Auction Hits in the Rhode Island Market
On view March 6th – April 19th
Providence, RI. Bert Gallery, located along the Providence waterfront at Corliss Landing, 540 South Water Street, continues the taking a look 2007 theme series with the topic Auction Hits in the Rhode Island Market from March 6th through to April 19th. Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Friday from 11 – 5pm, Saturdays 12 - 4pm or by appointment. Exhibits are free and open to the public.
The billion-dollar art auction market is booming across the world and some Rhode Island artists are making their mark. Who are the 19th and early 20th century Rhode Island artists who have hit auction highs? What if an artist sells for $5,000 in a gallery and $500 at a Sotheby’s auction—how do you interpret the data? Visit Bert Gallery and get an insider’s look at how different Rhode Island artists are faring in the auction market. Find out about the secondary market, a critical component in securing an artists’ reputation in the art world.
- Mabel May Woodward (1877 – 1948) is a Rhode Island artist known beyond state borders by collectors. She is an artist who has accumulated auction records of $59,500 in 1997, $58,500 in 2001 and $57,500 in 2006. Yet, despite a consistent auction profile in beach scenes her landscapes sell for $2,000 - $3,000.
- Art historians recognize Edward Bannister (1826 – 1901) as a more significant player in art history than Woodward. Bannister was the first African American to win an art medal in the United States. His highest auction price is $54,000, lower than Mabel. How can that be?
- A painting by F. Usher De Voll (1873 – 1941) of the East River, New York City in winter, was estimated to sell at Christie’s in New York in 1989 for between $20,000 - $30,000. It sold for $31,000. That exact same painting in 2006 sold at Sotheby’s for $66,000, surpassing the $30,000 - $40,000 estimate. Wow!
During this Bert Gallery exhibit unravel the mysteries of Rhode Island artists
in the auction market and try to discover the answers to these perplexing contradictions.
Programs
March Gallery Program:
Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 4pm: Auction History — Gender Differences
in the Art Market.
Thursday, March 15, 2007 during Gallery Night Providence: How to research a woman artist--A demonstration of the new “Clara“ database launched by the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
April Gallery Program:
Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 4pm: What does auction data mean? Discover the
inner workings of the auction market.
For more information on Bert Gallery, Taking a Look 2007 theme series or historic Rhode Island artists contact Catherine Bert at 401 751 2628 or e-mail at info@bertgallery.com
