Park West Gallery
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Albert Scaglione |
| Headquarters | , |
| Website | www |
Park West Gallery is a commercial art gallery founded in 1969 by Albert Scaglione. Based in Southfield, Michigan, USA. The 63,000-square-foot (5,900 m2) gallery is open for public and educational visits. It employs 1,000 staff globally and states its annual revenue as $300–$400 million. It exhibits include historic artists such as Renoir as well as contemporary artists such as Peter Max and Yaacov Agam. It sells works that range anywhere from hundreds of dollars to $1 million. It funds the philanthropic Park West Foundation.[1][2][3]
In 1993, Park West began to stage art auctions on cruise liners, and is now the largest promoter of these events, which provide more than half of its revenue. Park West sells approximately 300,000 pieces of artwork annually, making it one of the world's largest art dealers.[4]
History
Founding
Park West Gallery was founded in 1969 by Albert Scaglione in Southfield, Michigan. Scaglione had been a teacher of mechanical engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit. He left engineering to open the gallery. Early on, Scaglione bought Escher prints for $50 and was able to retail them for many times that price.
The gallery's original location was at Nine Mile and Telegraph Roads in Southfield. There, the gallery held weekly auctions in its 20 x 60 ft. storefront. Scaglione began to arrange for auctions in neighboring cities such as Flint, Mich., and Toledo, Ohio. He eventually took the auctions to Texas and Florida. [5]
Growth
Scaglione established relationships with many artists, and by 1972, Park West had outgrown its facility. The company relocated to a larger building in the same city. The current building, its third location in Southfield, opened in January 1980 with an exhibit featuring Laszlo Duus. There are 23 exhibition rooms that show a total of 500 to 1,000 works of art at any given time. Scaglione and his wife, Mitsie, have assigned business roles to their children, making Park West Gallery a family-run business. [1][2]
In addition to its main gallery and art conservation facility in Southfield, Michigan, Park West operates a facility in Miami Lakes, Florida and maintains a catalog and Internet sales business. The 181,000-square-foot structure serves as a gallery and framing and distribution center. It has more than once been voted as the best art gallery in Metro Detroit by voters in contests run by local television station WDIV and Hour Detroit Magazine.[6][7]
The gallery has held several educational exhibitions from classic artists, including Dali, Rembrandt and Picasso and modern artists, such as Yaacov Agam, Itzchak Tarkay and Peter Max.6 Artwork ranges from paintings, etchings, drawings, animation art and sports memorabilia. Park West Gallery has exclusive rights to frame and auction Muhammad Ali memorabilia. [5][8][9]
Art Auctions on land and at sea
Since 1993, Park West Gallery has been conducting fine art auctions in hotels and aboard cruise ships, and is the largest business in this field.
The gallery holds private auction events at hotels including Ritz Carlton properties throughout the United States. The multi-day events feature the work of living artists who often attend and meet with collectors.
Park West also sells art on the Holland America, Oceania, Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival and Regent cruise lines, and formerly on Royal Caribbean line. Park West states that it is "the world's largest art dealer" based on its volume of sales. The auctions, like shows, gambling and shopping, are a popular aspect of entertainment during the cruise, and provide concessionary income for the cruise operator.[10]
Park West Gallery employs 200 staff in Oakland County, Michigan and over 1,000 worldwide. The gallery is open to the public and provides a service for educational visits.
The company also funds the not-for-profit Park West Foundation, which provides philanthropic support to various groups.
Morris Shapiro is the gallery director and has been part of the company for 25 years. He said the gallery has created a "new paradigm in how art is presented to the public."
Park West Gallery does not reveal financial reports, as it is privately owned. Scaglione stated the 2007 revenue was $300–$400 million. More than half of its revenue comes from auctions on cruise-ships, with the remaining from its promotions in hotels and sales in its gallery locations.[11]
Gallery
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Park West main gallery
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Exhibit room
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Corridor
Artists
Park West Gallery has sold and represented the artwork of more than 200 artists, including:
| Artist | Medium | Style/Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Itzchak Tarkay | painter, watercolorist | post-impressionist influence |
| Marcel Mouly | painter | abstract |
| Yaacov Agam | sculptor | optical and kinetic art |
| M. C. Escher (Maurits Cornelis Escher) | woodcuts, lithographs, mezzotints | graphic art |
| Thomas Kinkade | painter | realistic, bucolic |
| Autumn de Forest | painter, acrylic, oil, encaustic | abstract |
| Victor Vasarely | painter, sculptor | op art |
| Albert Dürer | painter, engraver, printmaker | Northern Renaissance |
| Alexander Calder | sculptor | kinetic art |
| Alvar | painter, sculptor and lithographer | abstract art |
| Alphonse Mucha | painter | Art Nouveau |
| Anatole Krasnyansky | painter, set design | Watercolor |
| Aristide Maillol | painter, sculptor, decorative arts | Classical Art |
| Armand Guillaumin | painter, lithographer | French impressionist |
| Charles Bragg | sculptor, painter, artist | Satirical |
| Bob Kane | comic book art, animation | Pen and ink, comic books and animation, creator of Batman |
| Csaba Markus | artist, oil painter, sculptor, glass art and publisher | Printmaking, etching, serigraphy |
| Lebo (David Le Batard) | painting and graphic art | "post modern cartoon expressionism," graphic art, live painting, murals |
| David Willardson | fine art | Disney movie posters and album covers |
| Erté | artist, designer, decorative arts | Fashion, jewelry, graphic art, costume design, set design, interior decor and interior design |
| Félix Mas | painter | oil painting and graphic works |
| Fransisco Goya | painter and printmaker | Romantic, regarded as last of Old Masters and first of New Moderns |
| Georges Braque | painter, sculptor | Impressionism, Cubism |
| Gino Hollander | painter | Abstract Expressionist |
| Harrison Ellenshaw | painter | matte painting, mixed media fine art |
| Heddy Kun | painter | naturalistic and Impressionistic styles |
| Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec | printmaker, draughtsman and illustrator | Post-Impressionistic |
| Henri Matisse | painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor | classical tradition in French art, and Modern Art |
| Henriette Wyeth | painter | still life and portraiture |
| Henry Moore | sculptor, painter | semi-abstract, monumental bronze |
| Jack Youngerman | painter, sculptor | geometric abstraction |
| Jamie Wyeth | painter: oil, watercolor, tempura | realist, Brandywine School tradition |
| Jan Balet | painter, graphic artist, illustrator | naïve art, satire |
| Joan Miró | painter, sculptor, ceramicist | surrealist, Dadaism |
| LeRoy Neiman | painter, oil, enamel, water color, screen prints | expressionism |
| Marc Chagall | painting, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramic, tapestries and fine art prints | early modernist |
| Martín Chambi | photographer | landscape, Inca ruins, people |
| Martiros Manoukian | painter | mixed media |
| Maurice de Vlaminck | painter | Fauve movement, modern art |
| Mihail Chemiakin | painter, stage designer, sculptor and publisher | nonconformist art tradition |
| Misha Lenn | painter, watercolor | impressionism influences |
| Nelson De La Nuez | collage, mixed media | Pop art |
| Zamy Steynovitz | painter, oil, watercolor | modernist |
| Norman Rockwell | painter, illustrator | realism |
| Pablo Picasso | painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and stage designer | co-founder of Cubist movement, inventing constructed sculpture, co-inventor of collage, plastic arts |
| Paul Cézanne | painting | Post-Impressionist |
| Scott Jacobs | painter | photorealism |
| Alexander Chen | painter | hyper-realism |
Other artists include Al Schreiber, Alain Ragaru, Alex Meilichson, Alex Pauker, Alex Perez, Alexander and Wissotzky, Alexander Grinshpun, Alfred “Alex” Gockel, Alicia Quaini, Alvar, Amram Ebgi, Anatoly Metlan, András Markós, Andre Bardet, Andrew Bone, Andrew Francis, Andrew Warden, Anne Aderman, April Wagner, Arbe, Ari Gradus, Arkady Ostritsky, Autumn De Forest, Barbara A Wood, Bernard Louédin, Brian Jull, Calman Shemi, Carol Jablonsky, Cathi Whiting, Charles Lee, Charles Penny, Claude Cambour, Claude Goutin, Cynthia Ruskin, Dan Goad, Daniele Cambier, Danko, David Dodsworth, David Freeman, David Najar, David Schluss, Deneille Spohn Moes, Destino, Dima Gorban, Dimitri Polak, Dominic Pangborn, Dominique De Serres, Douglas Hofmann, Duaív, Edgar Barrios, Emile Bellet, Fabio Hurtado, Francois “Fanch” Ledan, Francois Boucheix, Gary Benfield, Gerard Vieillevie, Gigi Boldon, Grediaga Kief, Hazel Soan, Helen Rundell, Holland Berkley, Hua Chen, Igor Medvedev, Ingrid Alvarez, J. B. Berkow, Jacqueline Badord, James Coleman, James Flood, Jana Lee, Jane Wooster Scott, Janet Treby, Japanese Woodcuts, Jean Claude Novaro, Jean-Claude Carsuzan, Jean-Claude Picot, Jeffery Rivers, Jeremy Barlow, Jim Collins, Jo Anne Hook, Joanna Tyka, John Hammond, John Svenson, Julian Askins, Kenneth Shotwell, Lebadang, Leslie Lew, Linda Le Kinff, Littorio Del Signore, Louis Robichaud, Lucelle Raad, Marc Courtemanche, Marcus Glenn, Mark Kanovich, Mark Newman, Marko Mavrovich, Maya Green, Michael Judge, Michael Kachan, Michael Milkin, Miguel Avataneo, Mike Kupka, Mikulas Kravjansky, Moshe Leider, Myron “Grim” Natwick, Nano Lopez, Nicole Gourdon, Nicole Suzanne Stahl, Noah, Otto De Souza Aquiar, Pat McManus, Peter Nixon, Pierre Eugene Cambier, Pino, Rachael Robb, Raymond Peynet, Raymond Poulet, Richard Williams, Robert Kipniss, Ron Agam, Rory Browne, Roy Fairchild, Roy Tonkin, Russell Baker, Sabzi , Scott Jacobs, Shafira Yablonski, Shan-Merry, Shari Erickson, Sharie Hatchett Bohlmann, Shkelqim Dani, Shlomo Alter, Slava Brodinsky, Slava Ilyayev, Sonia Del Signore, Steve Hanks, Susan Andreasen, Tiefeng Jiang, Tim Yanke, Tina Smith, Tricia B. Benson, Urbain Huchet, Victor Spahn, Victoria Montesinos, Wendy and Kevin Schaefer-Miles, William Crighton, William Lee, Yulia Langer, Yuval Wolfson. [12]
Community Outreach
Park West Gallery lends its gallery to 501(c)(3) charities to use for fundraisers, and has established The Park West Foundation to support New Directions for Youth, an organization that helps young people who have aged out of the foster care system reach their career and life goals. [13][14]
The southeast Florida branch of the polycystic kidney disease foundation held an art auction fundraiser with the gallery in Plantation, Fla., where more than 600 framed and discounted works of art were eligible for auction.[15]
In 2008, Park West donated more than $25,000 to Grace Centers of Hope to assist in the completion of a dormitory building the organization was constructing.[16]
In Sept. 2010, the gallery made donations of artwork and $1.5 million worth of clothes through its Park West CARES initiative. Six charitable organizations were the recipients of the donations: Grace Centers of Hope, Covenant House, HAVEN of Oakland County, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Vista Maria and Detroit Rescue Mission. Eleven Thomas Kinkade paintings and 600 new items of clothing were donated to the Grace Centers of Hope non-profit on this occasion. A total of 3,500 articles of clothing were donated to these organizations. [17][18]
Cruise auction disputes
In 2008, complaints were reported by The New York Times and other media about the conduct of auctions, and a class lawsuit has been filed concerning the valuation of items sold. The company has dismissed these complaints as unfounded. In July 2008, The New York Times published an article citing complaints by six individuals, concerning sales tactics, certification and valuation of work, and money-back promises. One buyer said he later discovered that a Picasso print which he had been advised by Park West was a "good investment" at $35,000 (he won it for $24,265) had been sold at Sotheby's two years previously for $6,150. USA Today and other media carried similar reports.[4][19][20][21] Some refunds have been made to customers with a confidentiality clause. Scaglione said the gallery had spent "hundred of thousands of dollars" on establishing valuations through independent consultants. Most of all claims against the gallery had been settled or dismissed.[22][23]
In April 2008, a Florida and a California resident filed class action lawsuits, accusing Park West of misrepresenting the value of artwork. Scaglione said, "We’ve got over a million clients and we make an effort to satisfy every one of them. Sometimes you have disingenuous people who buy things for not good reasons, and we get set up." In September 2008, the gallery instituted a policy where any item bought from them could be returned for a refund (less the buyer's premium) or exchanged for another artwork within specified timeframes.[22]
References
- ^ a b Scott, Mike. "Gallery's cruise ship strategy makes splash with art sales", Oakland Business Review, 22 May 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2008.
- ^ a b "The Park West Foundation". Philanthropy. parkwestgallery.com. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
- ^ Miller, Jennie (June 29, 2009). "City Honors 40 years of Park West Gallery". Southfield Sun.
- ^ a b Finkel, Jori (2008-07-16). "Art Auctions on Cruise Ships Lead to Anger, Accusations and Lawsuits". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b Forman, Minehaha (November 2007). "Going Once, Going Twice: The Business of Art". dbusiness.
- ^ Curcuru, Vito (2010-10-07). “Park West Gallery voted top art gallery in the Detroit area.” examiner.com
- ^ "Best of Detroit", Hour Magazine 2013
- ^ Forman, Minehaha (November 2007). "Going Once, Going Twice: The Business of Art". dbusiness.
- ^ Forbes, Jamie Ellin (2009-04-16). “Park West Gallery Celebrates 40 Years.” Fine Art Magazine.
- ^ Miller, Mike (May 22, 2008). "Gallery's Cruise Ship Strategy Make Splash with Art Sales". Oakland Business Review.
- ^ Forbes, Jamie Ellin (2009-04-16). “Park West Gallery Celebrates 40 Years.” Fine Art Magazine. Retrieved 2013-10-15.
- ^ "Artists - Park West Gallery".
- ^ Patterson, L. Brook (Sept. 26, 2010). "Local People Have Given Back to County". The Oakland Press.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Keating, Patrick (March 15, 2013). "Park West Foundation helps youth transition out of foster care". Michigan Chronicle.
{{cite news}}: Missing|author1=(help) - ^ Deutsch, Jaime Lynn “Art Auction Raises Money for Kidney Disease.” Plantation Forum.
- ^ Sept. 8, 2010. “Park West Gallery donates clothing, art to Grace Centers of Hope.” Michigan Chronicle
- ^ “Park West Gallery donates clothing, art to Grace Centers of Hope.” Michigan Chronicle
- ^ "Park West Gallery donates 3.500 items of new clothing to non-profits". Detroit Free Press. Aug. 8, 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Cruise Art Auctions: Great Bargain or Lousy Deal?". Inside Edition. CBS News. 2008-02-11. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ Wagner, Dennis (2008-04-09). "Gullible travels: art sales at sea". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ *Yancey, Kitty Bean (2001-02-09). "Cruise lines draw profits from selling works of art". USA Today. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ^ a b "Lawsuit reinstated against Park West over art sold on cruise ships". Crain's Detroit Business. September 10, 2013. Cite error: The named reference ":8" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Finkel, Jori (2008-07-16). “Art Auctions on Cruise Ships Lead to Anger, Accusations and Lawsuits.” The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-10-17
Further reading
- Scaglione, Albert (2008-08-10). "Auctions in the Art World". letter to the editor responding to the paper's allegations. The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
The article also did not point out what is widely known in the art world: market values cannot be based on what happens in a single auction sale on one specific day. This of course is especially true if only a limited number of bidders participated and a limited number of individuals were aware that the auction sale was being conducted.
- Aguilar, Julio (2008-08-10). "Defraudan a turistas con venta de 'arte'" (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 2008-08-12.