A Legacy of Artist Driven Innovation, Collaboration and Philanthropy Turns 90
Nearly a decade ago, I was given a behind the scenes tour of the Golden Artists Colors factory headquarters, located in lovely rural upstate NY, by Barbara Golden. It was like finding one of Willy Wonka’s Golden Tickets, but instead of entering a wonderful factory filled with chocolate, I found myself in an artist’s candy shop filled with paint. The image I conjured up during my glimpse into a world where artist’s material needs are being identified and collaborated upon, was of Roald Dahl’s legendary glutton Augustus Gloop as an artist who drank from, and then fell into, a technicolor river of paint. Yes, I was born with (both a blessing and curse) a very active imagination!
What the facilities tour showed me was just how much work and human capital goes into developing and manufacturing what ends up in those little toothpaste sized tubes (or gallon bottles!) artists rely upon. This special place, which has been employee owned for many years now, was like a buzzing beehive, with all of the activity focused upon on asking professional working artists the following question, “What do you need?”.
Inside the facility sits a museum quality exhibition space where many exceptional group and solo shows have been held. It affords an interesting approach where the vendor brings home the end product created by its customers. That full circle symbiosis epitomizes what founders Sam Golden and Leonard Bocour envisioned back in 1933 when they hand-ground oil colors for artists including legends such as Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, and Helen Frankenthaler. When I visited there was a show of monumental works by Friedel Dzubas on display. Circling back to the Willy Wonka analogy, I suppose if Veruca Salt had been visiting the exhibition she would have swept her arm at all of the paintings and emphatically screeched “I want them now!” at her beleaguered father.
After working our way through various nooks and crannies of the building, Barbara suggested we head across the street to visit The Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts. The Foundation succinctly describes the essence of this labor of love–
The Sam and Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts was conceived as a way to thank the community of artists for their support, encouragement and friendship. For the Golden family and friends, the Golden Foundation is also a means of celebrating the legacy of Sam and Adele.
I met Emma Golden, Barbara and Mark’s daughter, and was able to peek behind the curtain of their innovative Exploratory Residency Program, established in 2012. Artist’s from around the world come to this idyllic spot to learn, collaborate, and create. It made me wish I was an artist. Unfortunately, it was pretty clear by 2nd grade that, for me, that ship had sailed – if it ever even existed. Here are some views of the foundation:
Thus ended a lovely Fall afternoon, and I drove away feeling connected to a part of the art world which, as secondary market dealers of deceased artists (for nearly 50 years now), we didn’t usually interact with: the ongoing efforts of creation by living artists. That day resonated, and has always stuck in the back of my head.
Fast forward about nine years, to Chapter Two of this story. A chapter about living artists braving the soul testing slog that an all-in commitment to creation demands. I sometimes wonder if even seasoned collectors ever muse upon just how tough such a commitment is. Our firm has a massive art history library, and reading about the lives of the artists no longer with us – their struggles, doubt, joys, highs, lows – their lives, generates a sobering appreciation from this outsider looking in. Onward to the living!
Social media is a mechanism that brings out the best in people, and the worst. In this case, a message from Scott Bennett on Instagram turned out to be one of the very best kinds of interactions social media can engender. Scott indicated he’d like to visit the gallery in Hudson, and then have me visit his studio in Syracuse. After months of near misses we connected. Scott came to Hudson with his friend Lizzie, also an artist, and I was able to learn a bit more about his artistic career, which included a very interesting long and parallel career as a material specialist with Golden Artist Colors. That fact inspired my reminiscence of the visit I chronicled above. I was intrigued to learn more about Scott’s time spent at the Golden Artist Colors factory, as well as making studio visits and connections with hundreds of artists. It all sounded very cool!
When I was back in Syracuse, I was finally able to visit Scott’s space in the Delavan studios. Two things happened. First, my liking of his work from what I had seen on Instagram was verified in person. So, of course, I bought a painting. Being a collector is more blessing that curse, but when does it end? I guess the only answer to that is “never.” Here’s the work:
Yes…it’s a great painting. And no…you can’t have it, Veruca!
Second, I dropped my idea to Scott regarding an exhibition at Caldwell Gallery Hudson which would be a fundraiser for The Sam & Adele Golden Foundation For The Arts with him acting as curator. Scott would select a single work from what ended up being 29 artists he had connected with over the years. The theme, which had been bubbling in my mind ever since visiting the factory, the foundation, and then meeting a former material specialist, centered around the question how does the material artists choose/use to create their art inform the finished artwork which viewers then experience? Scott took the idea and ran with it, and came up with the exhibition’s title, Object Matter.
I’m pleased to announce that nearly a year later the fruits of this collaboration will open October 7, 2023 at Caldwell Gallery Hudson. It runs until November 26th, and 20% of all sales proceeds will benefit our friends at The Sam & Adele Golden Foundation For The Arts. I hope you’ll be able to visit the show either in person or online!
The Art of Dealing Art 