LAS VEGAS – Following the success of its four-day spring auction event that featured an astounding variety of antique toys, Victorian Casino Antiques will host its next auction Oct. 11-13, beginning at 9 a.m. Pacific time each day. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
In addition to a variety of vintage toys, the auction will feature 1,700 lots of rare and unique collectibles, including gas and oil memorabilia, advertising materials, art, cash registers and a great selection of VCA’s signature coin-operated machines.
Just a few highlights of the toy selection include a Buddy “L” Outdoor Railroad train from the 1920s, a 1950s-era X-53 Western Flyer boy’s bicycle with headlight, taillights and pinstriping and a Sturditoy dump truck from the 1920s.
Among the stunning collection of auto, gas and oil memorabilia are a beautifully restored, antique Texaco dual-pump oil cart, a massive, vintage Mobilgas Pegasus porcelain sign ready for hanging and a 6-foot-wide Ford oval logo neon sign in excellent condition.
Coin-op collectors are rarely disappointed by the specimens up for bid at VCA’s auctions, and the selection at the fall auction is sure to draw plenty of interest, including items such as a rare J.P. Seeburg Co. “Grand Champion” horse race payout machine from 1935, complete with hard-to-find stand and keys; a circa 1903 5-cent “Little Novelty Store” countertop trade simulator in original condition that includes prizes and prize slips; and a 7-foot-tall Yale Wonder Clock advertising and music-playing coin-op from the turn of the 20th century.
For more information phone Dan Sidlow at 702-382-2466.
Platinum ring with 20K gold mounting containing 5.16ct pear shaped fancy deep grayish yellowish green GIA certified natural-colored diamond. Surrounded by 26 round pink diamonds weighing approximately .14ct tw, 18 round blue diamonds weighing approximately, .74 ct tw, 65 round white diamonds weighing approximately, .77 ct and two vivid orange yellow pear shape natural colored diamonds weighing approximately, .60 and .67 cts each. Est. $150,000-$180,000. Morphy Auctions image. DENVER, Pa. – A spectacular array of colored diamonds and a fresh collection of fine artworks assembled in the 1950s and ’60s top the long list of highlights in Morphy Auctions’ Nov. 1-2 Fine & Decorative Art sale. In all, 1,200 lots will be offered, and LiveAuctioneers will provide the Internet live bidding.
Day one will glitter with a first-class selection of jewelry, precious coins and silver, starting with 100 coin lots from the Pa. Treasury’s Bureau of Unclaimed Property.
“This is our third consignment of valuables from the Commonwealth’s vaults, and the quality continues to amaze me,” said Morphy Auctions CEO Dan Morphy. “In addition to silver dollars, we’ll be auctioning 5, 10 and 20-dollar gold pieces, plus a variety of fine jewelry. This arrangement has worked out so well for both sides that the Pennsylvania Treasury has chosen to continue its arrangement with Morphy’s next year.”
More than 100 lots of silver wares will follow the Treasury goods. The grouping includes teapots, candlesticks, a 48-piece Tiffany sterling flatware service, $2,000-$3,000; and a 6-piece Mexican silver tea and coffee set, $3,000-$4,000. An S. Kirk & Son sterling pedestal centerpiece is estimated at $3,500-$5,500.
Next up will be a 300-lot selection of fine jewelry and timepieces. Men’s watches are led by an 18K gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual, $6,000-$8,000; and a Brietling two-tone model with diamond bezel, $6,000-$8,000.
Of the jewelry lots featuring GIA-certified natural-colored diamonds, several are expected to bring six-figure prices, including a 20K gold ring with a 5.16ct pear-shape fancy gray, yellow and green diamond surrounded by 26 round pink diamonds weighing 1.5 carats and 18 round blue diamonds weighing .75 carats.
The highest-estimated jewelry lot is a platinum ring set with a 2.16ct fancy gray-blue oval-shape diamond and surrounded by 25 pink diamonds weighing 1.2 carats. The center diamond is graded Si1 for clarity, and the ring is estimated at $175,000-$200,000. A 5.06ct cushion-shape loose diamond, VS2, color G, is entered with a $90,000-$110,000 estimate. Other exciting diamond lots include an 18K gold ring with 1.06ct vivid yellow-orange oval diamond, Si1, color G, estimated at $22,000-$25,000; and a ring featuring a 1.02ct fancy puplish-pink cushion-shape diamond, Si1, estimated at $60,000-$70,000.
Many highly regarded mid-century American artists are represented in the fine art collection to be auctioned in the Saturday session. The collection descended through a New Jersey family and has remained intact ever since, making it a particularly fresh and desirable offering.
One of the top prizes is a Grandma Moses (American, 1860-1961) oil on board titled “First Snow,” which the consignor’s parents purchased in 1961 from Galerie St. Etienne, in New York. It retains its original artist’s label and inventory number on verso. The 8in by 13in work is a classic Grandma Moses winter landscape and is illustrated in Otto Kallir’s 1974 reference titled “Grandma Moses.” Estimate: $18,000-$22,000.
Also from the New Jersey collection is a 24in by 30in oil on Masonite by Theodoros Stamos (American, 1922-1997). “Stamos was a member of the art collective known as ‘the irascibles,’” said Patrick Orbe, head of Morphy’s Fine Art division. “They were really the founders of the New York abstract expressionist movement.” Titled “The Lamplighter,” the painting is signed and dated 1945. Estimate: $15,000-$18,000.
A Moses Soyer (American, 1899-1974) oil painting in the November auction measures 25in by 18¼in and is titled “Four Dancers.” It was purchased directly from the artist’s studio in 1961 and is expected to realize $6,000-$8,000. Joseph Stella’s (American, 1877-1946) 18in by 24in pastel titled “Tropical Plants” is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.
A formidable lineup of paintings by British artists includes a 1960 John Bratby, RA (1928-1971) oil on canvas that measures 74¾in by 26¾in and is titled “Gloria on Back and Revolving Studio.” Orbe commented: “The Bratby is a great one, really large and fresh, and from the mid century, which was his period.” Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
Another British highlight is oil-on-canvas Scottish landscape by Alfred De Breanski Sr. (1852-1928) titled “Loch Awe, N.B.” The work measures 24in by 36in. and is estimated at $5,000-$7,000.
James Jebusa “J.J.” Shannon, RA (American/British, 1862-1923) is best known for his portraits of British and American society. A quintessential Shannon portrait in the sale depicts a handsome young man in tennis whites, clutching tennis balls in one hand. The signed 36in by 28in oil on canvas has an impressionist feel, typical of Shannon’s work. Estimate: $15,000-$18,000.
A great example of mid-century American illustration, Earl Moran’s (1893-1923) pastel on paper is the original artwork for a pinup calendar published by Brown & Bigelow. The 26in by 20in pastel is absolutely fresh to the market and has been in the same collection since it was first painted. Estimate: $8,000-$12,000.
Bermuda scenes have their own small but dedicated following. A marvelous example of a Bermuda cottage with picket fence and tropical greenery, painted by Edith Sarah Watson (American, 1861-1943), is expected to capture the attention of those particular collectors. It measures 12in by 16in and is estimated at $1,000-$1,500.
The auction also includes a varied selection of regional art, including a Florida scene by Rachel V. Hartley (1884-1995, granddaughter of George Inness and daughter of sculptor Jonathan Hartley), a James Milton Sessions (American, 1882-1962) watercolor of the Mississippi River, and a group of oil paintings by Native-American artist Louis ShipShee (1896-1975).
The decorative art section includes some unusual and very beautiful pieces, such as a circa-1905 metamorphic brass and marble butterfly by Carl Kauba (Austrian, 1865-1922). Quintessentially Art Nouveau, the butterfly slowly opens its filigreed, translucent enamel wings to reveal a nude woman. Estimate: $15,000-$20,000.
A grouping of 20+ stained glass windows includes a double-hung, stained- and leaded-glass window commissioned around 1897 by a man named George Crane. It came from an old house on West Main Street in Mountville, Pa., Morphy said.
More than 100 art glass lots will be sold, including a 15in Quezal Jack-in-the-Pulpit vase with stunning gold luster. The circa-1915 vase is estimated at $12,500-$15,000. The peerless quality of Tiffany is seen in an 8in, circa-1900 Blue Nash vase with pulled-feather decoration and strong purple and yellow colors. Estimate: $5,000-$7,000.
Amphora collectors will be pleased to know that Morphy’s is offering a 50-piece grouping that includes a monumental 20in Fates vase with 100 Art Nouveau faces modeled into the design. In mint condition, it is estimated at $15,000-$25,000. A 25in Amphora Stellmacher Frog and Fly vase could achieve $5,000-$7,000.
More than 100 music boxes will be on hand to fill the gallery with their richly melodious sounds. Highlights include a large, interchangeable 7-cylinder organ box, $25,000-$30,000; an oversize Paillard revolver music box that plays an 18½in cylinder, $30,000-$35,000; and a Regina 20¾in bow-front automatic changer, $15,000-$25,000.
Rounding out the second session are a group of 20+ clocks, including a Jacob Guthart (1779-1867) tall-case model made in Lebanon, Pa., $6,000-$10,000; and a classy ride for transporting auction goods back home – a 1955 Cadillac Series 62 coupe. Remarkably, it is a one-owner car with only 60,000 original miles on it. The price to glide out of Morphy’s in mid-century style is expected to be in the range of $12,000-$18,000.
The Nov. 1-2 auction will commence at 9 a.m. Eastern Time on both days. For additional information on any lot in the sale, call 717-335-3435 or e-mail serena@morphyauctions.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
Platinum ring with 20K gold mounting containing 5.16ct pear shaped fancy deep grayish yellowish green GIA certified natural-colored diamond. Surrounded by 26 round pink diamonds weighing approximately .14ct tw, 18 round blue diamonds weighing approximately, .74 ct tw, 65 round white diamonds weighing approximately, .77 ct and two vivid orange yellow pear shape natural colored diamonds weighing approximately, .60 and .67 cts each. Est. $150,000-$180,000. Morphy Auctions image. Small (6¾in) Tiffany Blue Nash vase, circa 1900. Est. $5,000-$7,000.Interchangeable 7-cylinder organ box with ebony case, brass trim, custom made for royalty. Est. $25,000-$30,000. Morphy Auctions image.Anna Mary Robertson (Grandma Moses) oil on board titled ‘First Snow,’ 8in x 13in, signed lower right. Est. $18,000-$22,000. Morphy Auctions image.S. Kirk & Son sterling silver pedestal centerpiece, 10in dial, 30.2 ozt. Est. $3,500-$5,500. Morphy Auctions image.Roseville Della Robbia vase, 14½ in tall. Est. $7,000-$9,000. Morphy Auctions image.Breitling men’s 1884 chronograph watch with diamond bezel and diamond numbers. Est. $6,000-$8,000. Morphy Auctions image.Signed Quezal Jack in the Pulpit vase, 13½ in, double pulled-feather decor. Est. $12,500-$15,000. Morphy Auctions image.Metamorphic brass and marble butterfly, 9½ in, by Carl Kauba (Austrian, 1865-1922), translucent enamel wings, copyright 1905. Est. $10,000-$20,000. Morphy Auctions image.John Martin Tracy (American, 1843-1893), ‘Dog Talk,’ signed oil on canvas, 24in by 36in. Est. $125,000-$150,000. Morphy Auctions image.Amphora Fates vase, 17in tall. Est. $15,000-$25,000. Morphy Auctions image.
Alexander Calder stabile sculpture titled ‘Le Champignon’ sold for $452,500. Leslie Hindman Auctioneers image. CHICAGO – Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ Fine Art auctions Sept. 24-26 were a success, with international competition from hundreds of bidders in the salesroom, on the telephones and via the Internet. The auction featured important modern sculpture, contemporary works on paper and a strong session of paintings.
LiveAuctioneers.com provided Intenet live bidding.
A highlight of the sale was an Alexander Calder stabile titled Le Champignon, 1956, which sold for $452,500. This strikingly simple matte black example of Calder’s minimal sculpture boasts a strong silhouette, as well as contrasts the movement and primary colors more commonly seen in the artist’s work. Three gouaches also by Alexander Calder achieved strong prices. Patches, 1969, sold for $82,900. An untitled 1953 work representing an early use of sun imagery by the artist sold for $80,500 and another untitled work with vibrant full-sheet paint coverage from 1968 sold for $74,500.
Additional highlights from the sale include an iconic Al (Alfred) Earl Hansen candy wrapper collage titled Hershey Bar Girl, 1967, realized $45,000; a Friedel Dzubas color field painting titled Cairo Bay, 1965, brought $35,000; and an untitled Ralston Crawford geometric abstraction sold for $32,500.
Highlights of the fine prints auction include Roy Lichtenstein’s Road Before the Forest, which realized $31,250, as well as Joan Miró’s La femme des sables, which brought $23,750. Among several lively and colorful works of Marc Chagall a color lithograph titled Circus Jester sold for $42,500. The sale culminated with a rare group of Venetian etchings by James Abbot McNeil Whistler; Upright Venice and Two Doorways brought $19,000 each.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ American and European art sale continued to realize strong prices for both domestic and international artists. Among these works was Dorothea Sharpe’s Cliff Path, which realized $62,500. A still life of flowers by Bernard Buffet also achieved a strong record at sale, selling for more than twice the high estimate at $45,000.
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers’ next American and European Art auction will be held Dec. 11; the next Modern and Contemporary auction will be held Dec. 12; and the next Fine Prints sale will be May 14. Consignments for Modern and Contemporary Art and American and European Art are welcome until Oct. 16.
Ann Loveless of Frankfort, Mich., won the 2013 ArtPrize with her 20-foot-long quilt titled ‘Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore.’ Image courtesy of ArtPrize and Brian Kelly Photography.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) – A quilter inspired by a Lake Michigan lakeshore near her home was declared the winner Friday of the $200,000 ArtPrize competition in Michigan.
Ann Loveless of Frankfort, Mich., won the public voting at the annual 19-day event in Grand Rapids, Mich., which ends Sunday. Her quilt is titled Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore, named for a national lakeshore in northern Michigan.
It was displayed on a wall at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, one of 168 venues showing ArtPrize entries, but then was moved to an outdoor tent after the federal government shutdown closed the museum. Loveless said she has made art quilts for 10 years, but at 20 feet long, this was the biggest so far. She and her husband own State of the Art Framing & Gallery in Beulah, Mich.
“I have a feeling our gallery’s going to be really busy,” Loveless said in a telephone interview Friday night. “I’ll probably sell out of quilts, but I’ll make more. I’ll make more.”
She said she would use some of her winnings to buy fabric and a new sewing machine and to expand her gallery.
The public participates in two rounds of voting to distribute $360,000 of prize money. There were 1,524 pieces of art by 1,805 artists from 47 countries.
Anni Crouter of Flint, Mich., won the $75,000 second prize for Polar Expressed, three large polar bear paintings. Sculptor Andy Sacksteder of Port Clinton, Ohio, won the $50,000 third prize for UPLifting, a bronze sculpture of two dancers.
In a separate category, a jury of arts professionals awarded a $100,000 prize to Carlos Bunga for Ecosystem, made with cardboard, tape and paint. The work reimagines a gallery in the former Grand Rapids Public Museum. The Portguese-born artist, who lives in Barcelona, Spain, said he had to study and know the space very well to create the site-specific piece at SiTE:LAB in Grand Rapids.
Now in its fifth year, ArtPrize has put Michigan’s second-largest city on the international art map, thanks to a unique system in which artists and venues independently connect with each other using ArtPrize’s online portal.
It’s sort of like online dating for artists, or what ArtPrize executive director Christian Gaines calls “a self-sustained ecosystem.”
“ArtPrize is unique to any other art competition in the world, in that curatorial decisions, finalists and winners are ultimately generated by” that ecosystem, Gaines said.
The 2012 winner was Adonna Khare, of Burbank, Calif. She took home the top prize for her carbon-pencil-on-paper drawing called Elephants.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE
Ann Loveless of Frankfort, Mich., won the 2013 ArtPrize with her 20-foot-long quilt titled ‘Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore.’ Image courtesy of ArtPrize and Brian Kelly Photography.ArtPrize 2013 Public Vote Grand Prize Winner ‘Sleeping Bear Dune Lakeshore’ by Ann Loveless, Frankfort, Mich. Photo by Brian Kelley courtesy of ArtPrize.
Within the Lower Manhattan neighborhood known as Hudson Square, or West SoHo, is the landmarked Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District, which contains the largest concentration of Federalist and Greek Revival style row houses built during the first half of the 19th century. These circa-1820 houses are located on Charlton Street. Photo by Beyond My Ken, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
NEW YORK – On Saturday, October 12th, the Hudson Square Connection, a business improvement district, will host a walk and talk on the neighborhood’s vibrant art scene. The event is part of 11th Annual Open House New York Weekend.
During the tour, which is free and open to the public, participants will visit galleries, studios, and art collections and see how this area has transformed from an industrial printing district into a hub for the city’s creative econom
The two-hour walk will commence at 12 noon, leaving from the Hotel Particulier at 4 Grand St., between Varick and 6th Avenue in Manhattan.
Those wishing to take part are asked to RSVP by emailing events@HudsonSquareBid.org.
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Within the Lower Manhattan neighborhood known as Hudson Square, or West SoHo, is the landmarked Charlton-King-Vandam Historic District, which contains the largest concentration of Federalist and Greek Revival style row houses built during the first half of the 19th century. These circa-1820 houses are located on Charlton Street. Photo by Beyond My Ken, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
The Great Hall at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Image courtesy of Detroit Institute of Arts.
DETROIT (AP) – A Detroit Institute of Arts lobbyists plan to keep seeking a buy-in from Gov. Rick Snyder on a proposal to stave off any effort to sell artwork from the museum’s massive collection to satisfy part of the city’s debt, an institute official said Friday.
The plan, which only exists in draft form for now, has been floated by officials at the state level. But Annmarie Erickson, chief operating officer for the arts institute, said officials approached about the plan have already told the museum’s lobbyists that it’s a “political nonstarter.”
“We don’t believe that,” Erickson told The Associated Press. She declined to name the officials.
Considered one of the top art museums in the country, the institute has about 60,000 pieces. At least 3,300 of those are owned by the city of Detroit.
State-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr alerted institute officials this spring that city-owned pieces could be considered assets by creditors if Detroit was allowed into bankruptcy. On July 18, Orr filed for Chapter 9 protection, making Detroit the largest U.S. city to do so.
Orr has estimated the city’s debt is at least $18 billion.
Museum officials began developing their proposal in late summer.
“The emergency manager has been saying ‘come up with some solutions,’” Erickson said. “He’s even been saying the DIA hasn’t been doing anything. The truth of the matter is we have been doing some things.”
Under the plan, the state would fund Detroit an unspecified amount of money each year over an unspecified number of years.
“We would ask the state to develop a funding mechanism to the city,” Erickson said. “An example could be $20 million over 20 years.
“The state would fund the amount of money the emergency manager hopes to realize from the DIA,” she added. “First we were told it was north of $500 million. More recently we’ve been told $400 million to $500 million.”
Erickson said she’s never met Orr and that those conversations were with members of his restructuring team.
However, Orr spokesman Bill Nowling said Friday that Orr has not given the arts institute an amount.
To sweeten the deal, the institute’s plan also calls for the museum to raise money on its own to expand service and provide traveling art exhibits, artwork conservation and educational programs to communities outside the Detroit area.
“People across Michigan would benefit from this,” Erickson said. “We would be much more active, and we think it would help (the plan) to be more politically appealing.”
Snyder does not remember receiving any formal presentation on the art institute’s proposal, said Dave Murray, a spokesman for the governor.
Any ideas that meet the goals of improving services and reducing costs for city residents “will be given a close review,” Murray said.
Erickson said the museum is “trying very hard to work constructively with the emergency manager and the governor’s office.”
“I’m hoping that now that we have decided to go more public that this stops the impression that we aren’t doing anything,” she said. “We don’t believe this can be solved on our side only. It requires a conversation between all the interested parties.”
Nowling said he cannot comment on how politically viable the museum’s proposal may be. He also said Orr has not been briefed on the plan.
“Generally, I can say the EM is interested and willing to hear any proposal or idea from DIA management that helps the city solve its financial crisis and leads to a strong, viable Detroit,” Nowling said. “The EM’s office is working on finding a time for a meeting with the DIA in the coming few weeks about ideas it wants to discuss.”
Meanwhile, appraisers from New York-based Christie’s international auction house are expected to have a general assessment of the art institute’s most noteworthy Detroit-owned pieces by the end of October. A similar assessment of the remaining items is expected by the end of November.
Orr has said experts also would be hired to place values on parking garages, parking meters, the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, a small city-owned airport and some real estate holdings.
“The city must know the current value of all its assets, including the city-owned collection at the DIA,” Orr said in an August release. “There has never been, nor is there now, any plan to sell art. This valuation, as well as the valuation of other city assets, is an integral part of the restructuring process. It is a step the city must take to reach resolutions with its creditors and secure a viable, strong future for Detroit and its residents.”
A federal judge has to determine if Detroit is eligible for bankruptcy. Hearings on some creditors’ objections to the city’s bankruptcy filing are scheduled later this month.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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The Great Hall at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Image courtesy of Detroit Institute of Arts.
Oprah Winfrey at her 50th birthday party at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, 2004. Photo by Alan Light, sized for portrait purposes. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (ACNI) – There’s nothing she can’t buy if she wants it, and now Oprah Winfrey is revealing her personal decorating choices and past purchases via a Nov. 2 auction of contents from her southern California mansion and other homes. Kaminski’s will conduct the auction of furniture, art and accessories from Winfrey’s 23,000-square-foot Montecito home, with additional selections from her residences in Chicago, Maui and Indiana. Proceeds will benefit The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation College Fund.
Kaminski’s owner, Frank Kaminski, will conduct the auction, which will be held at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club in Carpenteria, California. Internet live bidding will be available worldwide through LiveAuctioneers. Items will be available to preview in person on the club grounds Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, or online at LiveAuctioneers.com.
Reportedly, Winfrey is clearing out her $85 million, 42-acre estate to simplify both the décor and her lifestyle. Earlier this year in an issue of O Magazine, the media mogul commented: “I am evolving [and] my taste is, too…the gilded mirrors, marble urns, the lavish carbets and sherbet palette – it was all very grand, but it wasn’t very true to myself…”
Designer Rose Tarlow has been commissioned to redesign the Winfrey southern California mansion’s interiors. During her career, Tarlow has created design schemes for many Hollywood and media luminaries, including Barbara Walters and David Geffen. Her work has been featured in many top “shelter” magazines.
Follow Auction Central News for updates and illustrated preview coverage of the Nov. 2 auction of estate art, furniture and accessories from the homes of Oprah Winfrey.
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Oprah Winfrey at her 50th birthday party at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, 2004. Photo by Alan Light, sized for portrait purposes. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Sen. George McGovern signing his book ‘Abraham Lincoln’ at the Richard M. Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., in 2009. Image by Scott Clarkson. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – A Sioux Falls gallery is selling paintings and a bronze sculpture owned by the late U.S. Sen. George McGovern and his wife, Eleanor.
A portion of the proceeds will be given to a charity chosen by the McGoverns’ daughters, The Argus Leader reported.
George McGovern died Oct. 12, 2012, almost six years after Eleanor McGovern passed away. The couple’s three daughters have entrusted a portion of their parents’ art collection to Steve and Tove Bormes, owners of Rug & Relic.
The collection is on display at the gallery and store at Eigth Street and Railroad Center in Sioux Falls. The gallery was taking part in Friday night’s First Friday Art & Wine Talk, with the McGovern collection on sale.
Tove Bormes said the McGoverns were not stuck on one genre of painting. “The type of art ranges from classical realism to impressionist to abstract.”
Nine or 10 items are on sale. Prices range from $1,000 to $60,000, and the value will be provided upon request.
“Some of them are masterworks, really, really, really good works,” Bormes said.
Ann McGovern said her parents’ collection began in the 1950s. She said the first original pieces collected by her parents were by South Dakota native Oscar Howe, who taught at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell at the same time as McGovern.
She said her mother liked Native American Art, and her parents expanded their collection when McGovern was elected to Congress and they were traveling abroad.
“A lot of the art came from their travels, but it started with Oscar Howe,” Ann McGovern said. “There wasn’t any intention for the art to be like an investment or to have the ‘in’ paintings in their collection. It was motivated by love more than anything else.”
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE
Sen. George McGovern signing his book ‘Abraham Lincoln’ at the Richard M. Nixon Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, Calif., in 2009. Image by Scott Clarkson. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
