDIV-TV 4 (NBC –
Detroit) “Vote 4 the Best” contest.
Celebrating its 40th year in business, Park West Gallery features
artwork by many of today’s greatest living artists such as Peter
Max, Itzachak Tarkay, Thomas Kinkade and Yaacov Agam, as
well as masters such as Picasso, Chagall, Dali and Rembrandt.
Park West Gallery also features art works by metro Detroit artists
Dominic Pangborn and Marcus Glenn.
“Customers have always been able to purchase fine art and
collectables with confidence at Park West Gallery,” said Albert
Scaglione, founder and chief executive officer. “Being voted
the best art gallery in metro Detroit further shows the positive
experiences of our thousands of clients.”
“Vote 4 the Best” is a promotional contest and city guide
conducted by WDIV-TV’s website ClickonDetroit.com and
CityVoter.com that profiles local businesses and allows
consumers to vote for their favorites in dozens of categories.
CityVoter.com allows consumers to share their insight on a city
with information, ratings and reviews.
Park West Gallery (www.parkwestgallery.com) is located at 29469
Northwestern, Southfield, MI.
Selling approximately 300,000 works of art each year, Park West
Gallery is one of the world's largest art dealers. The company
conducts auctions across the United States, Canada and other
locations worldwide, as well as at sea on cruise ships around the
world. The Park West Gallery collection includes oil and acrylic
paintings, watercolors and drawings, hand-signed limited edition
etchings, lithographs, serigraphs, and hand embellished graphic
works, as well as animation art and selected sports memorabilia.
Park West Gallery’s research and catalog departments are among the
most respected in the world. In addition to Park West's Gallery's
63,000 square foot headquarters gallery in Southfield, MI., the
company operates a gallery, framing and distribution center in its
181,000 square foot facility in Miami Lakes, FL.
59
Spring, 2009
centralight
Art
Giving
for all
BY BARBARA SUTHERLAND CHOVANEC
Gallery owner spreads joy of appreciation
Albert Scaglione wants to make art
accessible to everyone.
How to buy fine art
Albert Scaglione, founder and owner
of Park West Gallery, offers these tips
for a positive art-buying experience.
Let your own taste drive you. Buy
what you like, not what someone else
says you should like.
Do your research. Find out about the
artist, if the price seems logical,
whether or not there have been
previous owners and where the art
has been displayed.
Know who you’re dealing with
– the artist or the company. Be sure
the people who are selling your art to
you know what they’re talking about.
Consider an appraiser. They have the
resources to do research for you.
Enjoy your choice. You should
experience joy – an uplifting feeling.
To help achieve this, the founder of Park
West Gallery in Southfield donates art to
universities, including a significant gift
to CMU, to create what he calls “living
museums.”
“It’s invigorating – the idea that we can
get more people exposed to art,”
Scaglione says.
Scaglione has been in the art dealership
business for 40 years. Park West Gallery, the
largest independently owned gallery of fine
art in the world, conducts fine art auctions
throughout the U.S. and Canada and aboard
cruise ships around the world.
A scientist by training, Scaglione’s
distinguished art gallery career began on an
unconventional path.
After earning a doctorate in engineering
in the 1960s, he taught mechanical
engineering at Wayne State University
and conducted magneto hydrodynamics
research for space travel projects
underwritten by NASA. When these
projects ended and Scaglione sought a new
career, he turned to his fond memories of
a summer job in his cousin’s art gallery in
New Jersey, stretching, framing and hanging
paintings.
Scaglione’s love of art and galleries led
him and his wife, Mitsie, to build Park West
Gallery and begin hosting art auctions
wherever they could – in churches, hotels
and public spaces.
“Our business model has been to get the
art to the people,” Scaglione says. “We very
much love to be the people who teach you
and introduce you to art.”
A deeply religious man, Scaglione also
is committed to serving his community
and has established the Park West Gallery
Foundation, which helps female wards of
the court in the Detroit area with medical,
counseling and legal needs.
“We feel blessed to be in this community,”
he says. “There’s a huge amount of joy
wrapped up in helping others.”
PHOTO BY ROBERT
BARCLAY
Scaglione, indeed, exudes joy. He’s able
to help people in need, live in the Detroit
community that he loves and share the
pleasures of art. r
30
60
centralight spring ’09
Decmeber 18, 2008
Park West Gallery CEO Albert Scaglione
delivers commencement address at Central
Michigan University – receives honorary Ph.D.
Park West Gallery Founder and Chief Executive Officer inspires students with
message of “the four C’s” of success
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. –
Albert Scaglione,
founder and chief executive officer of Park West
Gallery, was awarded an honorary Doctor of
Commercial Science by Central Michigan
University (CMU) at commencement ceremonies
on December 13. Scaglione also delivered the
commencement address to graduating seniors,
inspiring students with what he described as “the
four C’s” of recruiting and relationships for success.
Scaglione holds a Bachelor of Science in
Mechanical Engineering from the New Jersey
Institute of Technology and a Master of Science
and Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical
Engineering from Michigan State University. He
taught mechanical engineering sciences at Wayne
State University and conducted aeronautical
research funded by NASA early in his career
before deciding to transition to the world of art.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Park West
Gallery is one of the world’s largest art dealers,
selling approximately 300,000 works of art each
year and employing more than 700 people.
“It is a great honor to be selected by Central
Michigan University to speak to graduating
seniors and help inspire them to pursue their
dreams,” said Scaglione. “I also am deeply
grateful to receive an honorary degree by one of
Michigan’s premier educational institutions.”
CMU Board of Trustees Chairman Jeff
Caponigro said, “Albert Scaglione is an
inspiring success story – an entrepreneur who
has had the vision and determination to create
one of the most successful businesses in
Michigan.”
Scaglione has been a supporter of Central
Michigan University for many years, donating
numerous pieces of artwork. CMU President
Michael Rao said, “Albert Scaglione’s efforts
have made a tremendous impact to help
beautify the Central Michigan University
campus.”
Scaglione’s message to the graduating
seniors included “the four C’s” that are critical
when looking for a job and being successful at
it. The first “C” stands for “calling,” -- “You
have to make sure you have a calling for the
position you have, or are seeking. Even if your
first job is at McDonald’s making hamburgers,
you have to convince yourself that, at that point in
your life, you are called to that job, and will be as
good as you can be at it.” The second “C” stands
for “character” -- “You need to demonstrate to your
potential employer and those you will work with,
that you are a person of character by being a
person of character.
You need to be
honest – always –
and carry yourself
with the highest
integrity.” The third
“C” is for “chemistry”
– “No one wants to
hire or work with
someone who they
can’t get along with.
Have a positive
attitude, be a team
player and work well
with others.” The fourth “C” stands for
“competency” -- “I’ve listed it last because there
are a lot of competent people who are not
successful in what they do because they don’t
recognize the value of the other three C’s, and they
fail to develop them. Regarding all of the “C’s,”
they are lifelong processes to be developed. You’ve
likely learned a lot here at CMU that will help you,
but you must continue to learn as much as you can
when you leave here; you must further hone and
develop these skills.”
Scaglione also told the graduates about the
“importance of having faith and believing in
something bigger and more powerful than you.”
He said it doesn’t matter which religion might be
followed, but it’s important to have deep faith that
can provide some guidance and strength every
day and in difficult times.
61
August 28, 2008
Park West Gallery Foundation Sponsors Memorable Visit to Louisville's
Muhammad Ali Center
SOUTHFIELD, Mich., August 28
A special group of Detroit-area young women and
men enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience
of meeting Muhammad Ali in person thanks to an
educational program sponsored by Southfield’s
Park West Foundation in association with Park West
Gallery. Park West Gallery founder Albert Scaglione
and his wife Mitsie accompanied the young
Detroiters to Louisville last week to visit with the
international boxing legend at the city’s acclaimed
Muhammad Ali Center.
“Muhammad Ali, perhaps more than any other
living celebrity, represents a universal standard of
personal excellence, dignity and achievement,” said
Scaglione. “He is an inspiration to the world, and
our young friends are returning with stories and
motivation that will last a lifetime.”
The young women and men - - Jewel Rich 19,
Latasha Posey 19, Dayanna Holland-Womack 14,
Calisia Clinkscale 19, Shaina Riser 19, Steve Curry
18, Dondraill Thomas 17, Derica Clinkscale 18,
Latoya Posey 18 — who are aging out of foster care
and are beneficiaries of Park West Foundation’s
FAMILY project, did not go to Louisville empty
handed. They, along with their mentors Saba Gebrai
and Weusi Olusola, presented Muhammad Ali with
an award expressing their thanks and admiration
for the Olympic Gold Medal winner and three-time
heavyweight champion of the world.
“It was emotional to watch the movie about his life,”
said Latasha Posey. “It was great that he didn’t give
up. He kept fighting for what he believed in and
that’s what he said to us, never give up.”
“It was inspiring, moving and educational for each
and every youth to embody the message of finding
the greatness within through the spiritual journey of
the life and work of Muhammad Ali,” said Gebrai.
“I was simply in awe to be in his presence. We are
grateful to him, his wife Loni and the Muhammad
Ali Center for their gracious reception of our youth
from Detroit.”
Albert Scaglione has gifted and lent several
®
paintings by Park West Gallery artists Simon
Bull and Peter Max, along with rare Ali signed
62
A group of Detroit-area young women and men enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience of meeting Muhammad Ali in person
through the Park West Foundation in association with Park West Gallery. Park West Gallery founder Albert Scaglione and his
wife Mitsie accompanied the young Detroiters to Louisville to visit with the international boxing legend at the city's acclaimed
Muhammad Ali Center
photographs to the Center. “We anticipate that
over time these important works - - which
celebrate a man who has lived as a champion
inside and outside the boxing ring - - will become
part of this extraordinary Center’s permanent
art collection.”
Visitors to the 60,000 square-foot museum and
learning center, which opened in 2005, are able to
view a selection of Ali-inspired art in a dedicated
Part West Gallery exhibit area. Featured are a
number of Ali action portraits by famed British
artist Simon Bull, each signed by Ali and Bull. “The
chance to both portray a legend and have him sign
your work is a dream most artists never have the
opportunity to fulfill,” said Bull.
The Park West Foundation is a not-for-profit
organization founded in 2005 by Park West Gallery
founder and CEO Albert Scaglione and his wife
Mitsie as a way to give back to their community.
Among the many initiatives of the Park West
Foundation is the FAMILY project. The FAMILY
project provides young people about to “age out” of
Foster care with a safe, loving, family environment
as well as mentoring, resources, and opportunities
that will help these young people move toward
productive and fulfilling adult lives. The Park West
Foundation is funded mainly through financial
contributions and donations of art.
®
Park West Gallery , one of the world's largest art
dealers by unit sales, conducts fine art auctions
across the United States and Canada. Park
West Gallery also conducts art auctions at sea
on 85 cruise ships around the world. In addition
to its 63,000 square foot world headquarters,
main gallery and fine art conservation facility in
Southfield, Michigan, Park West Gallery operates a
181,000 square foot framing and distribution center
in Miami Lakes, Florida, and maintains a catalog
sales business. Park West Gallery pioneered a
unique business model in the world of art auctions.
At the Park West Gallery Fine Art auctions, nearly 90
percent of the art work offered comes directly from
the studios of living artists. Park West Gallery is
well-known for having brought the art work of many
of the world’s leading artists, including M.C. Escher,
Victor Vasarely, Yaacov Agam, Peter Max, Romero
Britto, and Itzchak Tarkay, to a broad audience of
art collectors from all over the globe. Park West
Gallery’s extensive relationships with artists and
its ability to reach art enthusiasts around the world
helps generate sales of more than 100,000 works
of fine art each year. During 40 years in business,
Park West Gallery has brought the world of fine art
to over 1.2 million clients in more than 60 countries.
August 13, 2008
Park West Gallery sponsors Cornerstone Schools event
year more than ever, Cornerstone needs Cornerstone seeks to achieve the following:
at Comerica Park This
the help of the community to re-enroll their an excellent education for 1,131 children
students this fall. One hundred percent of the
donation goes to the Cornerstone Scholarship
fund. Many of the parents whose children now
attend Cornerstone are at or below the poverty
line and have been negatively impacted by the
economic conditions in the city.
Most of the parents work two jobs to cover
the cost of their child's education. All parents
must pay something towards their's child's
tuition regardless of their financial means. A
donation to Cornerstone's Scholarship fund
fills the financial gap.
DETROIT, Sept. 5
PRNewswire-USNewswire
On Monday, September 8th,
Cornerstone Schools and the Detroit Tigers
will host the 3rd annual Be A Tiger For Kids
event at Comerica Park. This notable event
is a thank you to thousands across various
communities in and around metropolitan
Detroit who have helped to provide an
excellent education to 1,131 children who
attend Cornerstone Schools.
Cornerstone Schools encourage those from the
community to donate at CornerstoneSchools.
org and help to change a life and create a
new city for all through education excellence.
As a thank you for qualifying donations one
will receive entry to the Rock 'n Roar pre-game
party on September 8th, a fun family event
with food, entertainment, games provided and
tickets to the 7:05 pm Tigers vs. Oakland A's
ball game. The Cornerstone choir will sing the
national anthem and thank the thousands of
supporters on hand sporting bright orange tee
shirts. "It is quite the visual. We are fortunate
to have the support of so many from the
various communities in and around Detroit;
however, we have yet to reach our financial
goals for the 2008/2009 school year. We need
help from the community to continue with our
mission to educate the children of the city.
As individuals there is nothing greater one
can do than to change a life and provide a
child with a future," says Clark Durant, CEO,
Cornerstone Schools.
Cornerstone Schools are high performing
faith based independent schools in Detroit.
Through the support of the community,
Cornerstone children, a broad and beloved
community of friends to surround these
children with excellent role models and
supporters who can help provide scholarship
assistance so our current children can reenroll this fall, and a sustainable model that
will drive change for excellence in the larger
system.
The Be A Tiger For Kids event is sponsored
by over 30 corporate sponsors which
include; AT&T, Beaumont Hospitals, Big
Boy, Cargill, Cunnington Family Foundation,
Detroit Medical Center, DTE Energy, Fisher &
Company, GM, ITC Holdings Corp., Masco
Corporation, Meijer, MTU Detroit Diesel,
National City, National Logistics Management,
Park West Galleries, Price Waterhouse
Coopers LLP, William Pulte, Richard Helppie,
Shuert Enterprises, Soave Enterprises,
The Broad Foundation, Weldaloy, Yazaki
and others.
63
August, 2008
Art World News
A UGUST 2008
Park West Marks 40th Anniversary
®
INTERNATIONAL
ARTEXPO MIAMI TO
LAUNCH IN DECEMBER
PARK WEST GALLERY
INTRODUCES 40-40-40
POLICY, AN ENHANCED
CUSTOMER
SATISFACTION
possessed
by
GUARANTEE
The International
foremostArtexpo
skill
Miami
all successful art businesses is the
undeniable ability to nurture a
West Gallery
relationship between a collector and a
wonderful piece of art. Regardless of
the size and scope of each business, this
is a requirement if the firm wishes to
flourish as a seller of art.
This point was made emphatically
for me last month while attending
the anniversary celebration of Park
West Gallery's 40 years in business.
In attendance were nearly four dozen
artists who traveled from around the
world to celebrate the achievement,
as well as collectors and staff who are
boundlessly dedicated to sharing art
with the public. The ongoing story of
the firm's success is grounded in what
makes our industry great—our ability
to enrich the lives of others through art.
The company's story is as unique as it
is topical because Park West is an art
business that is dealing with the same
challenges that all galleries face. Their
response to the market is derived from
their philosophy and their commitment
to art and the artists they sell. Hence,
I have extended an invitation to Albert
Scaglione, founder and CEO of Park
West to share with our readers his
perspective and insight on what has
made his company prosper in the past
and to identify what he sees as the
drivers of success in the future. John
Haffey, Publisher, Art World News.
Park
Bottom row, from left: Simon Bull, Jay Lefkowitz, Mark Kanovich, Victor Spahn, David Najar,
Alfred Gockel, Marko Mavrovich, and Dominic Pangborn. Middle row, from left: Wendy
Schaffer, Anatole Krasnyansky, Holland Berkley, Albert Scaglione, Itzchak Tarkay, Morry Shapiro,
Csaba Markus, Noah, and Toby Bluth. Top row, from left: Harrison Ellenshaw, Hua Chen, Peter
Nixon, Alexander Chen, Kevin Miles, Yuval Wolfson, Jean-Claude Picot, Lisa Grubb, Nano Lopez,
Fanch Ledan, Debra Tritico, James Coleman, Charles Lee, Yolanda Glenn, Marcus Glenn, Dick
Duerrstein, Andrew Bone, Tom Murray, and Howard Behrens.
AWN: What was your original vision
for Park West Gallery back in 1969?
Albert Scaglione: Our mission—and
I call it a mission because we approach
our business with great passion and
purpose—is the same today as it was
40 years ago. We were convinced that
introducing fine art into the lives of
people who did not live in New York,
Los Angeles, or other major markets
with a strong presence of galleries and
auction houses would be a successful
and rewarding business. So that's what
we did and continue to do through our
galleries and land and sea auctions.
AWN: From the start you reached out
to artists, as well as to customers, to
build lasting relationships. Was that
central to your mission?
AS: Absolutely. Most people are
surprised to learn that more than 90%
of the art we offer represents works
by living artists that we represent
directly—talented individuals from all
over the world we consider part of our
Park West family. Strong relationships
between dealer and artist are certainly
not new, but what we have nurtured over
four decades is enduring relationships
between our artists and customers.
It is not unusual for our clients to
have met and discussed the art they
purchase with the artist who created
it. Historically that was an experience
enjoyed by only the wealthiest of art
patrons. Extending that opportunity to
1.2 million clients has been one of our
proudest accomplishments.
continued on next page
64
August, 2008 / cont.
Art World News
A UGUST 2008
Park West Marks 40th Anniversary continued
AWN: Please name some of your living and expertise. So as art dealers who
artists.
have built our reputations and earned
INTERNATIONAL
PARK WEST GALLERY
ARTEXPO MIAMI TO
INTRODUCES 40-40-40
trust over many years, our challenge
AS: LAUNCH
The photograph
atANour
IN DECEMBER taken
POLICY,
ENHANCED
event (above) shows the CUSTOMER
more than is to distinguish ourselves as much as
International Artexpo
SATISFACTION
40 artists
in our 40th possible by staying close to our artists,
Miami who participatedGUARANTEE
providing real-world experiences to
anniversary celebration.
Park
maximize the joy of purchasing and
West Gallery
living with fine art. So we have a terrific
AWN: How large a part of your opportunity to humanize the experience
business are the auctions at sea?
by bringing people together with
AS: They have grown to be a very people—beyond the computer screen.
important part of our business. Every
month we sell thousands of works of AWN: With so much information—
art to customers on many cruise lines accurate and inaccurate—out their
around the globe. In fact, the cruise in cyberspace, how do you earn and
environment could be the ideal gallery maintain customer confidence?
situation. There isn't a dealer anywhere
who wouldn't want the opportunity to AS: After 40 years in business, time
interact with and inform clients in a is certainly on our side. You don't stay
relaxed setting, during multiple visits alive, let alone grow over that long a
over many days. The typical cruise is period of time if you are not delivering
seven or more days, during which time value, building relationships, and
we connect clients with artists and our earning people's confidence. But
experts. It's a wonderful experience we never stop trying to improve the
because at sea the dealer can almost customer experience. For example,
step away to allow the bonding that as we enter the fifth decade, we are
occurs between artists and artwork and introducing an enhanced customer
satisfaction guarantee. We believe
client.
this goes above and beyond any other
guarantee in the industry, and are
AWN: In 40 years what has been the convinced this will make the Park
biggest change in your business and our West purchasing experience even more
industry?
worry-free than it's been over the last
AS: The Internet, without a doubt. And four decades.
it's been both a blessing and a curse.
Digital communication empowers us AWN: What in your opinion are the
to reach millions of people and inform most difficult challenges facing art
them about art like never before. But the dealers and auction houses over the
online world can be like the Wild, Wild short term?
West sometimes, with anybody saying
anything about anything. There are few AS: Clearly we are in a very challenging
checks on accuracy, accountability, economic environment right now, and
we in the art world are not immune
from these forces. This puts an even
higher importance on staying with
quality, getting artists out in front of the
customer—in person, through video,
online—and delivering an enjoyable,
inspiring experience.
AWN: What's on the horizon as far as
customer taste?
AS: I have seen increasing enthusiasm
for artists who express themselves
effectively in multiple mediums. Clients
form a relationship and fondness for an
artist's paintings and want to see how
the artist expresses himself or herself
through sculpture, watercolor, etching,
lithography, serigraphy, or other media.
The artists with the greatest range are
thriving.
AWN: You have seen and experienced
a lot over 40 years, but what has been
your greatest satisfaction?
AS: The knowledge that we have
brought a new way of life to people
who may never have experienced the
joy of collecting fine art without the
relationship they've formed with Park
West. I have seen tears in the eyes
of clients from all walks of life who
express to me the enthusiasm they now
have for theatre, museums, and other
pursuits that were not a part of their
lives before we sparked an interest in
and nurtured a love for art. There are
many stories like that make me feel
very good about the last 40 years and
optimistic about the years to come.
65
July 17, 2008
Park West Gallery Receives
2008 Best of Southfield Award
®
U.S. Local Business Association’s Award Plaque Honors the Achievement
WASHINGTON D.C., July 17, 2008 -- Park West Gallery has been selected for the 2008
Best of Southfield Award in the Art Galleries & Dealers category by the U.S. Local Business
Association (USLBA).
®
The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that they believe have
achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category.
These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service
to their customers and community.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each
category. The 2008 USLBA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USLBA and data provided
by third parties.
About U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA)
U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded
by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of
USLBA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.
The USLBA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community.
Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional
associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups.
Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.
66
June 5, 2008
At 80, Yaacov Agam still vibrant with his artwork and other ideas
DETROIT (JTA) — It would be easy to characterize
Yaacov Agam as a painter in the twilight of his career.
he said. "It was in the past and
never changing.”
The celebrated Israeli artist, who turned 80 last
month, is focused on preserving his legacy of great
public works and building an eponymous museum
in his birthplace, Rishon LeZion. Agam is set in his
ways and topics he wants to discuss, and he hires the
same French-speaking limousine driver whenever he
visits the United States.
The concept was at odds with
the kabbalistic upbringing by his
father, Rabbi Yehoshua Gibstein,
the author of several books on
Jewish spirituality who also was
known to doodle on napkins.
But that would be a superficial dismissal of the artist,
who like his surname, the Hebrew word for “lake,”
shimmers with infinite ideas beneath the surface.
For starters, he says, “I don’t feel 80. And anyway, 80
in the Talmud corresponds to strength.”
The dark moustache of his youth has given way to
a long white beard, but the deeply spiritual Agam
remains serious, sharp and agile. He is at work on
a show to be unveiled in his adopted city of Paris in
October that he promises is “completely new.”
Agam also has been jet-setting to birthday parties in
his honor in Miami, Detroit and New York City, where
on Monday the French and Israeli consulates held a
joint event in honor of Israel’s 60th anniversary and
“80 years of Agam.”
He also aspires to win a Nobel Prize for an awardwinning educational program he developed that
strengthens visual skills and memory in preschool
children. Many schools across Israel have
implemented the Agam Smarts program.
In visual cognition tests conducted by the Weizmann
Institute of Science in Rehovot, children were asked
to identify shapes in complex drawings. Those who
participated in the exercises outperformed those who
did not.
“This will be my greatest contribution, as important
as my artwork,” Agam said. “Because if we can learn
a new way to see, we can unleash creativity, and
creativity brings solutions to the world.”
His own creations run counter to the time-bound
nature of most artworks he saw as a young man.
Viewing a painting was like “looking at a gravestone,"
Agam married a basic premise
of Jewish mysticism -- that one
never stops transforming as long
as one is alive -- to kinetic art,
a movement that incorporates Yaacov Agam
motion into artistic expression. The
movement, which has existed since the early 20th
century, is best represented in the larger art world by
sculptor Alexander Calder.
Among Agam’s greatest works reflecting this aesthetic
are the monumental fountain integrating sculpture,
light and the musical orchestration of water jets in La
Defense, Paris’ business district; the Dizengoff Plaza
fountain of water, fire and music in Tel Aviv; and
countless “Agamographs,” many of them containing
Jewish subject matter, which present different images
depending on the viewing angle.
The works all contain the colors of the rainbow, a
universal image that Agam has called God’s first gift
of art to man.
Not everyone agrees that Agam’s oeuvre will stand
the test of time. Some critics contend that Agam has
made a career of one idea and never evolved, while
others call it a fertile concept that has sustained him
for more than 60 years of making art.
“I think he’s a stone genius,” said Morris Shapiro, the
gallery director at ParkWest Gallery in Southfield,
Mich., which has exhibited and sold Agam for
decades, and also hosted a birthday party for him
May 18 in Detroit. “He took up the thread of aesthetics
that had been cast aside by conceptual artists such as
Marcel DuChamp, added the dimensions of time and
space, and taken painting to another level.”
®
Agam has an ardent following among Jews
and non-Jews. Dr. Steven Eisen of Las Vegas
and his wife, Stacey, own 12 Agamographs.
Eisen's appreciation of the artist’s work
is twofold.
“I like the dynamism and the painstaking effort of
using hundreds of different colors -- that’s what
catches my eye," Eisen said. "I also like the Jewish
symbols represented. They mean something to us.
It’s certainly nice to have Jewish references in our art
collection.”
The Eisens, active synagogue-goers, are considering
building a larger home because they are running out
of wall space.
Chris Cameron, of Beverly Hills, Mich., who is a
Christian, owns nine Agam works of various sizes
and shapes, including two paintings with movable
pieces, and an Agam necklace made up of nine
concentric circles that can be taken apart and
rearranged.
Cameron says she is intrigued not only by Agam’s
intellect, but also his religious beliefs.
“I’ve gained an appreciation of his religion through
his art,” she says. “There’s a lot more going on in the
painting than what meets the eye initially.”
Such comments would seem to mirror Agam’s
understanding of his own work.
“Central to Judaism is its emphasis on life, and the
only constant in life is change,” the artist said. “This
is what I’ve incorporated into my art, and today’s
society is finally starting to understand this.”
67
June 1, 2008
Figuratively Speaking
By STEPHANIE ANGELYN CASOLA as seen in NWA World Traveler
Since it began in 1969, Park
West Gallery has expanded
in many ways. It conducts art
auctions across the U.S. and
Canada as well as on cruise
ships. It has an affiliate location
in Miami. But the best way to
experience Park West is still by
visiting its original location on
a 3.5-acre site outside Detroit.
There, its 63,000-square-foot
Greco-Roman building offers 23
exhibit spaces, each devoted to a
particular artist or type of art. The
gallery is constantly showcasing
new works as well as classics
by masters like Rembrandt,
Picasso and Chagall.
®
®
From June 6 – 22, Park West will present “Tarkay: Recent Works” – a collection of more than 40
paintings, watercolors, mixed media and limited-edition serigraphs by figurative artist Itzchak Tarkay.
®
“We are Tarkay’s exclusive dealer,” says Park West Gallery Director Morris Shapiro. “Before [his work
is] released to the international world, it’s shown first in the Detroit Metropolitan Area.” Shapiro calls
Tarkay’s work “extremely influential” and notes that he focuses on beauty in a time when art has
become “more confrontational.”
®
Located at 29469 Northwestern, Southfield, MI. Call 248-354-2343 or visit parkwestgallery.com.
68
May 24, 2008
Buy it because you love it
Saturday, May 24, 2008 | By Craig Pearson. As seen in The Windsor Star
The real dividend people should seek from art is not financial but emotional.
So says Morris Shapiro, director of the Southfield, Michigan based Park West Gallery – the biggest independent
art dealer in the world.
®
“Our overriding philosophy is that people should buy art because they love it,” Shapiro said Friday. “Because they
want to hang it on their walls, they want to look at it, they want to have a relationship with it, they want to keep it
for a long time and pass it on to their heirs.
That’s really the great benefit of art. It’s an intangible appreciation, not a financial appreciation.”
The Park West Gallery was founded in 1969 by Albert Scaglione, a Wayne State University engineering professor,
and has grown ever since– attesting to the enduring popularity of fine art.
®
Besides selling online, Park West runs art auctions on cruise ships around the world, while at any one time the
Southfield gallery, at 29469 Northwestern, features between 500 and 1,000 works of art — from contemporary
to masters — in 63,000 square feet of space.
®
Over four decades in business, now with 1.2 million customers, Park West has not only expanded its sales, but
has seen prices rise on certain works.
®
For example, Chagall lithographs bought for $3,000 or $4,000 in the gallery’s early days, Shapiro said, now sell
for $30,000 or $40,000.
Park West has dealt in everything from Rembrandt and Picasso to Miro and Dali, and sells works from a few
hundred dollars to about $1 million.
®
But Shapiro stresses that people should buy art as a lifestyle, not a portfolio enhancement, since values typically
only jump dramatically over decades.
“What I get out of it is being able to enrich people,” Shapiro said. “Introducing art to people’s lives is just thrilling.”
69
May 22, 2008
BUSINESS
EVIEW
R
OAKLAND
Gallery’s cruise ship strategy makes splash with art sales
MIKE SCOTT, as seen in Oakland Business Review
The company has a 63,000-square-foot gallery on Northwestern and
employs 1,000 individuals globally and more than 200 in Oakland County. It
also has a 181,000-square-foot office in South Florida.
Southfield artist Marcus Glenn, whose works emphasize African-American
culture and American jazz, said the gallery provides a tremendous service to
its artists and area residents. He appreciates Shapiro and his staff helping
artists garner worldwide exposure.
"It's easy for us to celebrate our successes together," Glenn said. "Not
everyone realizes what a gem we have here in our backyard - one that (the
artistic world) recognizes and values."
Albert Scaglione, CEO Park West Gallery
®
To have the opportunity to sell million-dollar works of art, you need to
have succeeded with a serious business and marketing plan.
That's where Southfield's Park West Gallery stands out. The globallyrenowned art dealer/gallery is the world's largest in terms of unit sales, based
largely on the strength of its "cruising" strategy. Park West has sold thousands
of works of art on cruise ships.
®
Park West Gallery and owner Albert Scaglione have created a "new
paradigm in how art is presented to the public," says gallery director Morris
Shapiro, who has been with the company 25 years. "We've helped to change
the model for how new customers can be found in the art world."
®
That strategy was on display in late April when 23 of the world's most
recognized artists were invited to Southfield to network with 150 of Park West
Gallery's cruise ship auctioneers, who are independent contractors. The
artists, auctioneers and gallery staff mingled in training sessions and social
events. The strategy keeps satisfaction levels of artists and auctioneers high,
Shapiro said.
®
"It's important for our contractors to meet with the artists and speak with
them about their work," Shapiro said. "It provides our auctioneers with
a deeper understanding of what motivates the artists and to experience
firsthand the enthusiasm that comes through their work."
Park West Gallery planned to host an 80th birthday party this month for
internationally-recognized artist Yaacov Agam, an Israeli sculptor best known
for his contributions to optical and kinetic art.
®
Those types of special events are another way Park West Gallery has
established a sterling reputation, Shapiro said.
®
70
Scaglione, a physicist and
former Wayne State University
professor, turned his love for
the arts into the first gallery
in Southfield in 1969. Today,
the Southfield gallery is filled
with works ranging from about
$2,000 to six-figure pieces by
Rembrandt van Rijn and Pablo
Picasso, and a million-dollar
piece by French artist PierreAuguste Renoir.
Park West Gallery typically
turns over thousands of works
of art every few weeks, first
displaying pieces in Southfield
before sending them to
cruise ships managed by
such companies as Carnival,
Norwegian Cruise Lines and
Regent.
®
Famous artists
Displayed
Some artists whose works have
recently been exhibited at Park
West
Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali,
Francisco Goya, Joan Miro,
Rembrandt van Rijn and ToulouseLautrec.
®
Recent personal appearances
have included:
Peter Max, Itzchak Tarkay,
Marcel Mouly, Linda LeKinff, Igor
Medvedev, Fanch Ledan and
animators Chuck Jones, Charles
and Thomas McKimson.
The Southfield gallery is open
to the public and frequently hosts elementary, middle and high school classes.
Park West Gallery's management has taken a very analytical approach
to artwork sales, based largely on Scaglione's scientific background and
philosophies, Shapiro said. The company writes much of its own software to
manage the complex customs, accounting methods and shipping required for
working with multiple cruise lines worldwide.
®
Park West Gallery also has been a beacon of positive public relations
for Metro Detroit and Oakland County. "We get some significant coverage
in international magazines and trade media, and as a result, there are many
people who are excited to come to Detroit," Shapiro said.
®
Mike Scott is a freelance writer.
May 16, 2008
The original northwest Miami-Dade community newspaper for the Town of Miami Lakes & surrounding areas
Albert Molina oversees the
largest collection of fine art
at the Park West Art Gallery
®
art galleries and purchasing paintings
that appeal to them.
The Miami Laker staff
Park West Gallery is reportedly the
largest collector of fine art in the world.
®
And Albert Molina, the company’s
president, is making sure it remains the
world’s premier arts dealer.
Molina
runs
Park
West’s
181,000-square-foot art gallery in
Miami Lakes, where he oversees the
operation of manufacturing, framing,
logistics and shipping of some of the
finest work done by eminent artists,
including Yaacov Agam, Peter
Eastham, Frank Gallo, Jean-Claude
Picot and Dominic Pangborn.
®
The company, headquartered in
Southfield, Michigan, conducts fine
art auctions throughout the United
States and Canada as it showcases its
artists’ paintings emblazoned with
custom-made framing, including
special wooden frames, linen liners
and plexiglass.
Born in 1969, Park West actuates
three different avenues of selling fine
art work.
Land-base is the second alternative
in which the company showcases the
artists’ paintings during events in the
United States and Canada, including
performing art auctions at different
hotels.
The art firm’s third selling mode
is conducting cruise ship art auctions
around the world.
The company
currently performs art auctions for
several major cruise lines Molina told
the Miami Laker.
“Some of our finest art work can be
found on a lot of cruise lines,” Molina
said at his art-laden office, which
opened in 2004.
Park West also specializes in
framing sports memorabilia and
collectables capturing such images as
Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino
and Hall of Fame basketball player
Kareem Abdul Jabar, and a stolen base
reflecting a milestone in the illustrious
career of Pete Rose.
®
®
The art firm’s first option centers
around dilettantes visiting any of the
In fact, Park West has an exclusive
contract to frame and auction off
memorabilia of former boxing great
Muhammad Ali, which includes his
autographed boxing gloves, boxing
®
shorts and pictures capturing his first
championship in 1964 against Sonny
Liston.
“Muhammad Ali [memorabilia] is
great to work with,” Molina said. “We
handle a lot of sports figures as well
and they are so authentic that that’s
how far we go to show you we are the
world’s largest art dealer.”
Molina said Miami Lakes was the
perfect location for the Park West Art
Gallery for several reasons.
®
He said, significantly, the town
is located close to Opa-locka and Ft.
Lauderdale-Hollywood airports, but
more importantly, near the Port of
Miami and Port Everglades.
And the art firm hired most of it’s
workforce from the town.
The art gallery in Miami Lakes
employs about 500 employees, Molina
said.
“The Miami Lakes location offers us
a great opportunity for our business,”
Molina said. “And the employees from
Miami Lakes are wonderful people.
It’s a great pool to work with.”
Molina said the company has fleet
managers to sell and auction off art on
cruise ships and other locations.
All sales people on the ships and
around the country go through training
to learn new sales and marketing
techniques.
Molina got involved in the art
framing business when he was 14 years
old. He quipped by saying his mother
told him it was time to “get a job.” His
71
May 16, 2008 / cont.
The original northwest Miami-Dade community newspaper for the Town of Miami Lakes & surrounding areas
dad said he could work as long as he
uses his hands.
Molina landed a job at a frame shop
in Miami-Dade. He started out by
throwing out the trash but later learned
the trade of framing and commenced
framing pictures.
He was so successful at an early
age that he was tapped to run the front
gallery and frame shop of the business.
When he turned 18, he opened
frame shops and galleries for other
people before launching his own mobile
picture framing business in which he
decorated homes and businesses.
Molina opened up a permanent
business in Cutler Ridge, where he did
art distribution for other frame shops
as well.
“It went very well,” he said. “It was
very successful”
But then tragedy struck. In 1992,
Hurricane Andrew destroyed his
business and Homestead home. He lost
everything.
Molina said he was rebuilding
his business and he did such a “great
job” that Park West offered to buy his
business and make it part of the largest
arts dealer in 1999. Molina jumped
on board and became president of the
company. “It’s great being part of this
organization,” he said.
®
Molina said he can relate to his
employees’ skills in manufacturing
and framing because he performed the
same tasks when he got started in the
business.
72
Park West , Miami Lakes
®
“Everything you see here with
framing, I have done it,” Molina
said as he gave a tour of the gallery’s
warehouse and manufacturing facility.
in Miami-Dade County. His father,
Albert Molina Sr., was the first
Spanish-speaking police officer in the
county.
Besides art, Molina gives back
to the community by being part
of America’s Orchestral Academy
and an organization that provides
humanitarian services to poor and
homeless men and woman.
Albert Molina Sr. was a squad
captain and he was put in charge of
the visits of three U.S. presidents,
including John F. Kennedy.
He’s currently an executive board
member of the new world Symphony
and Camillus House.
“I’m proud to serve on both boards
from the aspect of humanity and
cultural,” Molina said.
Molina is also proud of his Spanish
heritage, which has some deep roots
In fact, he was with Kennedy
in Miami three days before he was
assassinated in Dallas.
“I owe a lot to my father for the
success I have,” Molina said. “His
wisdom I still carry with me today.”
January, 2008
Couple gives $25,000 grant to
Pontiac shelter
By Diana Dillaber Murray
Of The Oakland Press
Grace Centers of Hope has been given a $25,000 grant to help men kick
drugs and alcohol and get a new start on life.
change could make the difference between recovery or relapse, center officials said.
Park West Gallery® Chief Executive Officer Albert Scaglione and his wife,
Mitsie, of Farmington Hills provided the gift to help Grace Centers separate
quarters for the men who are in the center's one-year rehabilitation program
from other homeless men taking emergency shelter at the center who may not
be working toward recovery.
For the men trying to turn their lives around, the separated dorm is a drugfree, safe haven from life on the streets, Atwood said.
The Scagliones' contribution is the largest in the center's $75,000 campaign
to renovate the men's dorm at Grace Centers of Hope, Oakland County's
oldest and largest homeless shelter, said Michelle Atwood, director of development.
Park West Gallery is based in Southfield and conducts art auctions in the
United States and Canada, as well as aboard cruise ships through-out the
world, according to its Web site.
®
"It is a place where the men come together and share their histories that
sometimes include parents who drank heavily or abused drugs. Many have
spent time in prison and have children they haven't seen in years,"
she said.
"These men draw strength from each other and become family to one another".
Renovations also will allow the center to recruit more men into the one-year
program.
Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or
diana.dillaber@oakpress.conn.
"It is a privilege to share what the Lord has given me with those who are
trying to better their lives through this wonderful program," said Albert
Scaglione, who, after earning a mechanical engineering degree from the New
Jersey Institute of Technology changed careers and became one of the
nation's most prominent art dealers.
"We are so excited to receive such a wonderful gift,” said Pastor Kent Clark,
chief executive officer of Grace Centers. "The men in our program are often
overlooked, and this will certainly help them to feel cared for.
"Not only that, but I'm so thankful and appreciative to the Scagliones and
their confidence in the work being done at Grace Centers of Hope,”
he said.
The first phase of work on the dorm is to be completed by the end of March.
More donations are needed for a second phase of renovations and a final
phase that will provide five more bedrooms on the third floor.
Each year, the religious-based center on Huron and Perry streets near downtown Pontiac provides shelter through its emergency shelter program and
one-year life skills program, Atwood said.
The problem is that men in both programs are sharing the same dorm.
By separating the dorm into two distinct living areas, a more suitable
environment is created for those in the rehabilitation program—and the
Park West Gallery® CEO Albert Scaglione and his wife,
Mitsie, have donated to Grace Centers of Hope.
For more information or to make a donation, please call (248) 334-2187 Ext. 35 or e-mail awellm@gracecentersofhope.org.
73
January, 2008
Featured Story
The Art of Community Building
By Amy Whitesall
metromode
Albert Scaglione grew up in Nutley, New
Jersey, a good Italian boy who knew how to
work. When he was eight he began tagging
along on weekends with his father, who drove
a truck and hauled industrial waste.
He spent his Saturdays slinging bricks, hunks
of metal, chunks of plaster and sundry junk
into the back of his father's truck. He'd pull a
nylon stocking over his head to filter the dust
and use a pickax to break slabs of plaster into
manageable chunks. It was dirty, physical
work, but he was good at it, and eventually so
reliable that his father could go grab a cup of
coffee while Albert filled the truck.
When he was 16, Albert's mother decided
he'd had enough of the garbage business. She
arranged a summer job with a cousin, Paul
Borghi, who owned an art gallery.
Albert went to work for his cousin, stretching
and varnishing canvases, framing artwork and
hanging it on the walls.
"My hands were clean; I didn't have to wear a
nylon stocking over my head," said Scaglione,
now 68. "The smell of varnish is still lovely to
me."
Scaglione is founder and CEO of Park West
Gallery , a Southfield-based art gallery with
1.2 million customers around the world. The
gallery has a massive second location in
Miami Lakes, FL and sells artwork on cruise
ships.
®
Together with his wife, Mitsie, Scaglione has
built the gallery into something uncommon in
the art world - a place where collectors and
curious consumers alike can appreciate, learn
about and buy fine art. And as the gallery has
thrived, the Scagliones have shared their
74
success with
community.
the
Giving back
They open the elegant,
63,000 square-foot
Southfield gallery to
any 501c3 charity that
wants to use it for a
fundraising event. At
least once a month the
gallery lends its space
rent-free, donates
catering services, cash
and art for auction so
the charity can come
away with pure profit.
Proceeds can top $100,000. Scaglione likes to
think of it as a place in the community where the
answer is, "Yes."
"They were so generous and so kind to our
coalition," said Peggy Burkhardt, marketing
and public relations director for of the Donate
Life Coalition of
Michigan, which
raised an average
of $30,000 at
each of four
fundraisers at
Park West . "I'd
go so far as to
say a lot of the
reason we still
exist is the
generosity
of
Albert and Mitsie.
That's our major
fundraiser, and
we created it at
Park West … I
will
always Peggy Burkhardt
remember what photo by Marvin Shaouni
®
®
Big Jam Theory, 2005, Marcus Glenn - Park West Gallery®,
they did for us. When we really needed
somebody to take chance on us, they did."
Their commitment is more than checkbook-deep.
Moved by their faith and by the stories of young
girls struggling to survive after aging out of the
foster care system at 18, the Scagliones started
the Park West Gallery Foundation . Through the
foundation and their church, Tree of Life Bible
Fellowship, they've become the surrogate
grandparents to more than 30 teenage girls.
"Their girls" call them at all hours of the day and
night, celebrate holidays with them, go on trips,
ask them for advice.
®
"They really just treat them like any
grandparents would," said Kevin Sendi,
executive vice president for operations at New
Oakland Face to Face , a mental health
program that has donated care to some of the
girls. "I think the relationship really helps
strengthen (the girls') self esteem. They know
someone out there that really cares, and it
makes them more motivated to accomplish
things. If Albert and Mitsie weren't around
®
January, 2008 / cont.
Albert Scaglione, photo by Marvin Shaouni
that's 30-40 girls who would probably be
doing drugs, on the street, prostituting
themselves or doing whatever they could to
make ends meet."
The Scagliones would like to see the
foundation grow into a vast network of
mentors and supporters. There's no shortage
of people who need that kind of help, Albert
Scaglione says, and no reason to expect
government or social agencies to solve all of
society's problems.
But in 1968 the space program dropped the
project and Scaglione realized that the
government had no use for his expertise
beyond weapons research.
"Even when you do an excellent job parenting
in a two-parent home, you can't send them off
at 18 with all their belongings in a garbage
bag and expect them to survive," said author
and longtime Detroit sportscaster Eli Zaret,
who's negotiating with one local television
station to air a five-part series on foster care
age-out and the Scagliones' efforts. "It's easy
to make out a check if you have money, but
giving the gift of yourself and your time, your
interest and availability - that's the greatest
gift of all."
His heart wasn't in it, so after an agonizing
year he left and started an art gallery.
A different perspective
Much as he enjoyed working in his cousin's
gallery, young Albert went on to study
engineering, eventually specializing in
magnetohydrodynamics - a discipline that
involves the dynamics of electrically
conducting fluids.
In the late 1960s he taught at Wayne State
University while working with NASA to create
materials to protect astronauts from the
extreme atmosphere of Mars.
It was different from the beginning - high
quality, meticulously collected artwork
without the intimidating high-mindedness
galleries can foster. Individual pieces still
start at less than $100 (though they range to
almost $1million).
The movement toward conceptual art, says
gallery director Morris Shapiro, has nudged
visual art out of our everyday experience. Park
West tries to bring it back The gallery's
collections include works by Rembrandt and
Picasso, pioneering kinetic artist Yaacov
Agam, and Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones.
®
"People go to a museum and they're
confronted with a pile of bricks, a dirty
ashtray, a shark in formaldehyde," said
Shapiro. "And they feel let down because
nothings enriching to them. We're trying to
pull the pendulum back and reintroduce art
into people's lives. One of the most basic
needs of human beings is to find meaning in
marks on paper."
Scaglione opened his first gallery in 1970 in
a 20 x 60 storefront on Nine Mile Rd. He
advertised his weekly auctions with a big sign
on a trailer parked out front, and took the
auctions on the road, too - first to Toledo and
Flint, and eventually as far as Florida and
Texas.
He absorbed everything he could about art
history and cultivated relationships with
artists who impressed him, then used
everything he knew to make his auctions
informative and fun. People not only bought
art, they came back - sometimes they'd
apologize for missing a week.
Park West's auctions haven't changed much
®
Park West Gallery®, photo by Marvin Shaouni
75
January, 2008 / cont.
Behind the gallery's crisp white walls work
more than 150 of their reasons for staying.
Park West® employees catalog artwork, take
customer service calls, work with artists, train
new staff. Many have been with the gallery 20
years or more.
"If you're looking at it as all numbers you
could probably say there are a lot of reasons
to leave, but it isn't all numbers," Scaglione
said. "The company is nothing but people. If
you move the company you've got to move all
the people, and they wouldn't all go."
Scaglione also doesn't buy bleak southeast
Michigan economic outlook a lot of people
sell. He points to an infrastructure built to
support a bigger population, and to the
concentration of universities, and the diverse
and educated group of people they attract.
Albert Scaglione, Park West Gallery® CEO and Morry Shapiro, Park West Gallery Director®, photo by Gary Mondshine
in that regard, though now the gallery has
about 300 intensively trained salespeople and
auctioneers who continue the legacy.
Scaglione cultivates an atmosphere of
unwavering customer service. Salespeople
typically spend 5-6 months in training and
before they're allowed to actually sell
anything. Scaglione brings artists and
customers together whenever he can to give
his customers the best possible buying
experience.
Staying put
The Scagliones travel extensively and have
family around the country, but they live a mile
from the gallery. Despite the logistical
temptation to run the whole operation from
Florida, they're committed to staying in
Michigan.
Park West won't reveal specific sales
numbers, but Shapiro says the gallery grossed
nine digits last year and sold hundreds of
thousands of pieces of art.
®
"With 1.2 million customers can you satisfy
everyone?" Scaglione asks. "We're going to
try."
Morris Shapiro, Park West Gallery Director®,
photo by Marvin Shaouni
Every month Scaglione hosts artists and
buyers from all over the world and shows
them the best of metro Detroit while they're in
town. They stay at the Townsend Hotel in
Birmingham, visit the Detroit Zoo, cruise the
Detroit River on Detroit Princess Riverboat
and dine in the best downtown restaurants.
"Have we been tempted? Sure," Scaglione
said. "But we have great friends here; we have
a great community. If you've been successful,
it's a good place to stay and give something
back."
"One of the things we like to do is slow down
the selling process," Scaglione said. "I really
like the cruises because they give people
7-10 days or even 3-4 days. That's plenty of
time to make a better and more informed
decision."
76
"The city has its issues, but there's a great
spirit here," he said. "I think the work ethic in
this city is as good as it gets."
November, 2007
Going Once, Going Twice
ALBERT SCAGLIONE PASSED UP A PROMISING CAREER AS A ROCKET SCIENTIST, AND INSTEAD CREATED A
HIGH-POWERED ART GALLERY AND AUCTION HOUSE THAT GENERATES MORE THAN $100 MILLION IN ANNUAL REVENUE
BY MINEHAHA FORMAN
Under a coffered ceiling, striding between illuminated
walls adorned with artistic masterpieces, Albert
Scaglione is a man on a mission. It's a sunny day
outside and he's making sure it stays that way, even
indoors, greeting everyone by name as he passes with
a welcome smile and a brisk nod. The former truck
driver, ROTC reservist, professor, astrophysicist, and
now prominent owner of Park West Gallery® in
Southfield stops just short of the exit to shake hands
with a prominent collector, before leading an intricate
tour of the gallery.
At first, it's hard to concentrate on the tour itself,
with artistic works of the same caliber as major
museums passing by. It's easy to forget the Detroit
Institute of Art’s summer absence, but the black-andwhite price tags placed next to each piece are the
giveaway: $10,000 here, $67,000 there, and a $1
million Renoir down the hall—this is no museum.
Today, Park West Gallery® is a national company
with annual revenue of more than $100 million, over
a million clients, and one of the world's largest art
collections.
The glowing walls and inconspicuous storage
facilities contain thousands of paintings, rare
lithographs, and renowned photography. At Park
West®, living artists are strongly represented, with
modern masterpieces of Yaacov Again on display, as
well as old masters. Among Park West's® many
treasures are more than 2,000 signed Picassos, the last
Rockwell lithographs, and one of the largest Dalí
collections in the world.
In addition to its Southfield headquarters, Park
West® has facilities nationwide, with a south Florida
framing factory that's roughly the size of six football
fields, a large storage facility in Wixom, MI., and a new
gallery opening in Miami. Their art is even available at
sea. Scaglione has made his affiliate company, Park
West® At Sea, a major draw among cruise lines
allowing for international distribution of the artwork in
IN THE LABORATORY For every piece of art Albert Scaglione sells, his reputation is on the line. A fake or forgery would
undermine client trust.
60 countries. Park West® also hosts auctions at hotels
such as the Radisson, the Marriott, and locally at the
Townsend Hotel in downtown Birmingham. And they
often treat their loyal customers to several days in a
variety of cities throughout the world. Recently, they
hosted several out-of-town couples at the Townsend to
meet with the artists whose works they've purchased.
Of course, Park West's® art is also sold off the gallery
floor. “This is more of a showroom than a gallery,”
Scaglione says. “We [hold auctions] where people
ordinarily go, and introduce art in a normal
environment; that's what w orks.” What also works is
the tried-and-true practice of offering an incentive Park West® doesn't charge for its frames. It's “not a
profit center for us,” Scaglione explains. It also helps
that Park West® stocks 7 million to 10 million feet of
molding, and purchases millions more per year at
wholesale prices-an economy of scale that allows the
company to absorb the framing costs.
A visible, high-profile marketing plan helps, too. In
addition to a standalone gallery, Park West® has hosted
auctions in a wide variety of places since the beginning,
some more modest than others, including the Knob in
the Woods apartments, meetings of the Women's
American Organization, and the Detroit Zoo. In essence,
Park West® makes fine art accessible to a cross-section
of society that might never have been reached otherwise.
As the tour progresses, it's apparent that Park
West® is more than a showroom. Rather, the company
77
November, 2007 / cont.
Art Auctions: A Primer
is a multifaceted operation with considerations of
culture and community embedded foremost in the
design. For example, the gallery's rear entrance abuts
three acres of public gardens that frame a large, central
pond - a lush landscape designed to accommodate both
introspective clients and major artist receptions.
Additionally, tucked within the Greco-Roman-inspired
building are fully established facilities in fine-art
storage, framing, restoration, research digital catalog
printing, and customer service, along with the
company's executive offices.
After showing off a treasure trove of new arrivals including some of the last Rockwell lithographs acquired
from the late artist's family and rare photographs of
international legends like Muhammad Ali and the
Beatles - Scaglione, 68, checks in with his wife and
partner, Mitsie Scaglione. “This is where everyone goes
for a sugar fix,” Albert says. Mitsie, who oversees global
licensing, confirms that, indeed, the basket of candy
perched at the corner of her desk has already been
refilled twice today.
Even though Scaglione runs a national business, his
strong sense of family still shines through. He's made
Park West® a family affair, with his children presiding
over major operations in everything from human
resources to overseeing the Miami facilities. Their
father's passion for his work drew them into the business.
“I don't think they had a choice,” Scaglione quips.
Indeed, Scaglione's bountiful energy - a power walker
would struggle to keep pace with his stride - is hard to
pin down. Leading the way through storage rooms
stacked floor-to-ceiling with expensive prints, he opens
the door to the restoration and creative wing, where the
smell of fresh paint fills the air. It's a scent that, years ago,
enchanted the 16-year-old Scaglione during a summer
job in his cousin Paul's art gallery. And it's stayed with
him. “The smell of varnish,” he says “still gets to me.”
But Scaglione didn't quite follow his nose from the
beginning. In fact, he spent a big part of his life involved
in a highly eclectic series of professions. He admits it
took him almost 30 years to realize it was the art world
- not rocket science or truck driving that captivated his
heart.
As a boy, he was expected to help around the house
doing chores with his mother. Every day, his truckdriving father would look at him before going to work
and say, “One day, I'm gonna get you outta here, kid.”
That day finally came on a Saturday, when Scaglione
78
was 8 years old. His father took him out on his truck to
collect industrial waste, By the time he was 16 years old,
young Albert was driving trucks on his own. But he
wasn't stuck behind the wheel for long.
His mother saw early on
that his abilities far surpassed
the labor of a trucker. She
encouraged him to spend a
summer working at a cousin's
art gallery, where he could
intellectually expand his
horizons and possibly his career
options. At first, Albert found the
gallery work a welcome break from driving the family
trucks. Before long, he was
stretching frames and
cleaning prints, deeply
immersed in the scents of
paint and varnish.
“I was busy enough,”
Scaglione recalls, “always
smelling the varnish and
seeing the art, looking at the paintings and thinking,
‘People really do this?’ I
was fascinated by it.” It
was there that Scaglione
got his first look into the
magnificent world of fine
art. Following that
summer, he returned to
his father's trucking
business before enrolling
at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he
earned a mechanical engineering degree. He graduated
and moved to Michigan in 1962, where he attained his
Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, with a specialty in
aerospace sciences, from Michigan State University. In
1967, he joined Wayne State University as an assistant
professor in the engineering science department - he
was the proverbial rocket scientist.
During that time, he published research articles in
scholarly journals and worked under the direction of
NASA scientists to engineer a plan to put a man on
Mars. Scaglione and his peers ran into a heat and
control problem early on, especially when the planned
rocket entered Mars' atmosphere. Finding a solution
became the basis of his research. But with the precarious
undercurrent of social tension in the late 1960s, and
The art market resembles the stock market - buy low and sell
high. The art market moves fast, too, so be prepared to move
with it. Make sure to research every item before making a
purchase, and study the trends. Below are three highly prized
paintings.
1
2
3
The late Andy Warhol is one of the more successful
modern painters who have enjoyed significant price
appreciation. His Orange Marilyn from 1962 sold for
$2.8 million in 1998 at Christie's New York. Last
year, at the same auction house, the work went for
$16.3 million. The reason: Modern pop culture,
fueled by a media frenzy, keeps artists like Warhol in
the public eye.
A master like Vincent van Gogh never seems to go
out of style, especially with such memorable works
like The Starry Night and Sunflowers. Even a pair
of worn shoes can fetch a hefty sum. In 1999, van
Gogh's A Pair of Shoes commanded $4.8 million
at an auction at Christie's London. Late last year,
the painting was sold at auction at Sotheby's New
York for $9 million.
Pablo Picasso created the Cubist movement, and
he was well-compensated for it during his life time.
But even in the afterlife, he can draw premium
prices. For example, Picasso's Femme Couchee a
la Meche Blonde sold for $4.6 million in 1994 at
Christie's New York.
A decade later, the painting drew a winning bid of
$9.3 million at Sotheby's London.
-Oteana Mirzoyan
November, 2007 / cont.
always willing to be a partner.”
with the riots in Detroit and Los Angeles and the
quagmire in Vietnam, the government slashed funding
for deep-space travel, a devastating blow to Scaglione's
profession. Soon, he would have to explore alternate
career routes.
Because of their unmatched research and close
relationships with art authorities, Park West® has never
had to issue a refund based on authenticity. Within a
decade of opening his gallery, Scaglione had formed
relationships with the likes of Peter Max, Yaacov Agam,
Victory Vasarely, and M.C. Escher.
Knowing that the only research contracts available
to him involved top-secret operations run by the military,
he paused. Rocket scientists at the time were being asked
to get involved in the Cold War by researching the best
ways to attach ever-more-powerful warheads inside everfaster missiles. “I came to the conclusion it's not where I
wanted my life to be,” Scaglione recalls. “I didn't enjoy it.
I'd come to work in the morning thinking, ‘Well, one of
the things I'm gonna do today is blow up Moscow.’ The
space program was dead as a doornail.”
Then, that summer of his 16th year came back to
him. “I started thinking about the smell of the oil paint,
how good it was,” he recalls. But aside from good
memories, he didn't have much to start with. “I had all the
naive confidence of youth,” he says. “No money, I knew
nothing [about art] ... not a problem. I told my wife, ‘Don't
worry, we'll eat.’”
So in 1969, using the little money he'd saved from
his short-lived university career, he opened a modest art
gallery in Southfield and called it Park West®. At first,
Park West® was a one-man business, with Scaglione as
sole proprietor. But within three years, 14 more people
joined the team. Today, nearly 40 years later, Park West®
employs more than 1,000 people nationwide.
Opening a side door, Scaglione leads the way into a
modest, nondescript room with an elevator. At first blush,
it looks like a storage nook for old prints. It's not until
Scaglione leans down and flips the pages over that the
treasure is revealed. In a stack against the wall piled
almost a foot high are another set of lithographs created
by Norman Rockwell. Scaglione explains he found this
particular set of the master's works in a storage room of
a company Park West® bought out years ago. Look for
those to be sold in the coming months.
Scaglione's penchant for success stems from the
beginning, when his strong commitment to scientific
research helped set his gallery above the rest. He also
forged lifelong connections with key players in the art
world.
“His enthusiasm is infectious,” says Clark Durant,
CEO of Cornerstone Schools in Detroit, who worked with
Scaglione to plan a baseball charity event at Comerica
Park in August that raised money for children. “He's
While Scaglione was teaching at Wayne State, he
relied heavily on his knack for entertaining to lighten the
load of often intimidating lectures. “If I didn't get at least
some laughter during a 50-minute lecture, there was
something wrong,” he says. To make sure people pay
attention to him as an art dealer, he employs a similar
method. “One of the first ways I found to be entertaining
- and I still do this in the art world - is know your
material,” he says. “I never referred to notes or books; it
went from my head to the blackboard. When you know
what you're doing, it's gonna look effortless.”
Art on the High Seas
Gallery's®
Thanks to Park West
affiliate company, Park
West® At Sea, people can come home from a cruise
with more than a colorful T-shirt, perfume, or tan.
Whether you return as the proud owner of a Dalí,
Picasso, or Goya, there's an advantage to buying art in
international waters: no taxes or import duties for
people who live in the United States.
Today, everything from fine-art prints to sculptures
and even signed sports memorabilia are taking to the
high seas and getting the attention of international
shoppers. Park West® At Sea, was one of the first
companies to board the marine auctions venture. "The
business started in the late 1980s and early 1990s,"
says Park West® founder Albert Scaglione. "We entered
in 1993, and today we're pretty much the top seller."
Cruise vacationers can experience the excitement
of participating in or just watching a competitive art
auction on board. The auctions are free to attend and
easy to get involved in. Just show up, register your
name and cabin number to receive a bid card, and start
bidding. If you just want to peruse the masters on
display and take pictures of them, you're welcome to
do that, too.
If you do buy a piece, it'll be shipped to your
house, so you won't have to worry about dealing with
additional luggage.
-Minehaha Forman
True to Scaglione's entertaining character, he uses
his promotional wiles, as well as his intrinsic gift of
hospitality, to develop markets for artists who are now
major players in the art world. One of these occasions
was in 1974, when he organized an exhibition to Europe
for more than 20 people. The purpose: to visit the old
stomping grounds of the late graphic artist M.C. Escher.
Scaglione recounts the experience in Amsterdam like it
happened yesterday.
“I took them to Escher's home, we met his wife ...
got to see his art studio,” Scaglione recalls. “We went
downtown, and we got locked inside the subway. We had
to walk on subway tracks in the dark to get out, I was the
leader. I remember Lisa, my [then] 11-year-old daughter,
felt like she was climbing the stairway to heaven.”
Over the years, Scaglione has treated his VIP clients
to luxurious weekend getaways with theater, fine dining,
music, and art. “It's purely a cultural happening for these
people that they can put in their emotional bank...
forever.” Scaglione says.
Julius Giarmarco, principal of Troy-based law firm
Giarmarco, Mullins & Morton, says Scaglione's success
stems from his charm. “When you're with Albert, the
attention is on you and the conversation,” Giarmarco
says. “He's a literal sponge for information [from] his
advisers. He takes it in and listens; he's not looking for
‘yes’ men.” db
79
September, 2007
Eccentric
SOUTHFIELD
Israeli artist's works on display
A prismograph by Yaacov Agam.
Works by Israeli master kinetic artist Yaacov Agam will be featured at the
Jewish National Fund's Tribute & Farewell Dinner, "Soar Into the Hula
Valley," on Thursday, Sept. 6, at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell, in
Guests will have the opportunity to view and buy unique and hand-signed
works by Agam. The collection also will be on public exhibition through Sept.
5 at Park West Gallery, 29649 Northwestern in Southfield.
Yaacov Agam.
Dinner proceeds will benefit a new visitor's center in the Hula Valley, located
in northern Israel, restoring economic development to the area. Dinner Chairs
Jim and Marge Hiller will honor Hannan and Lisa Lis, Bruce Israel and Lisa
Pernick and Col. Kami & Vardina Robinson for their professional and
philanthropic contributions to the fund and to the community. Ambassador
Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, will be the
keynote speaker.
The event will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the
dinner and program at 7:30 p.m. Attire is black-tie optional.
80
August, 2007
SU N
Southfield
Art in the City
SOUTHFIELD - It's a gem many might overlook in
a bustling city packed with residences and office
buildings. The Park West Gallery , well-known for
running art auctions on cruise lines, is a 63,000
square-foot find in the city of Southfield.
®
The gallery was started in 1969 in a 20-by-60-foot
storefront at Nine Mile and Telegraph by Albert
Scaglione, a former rocket science professor at
Wayne State University and researcher who got out of
the space business when the government cut funding
for NASA.
afternoons. By '73, I went all the way to Japan."
He outgrew the original gallery in three years and in
1972 moved to a bigger facility on Telegraph before
building his own space, on the three and a half acres
where the gallery is now located on Northwestern
Highway, in 1980.
Scaglione said he expanded to art auctions on cruise
lines in the 1990s after people from the cruise
industry requested he work with them. Now, he said,
even with his large facility in Southfield, most of his
work takes place internationally.
"Our core business is to create art auctions all over
the world," he said. "The vast majority of the sales are
made through auctions we conduct all over the
world."
The gallery owns hundreds of thousands of pieces of
art for sale and in extensive archives. It works with
artists all over the world and has pieces from
classical artists such as Auguste Renoir and Pablo
Picasso to sports memorabilia and Disney, to local
artists such as Marcus Glenn from Southfield.
Gallery Director Morris Shapiro said Park West
gives visitors an even greater experience than they
can get at art museums because they have the
opportunity for the art to become part of their lives.
®
Park West Gallery® is located on Northwestern, north of 12 Mile Rd.,
in Southfield.
"For me, it's like home is where the heart is," he said,
explaining why he chose to open his facility in
Southfield.
Although he's originally from New Jersey, he and his
wife bought a home near Southfield and loved the
area. When his research project trying to get a man on
Mars was not renewed, and the only work left was on
nuclear warheads, he got out and decided to get into
art like some of his relatives in Italy.
"I could get artists … that wanted to work with me,"
he said. "I started running auctions on Sunday
"When you have the opportunity to collect … and
you can actually own those works, it's very exciting
for people," he said.
He said art galleries are typically thought of as stuffy
places, but they work to change that perception.
"We really want people to feel very comfortable," he
said. "We're trying to get art into more people's lives."
Scaglione said it's very important to him that buyers
make educated choices when selecting something
that could become a family heirloom.
Albert Scaglione, the owner of Park West Gallery®, stands in front of an acrylic on
canvas painting by Alfred Gockel, “National Anthem,” 2006.
Everything at the gallery is for sale, and prices range
from a $200 framed work to a $500,000 Renoir.
"We have a lot of works of art (in the) $200 to $3,000
range," Shapiro said. "Art doesn't have to be
expensive."
At any one time, works from 60 to 100 artists are on
display, and the collection changes once a month.
Right now, Park West is featuring the German
Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer and Pablo Picasso.
®
In addition to the changing exhibits inside, the
gallery also displays between 20 and 30 pieces in a
lighted exhibit viewable 24 hours a day through the
windows in the front of the gallery. Plus, a former
retention pond in the rear of the building has been
turned into a sparkling pond complete with a fountain,
surrounded by a garden-lined walkway that winds its
way down the hill behind the gallery with willows
blowing in the breeze. The park-like setting also
displays sculptures by Grediaga Antonio Kieff and
Yaacov Agam, owned by the gallery.
"Our mantra, from early on, was to make art accessible
to people," Scaglione said. "Our stuff is not repetitive."
Park West Gallery is located at 29469 Northwestern
in Southfield, just north of 12 Mile Road. The gallery
is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through
Friday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. For more
information, call (248) 354-2343, toll free (800) 5219654 or log on to www.parkwestgallery.com.
®
"We recruit and train people from all over the world,"
Scaglione said of his 200-plus sales staff. "We want
them to come in here and get thoroughly familiar
with all of the art. We want perfection."
81
August 16, 2007
Famous artist steps in to aid Cornerstone
By Bob St. John
Grosse Pointe News
World renowned artist Peter Max recently
stepped up to the easel to help Cornerstone
Schools.
Often cited as a Pop Icon, Neo Fauvist, Abstract
Expressionist and "American's Painter Laureate,"
Max has created a poster to commemorate the
upcoming Cornerstone Schools fundraiser.
His previous works included five Grammy
Award posters and designation as the official artist
for five Super Bowls, the World Cup USA, the U.S.
Tennis Open, the Winter Olympics and the NHL AllStar Game.
He also painted a Boeing 777 super jet for
Continental Airlines and a 600-foot wide stage
backdrop for the Woodstock '99 Music Festival.
Max was at Yankee Stadium earlier this week,
presenting third baseman Alex Rodriguez with a
portrait after he hit his 500th career home run.
"Thank God I'm able to do this for Cornerstone
Schools," Max said during an interview on the Paul
W. Smith show on WJR, "Cornerstone Schools is
doing a great thing and I'm happy to create this
baseball poster for its benefit."
Max finished the poster Tuesday, Aug. 14,
and sent it to the printer. He will autograph each
copy and include drawing a heart on the poster
with the buyer's initials inside the heart as a
keepsake.
People can get a poster if they buy or sell 20 or
more ticket packages of $99 or more for the
Tuesday, Aug. 21, Detroit Tigers game against the
Cleveland Indians.
"It will be ready in December just in time for the
holidays," Smith said of the poster. "The game is
going to be great and this Peter Max poster adds a
little more to it."
After the interview, Smith, a Grosse Pointe
resident, announced he was buying 20 tickets so
he could get the Max poster, signed and
inscribed.
82
© Peter Max 2008
Artist Peter Max
One hundred percent of the contributions will
go toward scholarships for kids at the Cornerstone
Schools.
Meijer savings card, and chance to win a 2008
Chevrolet Tahoe, 2000 Chevrolet Corvette, or
World Series tickets.
Its CEO and founding chairman, Grosse
Pointe Farms resident Clark Durant, said, "It's
wonderful that Peter Max is getting involved to
help Cornerstone Schools raise money for
scholarships.
"The best benefits are now with the $99
contribution and the benefits are fabulous for
helping the kids."
Durant said he is optimistic that the community
will come to the game to help these children receive
an excellent education, "I am grateful to Comerica,
DTE, Big Boy, Meijer, Pepsi, Chevrolet, Andiamo's,
the DSO, and so many others for stepping up to
help and for Park West Gallery for inviting Peter
Max to participate," Durant said, "What a gift to the
community."
Everyone who contributes $99 by calling (248)
354-2343 ext. 3 gets an event T-shirt, two-for-one
dinner at any Andiamo restaurant, a two-for-one
Detroit Symphony Orchestra ticket voucher, a $300
For
additional
information,
visit
BeATigerForKids.com, contact Karissa Williams at
Cornerstone Schools at (313) 892-1860 ext. 265,
or call (248) 354-2343 ext. 3.
July 19, 2007
Taking art to the people
From Michigan to the World
1980. He grew the business steadily, forging
relationshipswith contemporary artists Peter
Max, Itzchak Tarkay and others who
occasionally appear at Park West for special
exhibitions.
By 1994, Park West's annual revenue had
grown to $20 million, but then sales really
exploded with the surging popularity of art
auctions on major cruise lines. Park West is the
dominant player today in cruise line art
auctions.
Employment has grown from 150 people in the
early 1990s to 1,000 today, about half full-time
Park West people and the rest contractors such
as artists and cruise line auctioneers.
Albert Scaglione, 68, of Farmington Hills is seen outside his Park West Gallery® in Southfield on Friday.
He founded the business in 1969.
Photo by AMY LEANG/Detroit Free Press
By Tom Walsh
Detroit Free Press
A fine piece of art is whatever the purchasing
public says it is, whether a Picasso print, a
Peter Max painting or a big photo of Muhammad
Ali signed by the former boxing champ.
It's in that populist spirit that Albert Scaglione
has grown Park West Gallery from a small
Southfield art dealer into a global juggernaut
with 1,000 employees and contractors who
conduct art auctions on land and cruise ships.
"We're making money all over the world and
bringing it to Detroit," Scaglione told me last
week, walking through his 63,000-square-foot
Southfield gallery as a private auction was
being held. Doing the bidding were some of
Scaglione's best customers, 30 couples whom
Park West had brought to town, put up at
Birmingham's Townsend Hotel for four nights
and treated to a Detroit River cruise plus
dinners in Greektown and at the Detroit Zoo.
Next up: a TV infomercial, tentatively dubbed
"Park West Presents," that may air later this
year on cable or satellite TV channels.
Scaglione, 68, founded Park West in 1969 in
smaller digs on 9 Mile and moved to the
current location on Northwestern Highway in
Park West's aggressive marketing of art to the
public has rocked the boat in the fine art world,
once the province of the super-rich and
museum curators.
The days are long gone, his Web site says,
when proclamations about the worthiness of
art were handed down by churches, kings,
museums, curators or critics. The digital age of
computers has allowed an informed public to
drive changes in art forms.
That said, Scaglione noted it is important that
Park West, like any art dealer or auctioneer,
maintain its integrity in a business where
scandals often erupt over fakes.
Continued on next page
83
July 19, 2007 / cont.
Taking Art to the People Continued
"We've never had to make a single refund based
on authenticity," he said.
Scaglione said he was hesitant at first to jump
into the cruise auction business because of
concern about Park West's reputation.
"I was skeptical. I thought it looked to be too
unregulated, too odd, not a serious art market,"
he said. And he figured that vacationers at sea
would be unlikely to make major purchases. He
was wrong. The business took off.
"I never imagined individual items selling for as
much $500,000," he said. "Now we regularly
sell items for over $10,000, $50,000 and even
$100,000."
Park West has national brand recognition now,
he said, thanks to its exposure to tens of
thousands of vacationers on cruise ships.
A Park West auctioneer presents framed pieces by Rembrandt to clients on Friday.
The gallery also does auctions on cruise ships and at resorts.
Scaglione, who lives with wife Mitsie in
Farmington Hills, could locate Park West
anyplace in the world now. But he's not going
anywhere.
"I see Detroit as full of opportunity," he said.
"When I bring customers and artists here, they
can't believe our city. It's on a beautiful river
next to a foreign country. We have one of the
most beautiful suburban areas in the country.
We have a great art museum."
He would go on and on, Scaglione the supersalesman, if he didn't consciously make an
effort to stop himself.
"I talk too fast," he said, "so I try to slow down,
talk more softly."
People participate in a private auction at the gallery.
84
June, 2006 / June, 2005
2006 Best Place to Buy Original Art
Park West Gallery
2005 Best Place to Buy Original Art
Park West Gallery
85
June 17, 2004
Painted Rock: Bon Jovi member
drums up interest in his paintings
Tico Torres clutches a cup of coffee with his left
hand and moves his right in big circular motions
on the canvas of his finished painting.
"Come on," Torres says. "Touch it. It's just paint,
don't be afraid to feel it. You should feel it with
your eyes and hands."
Torres continues moving his hand along the
vivid acrylic colors of blue, red and gold that he
created. Then he takes a step back and scans the
gigantic Park West Gallery® in Southfield.
"This space is incredible, it feels good," the
50-year-old Bon Jovi drummer says.
Torres was in town recently for the opening of
the exhibit, The Art of Rock n' Rolling, which
runs through July 7. His paintings and ceramics
are the rock; Harley-Davidson painter Scott
Jacobs is the roll.
The two artists from New Jersey are longtime
acquaintances and have wanted to showcase
their work together for years. The Park West®
exhibit is their first and both said they eventually
will create a piece together.
Bon Jovi has sold more than 100 million albums
worldwide, yet many fans don't realize Torres is an
accomplished painter.
"I get better reviews for my paintings than my
music," he says.
Born to Cuban parents, Torres spent years in
Varadero, Cuba. The history, sights and sounds of
his birth country is the foundation for his creativity.
Tico Torres, Bon Jovi drummer, is also a renowned painter. ‘All That Jazz’ is one of the paintings featured in the exhibit.
Today, he uses his rock star status to benefit his
artistic curiosities.
with almost any artist I want. …I can see their
work and learn and discuss art."
"I'm really lucky," Torres says. "I can use my
name to have a cup of coffee or glass of wine
RHYTHM AND HUES
Torres says his inspiration comes from rich life
86
experiences. He recently became a father for the
first time. He's suffered a failed marriage and
embraced a new one. He travels the world
meeting artists - emerging, unknown and
accomplished - on every continent. For more
June 17, 2004 / cont.
than 20 years, he's played with Bon Jovi in soldout concert halls worldwide. He has art exhibits
throughout the world.
Those experiences are expressed on canvas they're bold, vivid and animated. Torres has a
strong, confident style. Walking through Park
West®, he talks about the pieces, which in many
ways are reminiscent of Edvard Munch and the
German Expressionists.
Thoughts of the Past portray Cher, a friend of
his. Another, Gambling Lady, is a portrayal of
how he imagines an elegant casino woman from
years past. Another painting pays homage to
Picasso, one of Torre's favorite artists.
"It's the way I see him," Torres says.
Torres is genuinely curious about the world. He'll
give personal interpretations of his paintings if
asked, but would rather hear the comments from
others.
"Once it's on canvas, it's not mine anymore. It's
for anyone to interpret," he says. "When I paint,
I'll usually play classical music, maybe Mozart,
and I paint what I'm feeling at that moment. …If
it evokes a different emotion on someone else,
that's OK."
Yet if the paintings reflect his emotions, it's
evident that music is more than a career for
Torres. On a stage, behind the drum kit, Torres is
part of a band, a team in which together they
express their creativity through pop rock.
As a painter, the originality is his own. It's his
soul and he isn't afraid to place it out for viewing.
Well maybe a little.
"I'm always nervous when my paintings are hung
at an exhibit for the first time," says Torres. "But
it's a good fear. It's an emotion and that's life."
Scott Jacobs' career as an artist has taken
interesting turns and has been wildly successful.
The San Diego gallery owner received a set of
paints from his wife for Christmas years ago and
Scott Jacobs is one of Harley-Davidson’s handful of official artist. He is part of an exhibit called ‘The Art of Rock n’ Rollin.’
discovered his love for holding the brush.
Soon after, he was painting portraits for
celebrities like Malcolm Forbes, super models
Kim Alexis and Kathy Ireland, and Joan Lunden.
Now Jacobs uses Harley-Davidsons as
inspiration. His style is photo-realistic,
sometimes mixed with a bit of surreal.
Chances are if you've seen a Harley painting, it's
one of Jacobs' pieces; he was Harley's first
official licensed artist.
Jacobs's career is expanding further as he's also
painting wines. Reds and whites, glasses and
bottles.
Both his Harley and wine works can be seen in
the two-man exhibit The Art of Rock 'n Rolling at
Park West Gallery®.
Jacobs, a native of New Jersey, shares the bill
with fellow artist and friend Tico Torres, who also
happens to be the drummer for Bon Jovi.
Jacobs visited Michigan, with Torres, for the
exhibit kickoff - their first ever together.
Jacobs's works have been featured in VQ
Magazine, Art Business News, Easy Rider
Magazine and more. HD enthusiasts like Peter
Fonda, Lorenzo Lamas and John Elway are
collectors of his work.
See it before it rolls out of town July 7.
"I started painting Harleys because I'm really
interested in them and I wanted to paint
something with wide appeal," Jacobs said. "Wine
is so popular, it's something that would be
appealing to hang in a dining room."
87
June, 2004
Midnight
Hour
Staying Alive
John Forte and Suszanne Belanger,
Heather Blasko and Peggy Burkard,
Joan and Joe Stern.
St. Clair Specialty Physicians sponsored ALIVE at Park West
Gallery® on March 25. Proceeds went to the Donate Life
Coalition of Michigan, a group of corporations, non-profits,
individuals and hospitals dedicated to saving lives through
organ and tissue donor awareness.
Jessica Domain & Victoria Ronk, Donna Musto & Barry Rudner
88
March, 2004
PLANTATION FORUM
Art Auction
raises money for kidney disease
By Jaime Lynn Deutsch, Forum Staff Writer
Imagine Picasso and Salvador Dali helping to raise
money for a cause. They are. Well, sort of.
For the first time, the Southeast Florida Chapter of
the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation is having
an art auction fundraiser with Park West Gallery® on
March 28 in Plantation.
This is the second major fundraiser for the year-old
chapter. Sixty-five hundred dollars was raised at
their September Walk event. Susan Edwards,
Chapter Coordinator of the Southeast Florida
Chapter, is not sure how much will be raised at this
auction. The open invitation fundraiser will be in the
large ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel Fort
Lauderdale in Plantation.
"We're hoping for a big showing," Edwards said.
Barbara Dion has been an auctioneer with Park
West® for seven years. More than 600 customframed works of art by famous artists will be featured including paintings, watercolors, mixedmedia works, serigraphs, lithographs, etchings,
hand-hammered metal reliefs, animation art and
sports collectibles.
"We have originals by Picasso, Peter Max, Salvador
Dali, Rembrandt, as well as many other popular
artists," Dion said. "You'll see things at the auction
that are $100 and up, and $10,000 and up."
Pablo Picasso, La Corrida, c. 1960, 19'' x 25 3/4''Aquatint in color on wove paper. Signed in pencil and numbered.
pressure rises and causes more strain on kidneys
and heart. Edwards said it is the most common
genetic disease, affecting 12.5 million people
around the world.
"These monies will be going to research grants to
fund research to find a cure for this disease,"
Edwards said.
"I believe the reason that little is known about this is
because it's not as obvious on the outside. We walk
around and we look normal," she said. "We participate in activities, we go about our daily lives and it
is only in the end stages, when the kidneys are so
compromised that you have to undergo dialysis or
get a kidney transplant, but even then you'd never
know that someone is on dialysis nor had a kidney
transplant," Edwards said.
Currently, the hereditary disease has no cure. If one
parent has the disease, there is a 50/50 chance that
the off spring will be born with it. Kidneys become
enveloped with cysts, and in 60 percent of the
cases, there is kidney failure. As kidneys fail, blood
People also don't speak about it, she said, because
as in any disease, it affects insurance coverage. The
current course of treatment is to keep blood pressure low and keep tabs on a healthy diet. She said
there is no correlation from generation to genera-
All of the artwork is framed and priced at a discount
of 40 to 80 percent off gallery cost. Every piece
comes with a certificate of authenticity.
tion. For example, Edwards received the disease
from her mother. Her mother lived until age 83
before having a massive heart attack and kidney
failure. However, Edwards, who is in her mid-fifties,
will need a kidney transplant within three years.
There are people who have kidney failure in their
20s and then there are those who can live until their
80s or beyond and not have any kidney failure, so
there are no generational guidelines. The good
news: if offspring do not have the disease, it does
not skip a generation. At that point, the gene dies
and future generations are clear.
Admission is $10. The preview begins at 1:30 p.m.
Benefit auction begins at 3. The Renaissance Hotel
Fort Lauderdale is at 1230 South Pine Island Road,
Plantation.
89
October 23, 2003
Peter Max’s
inspire him.
meet,” Max said.
“When I’m painting, 90 minutes can pass and I
don’t know where my mind was...and then I look at
the work and I’m just as amazed as anyone about
with what I see,” he said.
He was also the official artist for the 25th
anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz Festival and
Olympics and opened the Woodstock ‘94 Festival.
© Peter Max 2007
Life intrigues Max, the legendary pop artist who
seems tireless in his travels, his creativity and his
philosophies. He doesn’t have enough time in the
day to do everything he wants. He arrives in Detroit
this week to participate in the Michigan Parkinson
Foundation’s 20th birthday fund-raiser celebration
tonight at Park West Gallery® in Southfield. His
paintings will remain on display at the gallery
through Nov. 26.
Pop artist takes
time to help local
charity this week
The ideas constantly swimming through Peter
Max’s mind are endless.
Currently, he’s contemplating that the human body
has more than 6 million organs that require eight
hours of sleep nightly. He’s pondering the mindboggling number of suns in the galaxy - 250
billion. And he’s thinking about the mediums he’s
been working with recently.
“For the past two months I’ve been drawing,” the
pop artist said last week. “But I feel a change
coming; soon I’ll probably shift to painting.”
He doesn’t know what he will paint or what will
90
Magical
mystery tour
Attending a Parkinson Foundation fund-raiser is
new for Max. The artist is dedicated to
environmental and animal rights causes, but
found space in his heart, and busy schedule, for
this event.
Max donated two pieces of work to auction there.
At press time, he still wasn’t certain which pieces
they would be.
“Probably something patriotic,” Max said, such as
his U.S. flag or Lady Liberty works.
Born in China and living in New York, Max
celebrates the U.S. constantly in his works. After
9/11 he painted portraits of the firefighters killed in
the tragedy. Then, knowing the works were
valuable, he gave each painting to the surviving
families to use however they needed.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
“I’m still in awe over the people whom I get to
The United Nations asked him to create 12 postage
stamps for the first Environmental Summit in 1992.
He was named the Official Artist of the Grammy
Awards, something he’s been honored with five
times. He’s also created numerous works for the
White House.
Max mixes his art with charity because to him both
make the world better. Lately he’s been working
with animal rights groups to spread the word about
veganism - his biggest cause.
For him, there’s a connection between food,
creativity and a peaceful life.
“To be healthy we have to start with our food,” Max
said. “It has to be clean not just for our body, but
for our minds. Eating dead animals kills our bodies
and our souls...eating plant food is eating life and
it feeds our mind...it’s less harmful to our bodies
and it’s less taxing on the world’s precious
resources...it can make the world better for
ourselves and our children.”
“We should live in the moment, but still remember
to take care of the future.”
For Max, visiting Detroit for the charity isn’t work,
but rather a vacation.
“Everyday is like a holiday for me because I never
know what is going to happen, whom I’m going to
see or meet or if I can somehow help someone,” he
said. “Life amazes me everyday.”
September 16, 2003
Art, music make a Dent in funds
needed to aid children’s group
SOUTHFIELD--Bill Haley, a retiree from the
D'Arcy McManus advertising agency, boasted
that he was the only one in the room whose
portrait had been painted by Denny Dent.
Whether that's true or not, 400 people stood in
awe as Dent, a well-known performance artist,
with three paint brushes in each hand, took to
the canvas and created in 15 minutes, an amazing portrait of John Lennon, while moving
gracefully to three popular Beatles songs.
The event, "Denny Dent and His Two-Fisted Art
Attack," was a benefit Friday for the Children's
Center at Park West Gallery® in Southfield. Dent
painted four portraits to music (a bonus since he
was scheduled to paint two).
The Lennon portrait was auctioned for $30,000.
Guests who paid $150 each to attend the event,
were also given an opportunity to enjoy the art
throughout the galleries of Park West®, while
sampling gourmet dishes from 15 of Metro
Detroit's finest restaurants, including Opus One,
MacKinnon's and Common Grill.
The Children's Center is one of the largest, most
diverse child agencies in Michigan, addressing
the needs of more than 7,000 children and families annually through 25 interrelated programs.
Chuck Bennett is a Metro Detroit free-lance
writer and editor of the-real-scoop.com, an
online magazine. Reach him at chuckbennett@
hotmail.com.
Performance artist Denny Dent after his “Two Fisted Attack” at Park West Gallery®.
91
September 16, 2003 / cont.
Park West Gallery® hosts the benefit for The Children’s Center.
15 of Metro Detroit’s finest restaurants provided samples of gourmet dishes.
Park West Gallery® owners Albert and Mitsie Scaglione and performance artist Denny Dent.
Denny Dent paints John Lennon, later auctioned for $30,000.
Gallery Director Morris Shapiro conducted the auction.
92
Performance artist Denny Dent painted four portraits to music to raise funds for the kids.
January 16, 2003
By Linda Chomin
Artistic Expressions
Gallery Showing
Like most kids in the late 1960s and early
'70s, I grew up loving Peter Max's bold
colors and cosmic characters. His art was all
part of the culture at that time. The Beatles
especially spring to mind when someone
mentions Max. He inspired their animated
film Yellow Submarine and I'm sure their
music inspired his upbeat art that at various
times has been labeled pop and neo Fauvist
and expressionist.
© Peter Max 2008
Max admits fame came too quickly and
before long his posters, ties, watches and
jeans became a $1.1 billion dollar industry.
He found himself spending more time away
from his easel. At one time he painted with
more than one brush at a time but
appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and
photo sessions for the cover of Life magazine
drained his artistic spirit. By the early 1970s
he'd had enough. Max found jobs for all but
six of his 75 employees. Those he took with
him into private retreat. For the next 19
years, all he did was paint.
Peter Max visits Park West Gallery® in Southfield Thursday, Jan. 23. His
one man show features 150 vibrantly colored works.
He re-emerged in 1989 with the same
vibrant colors and bold lines. When he came
to town in 1994 to exhibit at Park West
Gallery® in Southfield, I had the opportunity
to interview him in person. This time we
talked by phone about his latest show
opening Thursday, Jan. 23. He's no less in
love with his work now, probably even more
- as one can tell by the 150 paintings,
drawings, collages, serigraphs and mixed
media in the show Maximum Max. Park
West Gallery® owner Albert Scaglione has
pulled out all the stops for this exhibition.
It's a compliment to Max, who he's known
since both were in their mid-twenties.
"Spend a day at my studio and you'll see,
look at my floor. I sometimes paint five to 10
hours a day," Max said.
LOVE FOR AMERICA
Certain themes appear over and over again
in the work. It's nothing planned. The
paintings and drawings simply happen. Max
will tell you a painter's inspiration frequently
comes from outside. An assistant might say,
"Are we going to do the Statue of Liberty for
the Fourth of July?" Painting Lady Liberty is
something he's done every Fourth since
1976. Max has a strong love of America,
even though he was born in Germany and
spent the first 10 years of his life growing up
in Shanghai, China, where his father owned
a department store specializing in European
tailoring. It's a long story, but one Max is
only happy to tell.
"It was an amazing life of spirituality," he
said. "We lived in a Pagoda house set inside
a park that was surrounded by Sikh, Chinese
and Mongolian monasteries. At four to five
in the morning, chanting would begin. I
thought every little European boy lived like
this.
"I learned about America one day when I
was 6 years old when I went to work with
my father. It started to rain and he started
pulling me to walk faster when we passed
a pan-handler displaying colorful things. I
wanted the books. He said no, so I started
to cry. We walked back and he bought all
of them. They were full of color. When we
arrived at our destination, I found myself
with 125 American comic books."
Max learned to read English in British
kindergarten. Soon Tom Mix and Superman
became friends. His sensitivity for a little
boy with polio soon earned him another.
Max would walk him home from school
each day, until one afternoon his mother
invited him to see a movie. For the next four
years, he watched a film every day.
"I became totally knowledgeable about
American iconography," Max said. "I started
following all the stars like Spencer Tracy,
Howdy Doody, Keystone Cops. I loved
93
January 16, 2003 / cont.
long. I don't say, 'Today I'm going to paint
flowers.' I paint without preconceived
discipline. I stand in front of the easel. It's
almost a holy place, a shrine. I watch my
hand move, invent images. Images invent
themselves. I just go and I paint. I'm
painting what comes out. I let it occur. It's
my highest high."
© Peter Max 2008
Max compares his painting to playing blues
and jazz on keyboards, a recreation he
enjoys just for himself. But that's another
story, as are the posters he's designed for
the Grammy's, Super Bowls and World Cup.
Next time you look up in the sky, look for the
colorful Boeing 777 wide-body jet he created
for Continental Airlines.
The Statue of Liberty is one of Peter Max’s favorite themes. He’s painted the subject every Fourth of July since 1976.
America for its invention. I feel I'm more
American than Americans, even though I
came to America at 16. Americans take
everything for granted, but they're the most
creative, generous. America's given freedom
to every race. They're the most inventive. We
invented outer space with Buck Rogers 100
years before we even knew it existed."
INFLUENCES
Those comic books and early years definitely
influenced Max's art. Even though he
dreamed of becoming an astronomer, his
mother's urgings for him to draw won out.
Max expects to return from his opening at
Park West Gallery® with between 40 to 240
drawings.
94
'I became totally knowledgeable about
American iconography. I started following all
the stars like Spencer Tracy.' Peter Max,
artist
"I travel a lot to wonderful gallery openings,
so I bring mixed media with me like colored
pencil," Max said, "I'm drawing in the back of
the limousine, at dinner. What I've discovered
is the drawing wants to draw itself. It's like
going to the park - you don't think about
taking one step then another step. As a
young artist I would put a line here, a line
there. It takes deep practice - practice,
practice, practice. You're working and it's
automatic. I sometime become a voyeur. I'm
into yoga meditation and creativity all day
Max is a fascinating man and artist. He
proudly tells you when he walks away from
the easel he is Peter Max, the animal
protection and human rights person, the
environmentalist. It would take pages to
recount all of his good works and
achievement. And his new book, The Art of
Peter Max, published by Harry Abrams,
does. Most recently he painted portraits of
the 356 firefighters killed in the World Trade
Center then donated them to their families.
Proceeds from a series of six Statue of
Liberty prints (on sale on his Web site www.
petermax.com) went to several of the funds
set up for survivors of the victims. Over the
years, Max has donated his serigraphs to
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals). Of course who would expect less
from a man living with five cats and a
German shepherd-lab mix. That's my kind of
guy.
October 9, 2002
Alumni Magazine | Spring/Summer 2002
ICONS | ALBERT SCAGLIONE
CRASHING INTO THE ART WORLD
When Albert Scaglione, class of 1962, was thirty
years old, he reinvented himself for the love of
beauty, truth and an amazing business now worth
more than $100 million in annual sales. “In 1969,
I saw the specter of nuclear war haunting my
work,” says the former aeronautical engineer. “I
didn’t want my education to be used for that. I
decided I’d rather sell art.”
He attributes his subsequent success to the
values he learned while at NCE: self-reliance,
competition and hard work; and the skills he
gained, particularly problem-solving.
For Scaglione, that training enabled him to realize
that the best solution to his career dilemma was
to leave engineering. He laid out a remarkably
effective business plan to enter a field renowned
for denying financial and professional satisfaction
to so many. And in 1969, he crashed unabashedly
into the art world with no more experience than a
handful of courses, a one-time summer gallery
job and some auction experience. His financial
resources amounted to a mortgage on his home
for ten thousand dollars.
Those were the easy steps for the former academic
with a doctorate in magnetohydrodynamics. His
family life suffered as he frantically opened a
gallery, accumulated artists and simultaneously
gobbled up hundreds of art history books and
artists’ monographs.
“At least, the reading matter was dramatically
easier than anything I had ever done before,” he
says chuckling. Today, although his eye and
knowledge are well established, he has
intentionally surrounded himself with a wellcredentialed staff.
Although self-educated people are common
throughout his field and known as autodidacts,
art world people sometimes snub them.
Scaglione offers, “If I walked into a place and
they treated me poorly, I wouldn’t ask a lot of
questions. I’d just keep walking around, doing
my business.” Deleting the snobbery from
buying art is among his key goals. “I don’t think
it’s appropriate,” he says.
Eventually the tide turned for him as he met more
artists and dealers and became an agent for pop
art icon Peter Max, who is still a dear friend.
Yaacov Agam, the Israeli artist said to be the
father of the kinetic art movement, has been
among Scaglione’s artworld cronies since then.
Today from the entrepreneur’s Southfield,
Michigan-based flagship gallery, Park West – he
calls it the Mother Ship – he annually sells more
than two hundred thousand works. The works
range from fine art paintings and original prints to
collectible animation cells and sports
memorabilia. His galleries and cruise ship
auctions showcase the varied offerings.
Scaglione also publishes quality art prints by
known contemporary artists such as Itzchak
Tarkay of Israel. These and other artists operate
from production studios based in Paris, Tel Aviv
and Detroit that his company operates.
As part of the thriving business, Park West is a
major collector of Picasso prints.
“We own over four
hundred
of them,”
he says.
We also
own prints
by masters
like
Joan
Miro, Marc
Chagall,
Maurits Escher
and Salvador
Dali. He recalls
buying many of
them for under two
hundred dollars
when he’d dash into Manhattan while at NCE to
bid at the venerable former auction house ParkeBernet, which Sotheby’s bought in 1982.
It is perhaps fitting, then, that Scaglione surprised
a student caller this fall during NJIT’s annual
appeal with an extraordinary gift: a portfolio of
serigraphs and lithographs valued at several
hundred thousand dollars from internationally
recognized artists. “No one ever expects a
donation like that during a phonathon,” exclaims
Judy Goss Boyd, vice president of university
advancement.
“The timing is perfect” comments President
Fenster. “We will have three outstanding new
buildings where we can display these works. It’s
important for our students to have a direct art
experience on campus.”
For Scaglione, the point is that in the end, art is
hopefully for everyone. “You want to learn about
art? Come to one of my cruise ship auctions.
You’ll be exposed to a great array of stuff. If that
doesn’t stimulate you, I don’t know what will,” he
concludes, ever the consummate connoisseur,
businessman and NCE alum.
—Sheryl Weinstein
95
March 1, 2000
Park West owner uses style to
expand gallery
®
By Maureen McDonald
Detroit free-lance writer
SOUTHFIELD—Tears stream down Karen
Eichbauer's face while she scrutinizes three Peter
Max paintings the saleswoman selected for her at
Park West Gallery® in Southfield.
She fidgets, twists her neck from one work to
another, then points excitedly at a picture of
two ladies.
"Everything Peter Max does is so happy, I've just
got to have one more," says the West Bloomfield
resident. She pulls out pictures of four of Max's she
already owns.
"I've bought them all at Park West®. They give us
wonderful customer service," Eichbauer said. Her
husband, Paul, nods in unison. Soon they will have
a photo taken of themselves taken with Max, who
flew in that night for an opening reception of
his work.
Nearly 800 art collectors, students and party lovers clustered at the 40,000-square-foot gallery
last week to hear Max talk about his work, ranging
from a new Boeing 777 he painted for Continental
Airlines to a line of greeting card products sold
at Target.
Standing by like a proud cousin, gallery owner
Albert Scaglione notes that Max is one of the
most important artists in America and that Park
West® has the largest selection of his prints
and paintings.
"Look for the red tags on designated prints. We
have special incentives to make a fine work available tonight at a price that fits your budget," said
Scaglione to the assembled crowd, subtly reminding patrons why they've been invited.
96
His aggressive marketing and advertising strategies have set him apart from competitors in this
traditionally conservative business. He does radio
advertisements with WJR's Paul W. Smith and peppers billboards around the region. The result is
quite lucrative. His revenues are beyond $20 million in the privately held firm.
Park West® is midway into a $3-million renovation
that will add 18,000 square feet of gallery and office
space and a redesign that will convert the 1988
modern-looking building to Greek revival.
Scaglione commissioned one of his favorite artists
and architects, Anatole Krasnyansky, to design the
new frontage.
"We're a world leader. We sell more original art of
all kinds than anyone else in the nation," said
Scaglione. He has 300 employees, a facility in
Florida and he runs art auctions in hotels across
the country and on cruise ships around the world.
The former engineering professor got into the gallery business in 1969 with the help of his wife,
Mitsie. Three of their children and a son-in-law
Park West's® Albert Scaglione, right, and artist Peter Max pause at the
gallery. Scaglione has 300 employees, a facility in Florida; he runs
auctions nationally and internationally.
also work with them.
"Art makes people happy. It's not just pictures on a
wall. It's a concept, a statement of something an
artist is communicating to everyone who looks at
the work," Scaglione said.
Artists’ shows, range of promotions build world reputation
Park West Gallery®
What: One of the largest galleries in the nation at 40,000 square feet will expand to 63,000 square feet in late spring and
change its exterior from modern to classic Greek. The gallery exhibits internationally known artists such as Peter Max,
Itzchak Tarkay, Igor Medvedev and Linda LeKinff.
Who: Albert Scaglione, a former engineering professor, sells more than 100,000 pieces of art each year from his gallery,
cruise ships and auctions around the country. He tosses monthly openings with artists to stimulate sales.
Where: 29469 Northwestern, Southfield, MI.
Cost: Pictures range from $100 to $100,000.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday- Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Contact: (248) 354-2343, Toll Free (800) 521-9654 or http://www.parkwestgallery.com
July, 1994
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST
Point of View
Founded twenty-five years ago, the success of Park West Galleries® can be traced
directly to the relationships and rapport we have built with artists like Peter Max,
Tarkay and Yaacov Agam, and the great respect we have for their individual creative
processes.
Park West Galleries' ® success and excellent reputation stem also from a basic
belief upon which the company was established: that art should come to the
people. Our auctions are an outgrowth of this philosophy and, while Park West
Galleries® owns a 40,000 square foot facility in Michigan with 12 exhibit galleries, three times each year we travel to 100 cities throughout the United States
and Canada with more than 400 works for auction.
And people don't have to attend our auctions just to buy. They can come to look,
to experience the works, to be moved by them. At Park West Galleries®, we value
the opportunity to talk with art buyers and non-buyers alike. And on more than one
occasion we have found that, months after talking with a non-art buyer, that person
has remembered our interest and courtesy and recommended us to a collector who
has made a substantial purchase.
Certainly, Park West Galleries®, while founded on a true love of art, is a business.
To remain financially successful, we need to reach collectors; people educated and
appreciative of the creative process, who are inspired by excellence, and who surround themselves with it in every aspect of their lives.
Albert Scaglione
President & Owner, Park West Galleries®
It is through Architectural Digest that we reach just this kind of consumer. In fact,
based upon extensive research done prior to the launch of our ad campaign, we
determined that Architectural Digest had the best overall demographic of every
publication we reviewed - bar none.
On a collecting level, Architectural Digest readers are the kind we want to reach.
They love art and appreciate its origins. And that makes Architectural Digest an
important investment for Park West Galleries.®
97
April, 1993
Movers & Shakers
A Picture is Worth A Million Words
By Maureen McDonald
Detroit free-lance writer
Fine art on the walls of your business can
improve the productivity and creativity of your
workers, welcome your clients and win your
company prestige in the corporate world,
according to Albert Scaglione, proprietor of Park
West Gallery® in Southfield.
Famous for his advertising that encourages the
poster patrons of middle America to enter the
sophisticated, upscale art market, Scaglione is
always anxious to clear up misconceptions about
who can afford original art, and he is always the
teacher. The former university professor uses
information as well as a heavy dose of charm to
sell his art.
Twenty-five years ago, Scaglione left positions at
Wayne State University and Michigan State
University schools of engineering, took out a
second mortgage on his house and opened
Park West Gallery®. The Southfield gallery has
grown from 12,000 to 36,000 square feet,
employs 100 people and grossed $10 million in
1992.
Corporations accounted for five percent of sales
last year. With economic recovery on the way, the
aggressive and engaging art dealer wants to double
that figure. Scaglione is determined to convince
more and more Detroit-area businesses to replace
their Grand Prix and Montreaux Jazz festival
posters with prints by Harold Altman, Itzchak
Tarkay, and Yaacov Agam.
Fine art on your walls is good business, Scaglione
reasons.
He cites the case of a human resources director in
the Netherlands who decided that fine art could
98
improve factory worker
productivity. First he tested
pictures by the old Dutch
masters, then the French
Impressionists and finally vivid
abstracts by Karel Appel. The
workers voted for the modernist,
claiming it made them feel
more energetic and upbeat.
And of course, fine art quietly
says this place has "arrived.
We've got style," he adds
persuasively.
Scaglione calculates a mediumsized company can venture into
the fine art arena for $10,000.
Included in that price would be
eight to 10 "environmentally
correct" prints.
Albert Scaglione discusses a print with visiting artist Erte.
An outstanding art collection
can also put a company on the
map. For instance, Masco Corporation in Taylor
has begun using the Manoogian Collection, put
together by the corporation's chairman, in its
marketing strategy. This "incomparable collection"
of art tours the nation, representing an "outstanding
collection of companies" brought together in a
"magnificent whole." The collection includes work
by Remington, Russell, Cropsey and Cassatt.
Ariadne Magoulias, Vice President/Director of
public relations for Michigan National Bank's
headquarters in Farmington Hills, says the bank
has a collection of works by contemporary
Michigan artists, including Jack Faxon, Bill
Bostick, Shirley Hathaway, and Richard Kozlow.
The artwork celebrates Michigan landmarks and
creativity.
Besides the corporate benefits, Scaglione is pretty
persuasive when he talks about the personal
benefits of fine art. "I love having Altman's
lithographs of Monceau Parc in Paris. I can take a
break, visually stroll through his lovely park and
return to my work, without leaving my desk."
November 7, 1991
Lovely ladies
By Linda Ann Chomin
Special Writer
dazzle show of Tarkay art
Artist Itzchak Tarkay of Israel unites color, line and the female form
in his largest exhibition to date, “Intimate Moments,” at Park West
Gallery® through November 21.
Master of color, line and female form, Itzchak
Tarkay of Israel, portrays beautiful ladies in
"Intimate Moments" at Park West Gallery®, 29469
Northwestern Highway, Southfield, through Nov.
21.
It's the largest exhibition to date by the
internationally recognized painter.
Tarkay focuses on the female figure by using
simplicity of form and line, along with a rich
palette not unlike Toulouse-Lautrec, to create
sensitive portraits of elusive ladies.
His work has been compared to masters Henri
Matisse, Paul Gaugin and Edgar Degas along with
other Post-Impressionists and Fauvists (Wild
Elongated flow of color and strong vertical movement draw the eye into “Lady in Yellow” by Tarkay. Inspired by Near Eastern art, the
figure pulls you across the gallery, luring you with seductive line, vibrant color and porcelain-like skin.
Beasts). There's a hint of Cezanne in his twodimensional figures. There's even a hint of early
Picasso.
Tarkay's ladies, in pure red, green, yellow and
black, dazzle viewers of this 169-piece exhibition,
which includes 57 paintings, 28 watercolors, 15
drawings and 69 serigraphs.
"I am extremely honored to host the Tarkay
exhibition," said Albert Scaglione, Park West®
president. "It is because of the size of our gallery
and our five year relationship with Tarkay, we are
able to present the largest exhibition to date."
This historic exhibition fills all 12 galleries of the
museum-like Park West®. Only twice in the
gallery's existence has Scaglione devoted his
99
November 7, 1991 / cont.
Exhibition dazzles
entire space to a single artist.
Mounting an exhibition this size is a feat surpassed
only by the work of Tarkay.
"Tarkay has a great history behind him. As an
artist, he is a great colorist; the way he puts colors
on the canvas, a great composer. His flowing
line…Tarkay has the ability to handle line,"
Scaglione said.
Tarkay received his training at Bezalel Academy of
Art in Jerusalem and Avni Institute of Fine Art in
Tel Aviv, studying under Mokadi and Streichman.
He set aside painting after a brush with abstraction
and the New Horizons group while in Avni.
After a 15-year hiatus, Tarkay picked up his brush
under the guidance of Rosenthalis. Within three
years, his painting evolved into the Tarkay seen
today.
"Tarkay has lived through very dangerous times
from a childhood spent at Mauthausen
concentration camp to the bombings of Tel Aviv
earlier this year. I feel it is because of this, his work
is endowed with a freedom and spirit that is very
exciting, very powerful."
It is the way he uses his palette that is distinctly
Tarkay. His reds are not red but ruby, scarlet,
cherry and crimson. Long, elegant ladies dressed
in black reflect not a somber tone, but are dark,
mysterious.
"Tarkay takes the Fauvist's colors," Scaglione said,
"the green, the red. He has the ability to take colors
that are so strong and vibrant and make them work
together."
Dry-brushed acrylic on canvas, “Garden Party” by Tarkay is melancholy and Matisse-like. The picture plane is broken into flat shapes of color,
separated by thin black lines. Unusual for Tarkay is the fact he introduced background.
make sketches and she go away. Then I finish
sketches. Then I give it color. Then I finish, when
I color," Tarkay said, reaching for the right English
words in an interview at Park West®.
Before Tarkay begins to paint, his palette is a
mystery. "I don't know. Most of the time I know
not even what I'm doing. The colors just (come)
out."
Tarkay drew both hands to his heart, then extended
them outward toward one of the acrylic canvasses
on the wall. "I try to explain (it) to myself. How can
I put this green or blue or pink together?"
Scaglione pointed to "The Dream," a portrait of a
woman dressed in a pure black evening dress.
"That is a beautiful, pure palette."
Tarkay shrugged his shoulders and continued to
speak passionately about his painting. "I don't try
to be nice in your eyes. I do it for myself. If you like
it, I'm happy."
In a simple studio in Tel Aviv, Tarkay's new works
begin with a model. "Model come for few hours. I
Painting is an everyday affair for Tarkay. "Everyday
average is 10 hours, sometimes 14 hours," Tarkay
100
said. "Seven o'clock is like I'm employed. At seven
o'clock, I'm in the studio. Even if I don't have a
good feeling. I start to do painting."
A recent 57-day trip to Paris, New York, Tokyo and
a stop in London to open a major exhibition of his
work did not prevent Tarkay from painting.
"I go back now to my hotel room. Take paper, take
watercolor paint, then work," Tarkay said. "I
continue to work. Not under control like you take
air. I can do other. Still, painting is biggest part of
my life."
The vibrant color, flowing line and inherent beauty in
the faces lacking detail is distinctly Tarkay.
Gallery Events
FANCH LEDAN
IN PERSON FEBRUARY 12
EXHIBITION & SALE
February 12 - March 25, 2004
Salvador Dali, Surrealist Master
1904-2004
A Centennial Exhibition and Sale
Alfred Gockel
Introducing
in person at
Park West Gallery • April 29, 2004
Park West Gallery® events
I remember the first time I ever saw the Picasso etching
“Femme assise et Femme de Dos”. It was 1974 and I was in
Paris in the apartment of Henri Petiet, the extraordinary art
dealer. It was during one of those wonderful afternoons I
spent with him that I watched in amazement when he took
an entire Suite Vollard (all 100 original works) and like a
deck of cards spread them out across the piano he used as a
table for viewing art.
Although I collected my first Picasso in the 60's, it wasn’t
until I met Henri Petiet that my Picasso collecting changed
from a pastime to a passion.
Petiet bought the estate of Ambrose Vollard, another great
art dealer who represented both Picasso and Renoir during
their lifetimes. Vollard is best remembered for
commissioning Picasso to create 100 etchings and
engravings between 1932 and 1934. This body of work
would come to be known as the “Suite Vollard”. These
works were initially not signed by Picasso, but over the
years Petiet paid Picasso to sign many of them.
I learned many things from Petiet during my visits ~ that
the signing of the Suite Vollard works were typically on
Sundays ~ that Petiet would bring lots of sharp pencils ~
that the signatures varied greatly as the pencils would be
worn down to a nub by Picasso ~ that not all of the Suite
Vollard works were hand signed by Picasso ~ that the great
works (according to Petiet the great ones were those he
could sell for the most money) were all signed and that
many of the less desirable ones were not.
There is so much more I could write about Petiet and those
wonderful meetings in Paris ~ his antique trains ~ his
fascinating stories ~ his Renoir collection ~ his recollection
of Georges Roualt as a "brute of a man" ~ his telling me that
he had cancelled an appointment with the curator of a "large
New York museum" so that he could see me “that day” (I
remember feeling a bit awkward at the time) ~ his nearly
perfect English spoken with a British accent and just a hint of
French.
In Paris, I also worked with Maurice Jardot, director of the
Galerie Louise Leuris. This distinguished gallery was the
last publisher of Picasso and I remember my visits as being
extraordinary collecting and dealing experiences.
I remember bringing Jardot an example of the extremely
rare lithograph "Portrait of Jacqueline" so that he could
determine whether or not it was authentic. After his very
thorough inspection and my feeling like I was watching
Sherlock Holmes on one of his missions, he finally spoke to
me. Here is what I learned that day: the work had likely
been stolen from the printing atelier when it should have
been destroyed; it was a flawed working proof that Picasso
never had any intention of signing; both the signature and
the numbers were in the wrong places on the paper; the
numbering did not match the handwriting of the actual
numberer; small plate marks on the paper (almost invisible
to the naked eye) were not on any of the signed works;
small pinholes in the paper, caused by the proofing process,
were not on any of the signed works. In short it was a
forgery. More importantly, he patiently and carefully
explained each step of the process and how he arrived at the
fact. During that and other visits I spent many hours
learning. It was a pleasure and a privilege I will never forget.
This exhibition spans five decades during which Park West®
has both collected and sold thousands of original works of
Picasso. Although I never had the good fortune of meeting
Picasso when he was alive, with this exhibition we pay
tribute to him for the contribution his work has made in
building our new gallery. This is the first Picasso exhibition
and sale in the new space. It takes up three of the 23 galleries
here and is the beginning of an ever changing, but permanent
installation of Picasso work at the new Park West®.
Albert Scaglione
Park West Gallery®
102
I remember how I sometimes felt overwhelmed as I
stood with Madame Aime Maeght viewing literally
hundreds and hundreds of Chagalls over the years. The
most exciting part was that I was not just viewing them,
but buying them. The Maeght Galerie of Paris published
many of the lithographs Chagall did during his lifetime.
I was privileged to be a prime dealer, that is, to be
allowed to buy at least one and often more examples of
new releases of Chagall. The late sixties and seventies
were particularly rich times for me at the Galerie
Maeght. Not only would I be collecting new Chagall
works, but new Miro works, who was also published by
the Galerie Maeght. It was at the Galerie that I met
these great masters. It was an experience, or better yet,
a whole series of experiences that I shall never forget.
Most amazing, my visual memory of the artists is that
Miro seemed to me more like an accountant, prim and
proper and dressed in a suit. By contrast, Chagall had
a peculiar and happy look about him which always
caused me to smile and enjoy just being in his presence.
Chagall also published works with the well-known Mazo
Gallery in Paris. My work there with Mr. Mazo and his
assistant Yves Lebouc were enriching experiences, where I
was again privileged to be a prime dealer able to buy one
or more examples of all new releases.
In preparing this exhibition I enjoyed remembering so
many rich experiences I had in building the Park West
Gallery® Chagall collection. The works seemed like old
friends which would come and go. To look at some of
these works and realize that I had actually bought and
sold different examples of the same image more than ten
times fortunately did not make me feel older but extremely
enriched.
Just to catalog the lithographs of Marc Chagall took six
volumes. Chagall was one of the most prolific and
dominant printmakers of the twentieth century. When
compared to the three other great contemporary masters,
Picasso, Miro, and Dali, he was the greatest colorist of all.
The key note to this exhibition is the opportunity to view
extraordinary works in color which were created by
Chagall over a wide range of years-from the twenties to
the eighties. We are particularly pleased to offer a number
of works from the Bible, initially created in the thirties,
but completed slowly and over many years during which
Chagall hand-painted each of the etchings. The subtle use
of color to enhance and enrich each of the etchings in a
way unique for each one is an extraordinary testament to
the dedication, hard work, energy and power that was
Chagall.
We are fortunate to have a selection of works from the
sixties, including the "Daphnis and Chloe" series and the
"Circus" series. These lithographs rank with the greatest
lithographs created by any artist during the entire
twentieth century. To offer works from the twenties,
when Chagall was still a budding and developing young
talent, is a treat. Several will be at this exhibition and sale.
No amount of writing, however, can equal the experience
of becoming intimately involved with one of these works
through the pleasure of just being with it and viewing it.
Like our Picasso exhibition, this exhibition covers five
decades during which Park West® has both collected and
sold thousands of original works of Chagall. This is the
first Chagall exhibition and sale in our new space. It takes
up three of the 23 galleries here and is the beginning of an
ever changing, but permanent, installation of Chagall
work at the new Park West®.
Albert Scaglione
Park West Gallery®
103
5HPEUDQGW
at PARK W EST G ALLERY • September 27 ‐ October 24, 2002
TOULOUSE-LAUTREC
and the
MARCUS GLENN
BELLE EPOCH
PARK WEST GALLERY®
AUGUST 24, 25 & 26
Sale Ends September 13
104
FANCH LEDAN
IN PERSON FEBRUARY 12
EXHIBITION & SALE
February 12 - March 25, 2004
Salvador Dali, Surrealist Master
1904-2004
A Centennial Exhibition and Sale
105
Alfred Gockel
Introducing
in person at
Park West Gallery • April 29, 2004
106
29469 Northwestern • Southfield, MI 48034
Phone (248) 354-2343 or Toll Free (800) 521-9654
Type “Park West” in any search engine OR go directly to www.parkwestgallery.com

Park West Gallery

Transcription

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