A beneficial partnership, American dealer Gavin Spanierman joins forces with Gerald Peters

GAVIN SPANIERMAN

IN APRIL, 2014, GERALD PETERS GALLERY, NEW YORK AND GAVIN SPANIERMAN , LTD. ANNOUNCED A  MERGER THAT WILL IMPACT THE AMERICAN ART MARKET. IT BRINGS TOGETHER A STRONG HISTORY OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND EXPERIENCE BETWEEN TWO IMPORTANT AMERICAN DEALERS, GERALD PETERS AND GAVIN SPANIERMAN AND MERGES AN IMPRESSIVE INVENTORY AND KNOWLEDGE OF AMERICAN MASTERWORKS, 19th CENTURY AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM, THE HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL, 20th CENTURY MODERNISM AS WELL AS AN ACTIVE ROSTER OF CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS. THE UNION OF THESE TWO DISTINGUISHED GALLERIES COMBINES OVER 65 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ART WORLD AND A UNIQUE SYNERGY.

I WAS DELIGHTED, SOME MONTHS AGO,  WHEN GAVIN SPANIERMAN, A FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, TOLD ME THAT HE AND  AND VETERAN DEALER JERRY PETERS WERE PLANNING TO JOIN FORCES.  I THINK IT IS TERRIFIC FOR JERRY TO HAVE THE ENERGY, SAVVY AND ENTHUSIASM THAT GAVIN BRINGS TO THE PROVERBIAL TABLE AND AM CERTAIN THAT THEIR PARTNERSHIP IN THE NEW YORK GALLERY WILL EXPAND AND ENRICH IT IN SO MANY WAYS. http://www.gpgallery.com/gallery

GAVIN BEGAN HIS PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT AS AN AMERICAN ART DEALER WHEN HE JOINED THREE GENERATIONS OF FAMILY AT SPANIERMAN GALLERY, KNOWN FOR ITS HISTORY OF PLACING EXCEPTIONAL WORKS FROM THE HUDSON RIVER AND AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST MOVEMENTS TO AMERICAN COLLECTIONS OF UNPARALLED QUALITY. IN 2009, GAVIN FOUNDED HIS OWN GALLERY WHICH CONCENTRATED ON 19th CENTURY AND EARLY 20th CENTURY ART OF QUALITY AND RARITY AND ALSO SERVED TO SHOWCASE HIS INTEREST IN CONTEMPORARY ART AND ARTISTS.

I HAD INTERVIEWED GAVIN FOR THE LRFA BLOG BEFORE THIS MERGER WAS ANNOUNCED AND LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING HIS EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL HISTORY WITH YOU IN FORTHCOMING POSTS BUT BEGIN NOW WITH THE MOST CURRENT OF EVENTS: THE PARTNERSHIP OF THESE TWO POWERFUL FORCES IN THE FIELD OF AMERICAN ART.

GAVIN, HOW DID YOU AND JERRY DECIDE TO FORM A PARTNERSHIP? I ASSUME YOU HAVE HAD A FRUITFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL FRIENDSHIP FOR QUITE SOME TIME – WHAT PROMPTED THE DECISION TO JOIN FORCES?

I have always had a tremendous amount of respect for Jerry. Not only is he an accomplished art dealer but he also has many other business interests and a broad perspective on the art of doing business. Since 2009, we have formed an even closer friendship and mutual admiration for one another, so it just seemed a natural fit.

I ASSUME YOU WILL MERGE INVENTORIES. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WORKS IN THE GALLERY THAT RESONANT MOST STRONGLY WITH YOU?

Yes, I have moved my office to the townhouse on 78^th and we will merge inventories. As you mentioned earlier, Jerry has a deep and varied inventory of Modernism, and one of the works that I am particularly smitten with is a wonderful cubist work from 1911 by Max Weber. It depicts a rather bawdy scene of 2 men and a woman chatting at a table with a cabaret performance in the background that takes place at Joel’s café, a popular watering hole for artists, writers and the bohemian crowd located in Times Square after WWI. 

Max Weber
Joel’s Cafe, ca. 1909-10
Oil on canvas
22 x 27 inches

DO YOU AND JERRY ANTICIPATE A DIVISION OF LABOR WITH YOU OVERSEEING NEW YORK AND GERRY MORE INVOLVED WITH SANTE FE? HOW WILL IT WORK?

Our merger is only related to the NY Gallery. Santa Fe will still remain under the full directorship of Jerry.

WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE ADVANTAGES OF THIS PARTNERSHIP?

The advantages for me are a great inventory of both historic American and post war art, as well as a wonderful history to call upon for exhibitions and future inventory. For Jerry, the advantage is to have feet on the ground in NY that he can rely on to generate those exhibitions and further the brand of Gerald Peters gallery as well as make significant sales.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE GALLERY EXPANDING WITH THE BENEFIT OF TWO VERY EXPERIENCED DEALERS WHOSE EXPERTISE SPANS SO MANY AREAS OF BOTH AMERICA AND EUROPEAN ART?

Jerry and I both bring to the table expertise in different parts of the American art world. I am very well versed in Hudson River and Impressionist art and Jerry has extensive knowledge in Western Art and American Modernism. Between the two of us, we are able to serve a wide variety of collectors and museums with our respective knowledge.

IN OUR NEXT POST, GAVIN WILL SHARE MORE DETAILS OF THE PARTNERSHIP WITH GERALD PETERS, NEW YORK AND HIS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE AMERICAN MARKET, GALLERY AND MUSEUM WORLDS.  GAVIN PROVIDES A WEALTH OF INFORMATION AND INSIGHT AND I ENCOURAGE ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON THESE TOPICS.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ENTHUSIASTIC COMMENTS AND REPLIES!