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30 Years Representing Hunt Slonem
Dear Artsperts:
You have represented Hunt Slonem for 30 years, what are your fondest memories during those years?
Signed,
Pearl
Dear Pearl,
Each member of our family, including the youngest, has a memory to share to commemorate the years of our relationship, both professionally and in friendship…
From William Meek: “Last month as I was going through artist files, selecting older files to go to the archives in our warehouse storage, I happened across a single cashed check in Hunt Slonem’s file. It was a check for $1,000 and the note line read “for a small rabbit oil painting”. Written across the top of the check was “our first sale for you!” The check was from thirty years ago and the reason for keeping it all these years seems to be a mystery except that perhaps it was a premonition of the hundreds of sales to so many supportive and pleased patrons in the years since. With eighty galleries selling his art worldwide, Hunt still takes time to thank us every time we send a check to him, which acknowledges our special relationship with him, longer by at least ten years to any other gallery.”
From Juliana Meek "As the technologically inclined member of the Meek family, I had the idea to create a website for the gallery while still a student in 2001. Long before it became a trend, I worked remotely for the gallery for over a decade by updating the gallery website. It was through this effort that I gained ever increasing respect for Hunt because I was responsible for updating his biography on our website. Each year more museums were added to his list, books published, and more gallery exhibitions. I also continued to gain appreciation for Hunt's work as I uploaded new images of his work each season to the website. For many years I wouldn't be able to see all the works in person, but I still was amazed by the images alone! Hunt once asked my parents how it was internet search engines listed our website first when his name was searched. It was simply because we had a web presence for so many years. Our website no longer pops up first today when you search on Slonem because Hunt's page is now well established on the internet and other galleries pay for better placement, but we are still on the web, and I continue to update our website throughout the season!"
From Barbara Meek: “Hunt, Bill and I were all in our early 40’s when we first met. Over the years we have shared many good times, laughs, and outings together both in Naples and elsewhere. Some of our outings in Naples have been to the butterfly garden, after which Hunt rediscovered his childhood love of butterflies. Another time, it was to Corkscrew Swamp to look for wood storks, we ended up finding in a ditch on the way to the airport. But most enjoyable to me are the times Hunt and I would detour to discover the antique markets between RSW and Naples. Our excursions elsewhere include visiting his studios in New York City: from a walk-up in SOHO, to a building our van could drive into an elevator to park next to his door on the 7th floor, to his current studio with room after room of his wonderful paintings that we walk through selecting the next Season’s show. We have had excursions with our collectors/friends to enjoy some of his antebellum homes both in Louisiana and New York state. Certainly, to know Hunt is to love him and we have been privileged to have a strong personal relationship with this talented artist.”
From Kristine Meek: "My fondest memories of Hunt go back to when I was a teenager, and our Gallery had the first exhibition of Hunt Slonem works in Naples. I was in high school and got to pick out a 10x8 painting for myself and I picked out a painting of a pair of birds. I still have the painting and just last year I purchased a second 10x8 bird Hunt Slonem painting - this time a gold owl. It was really the experience of picking out a painting for myself at that young age, that helped me form my eye for collecting and appreciating art. I recommend to anyone that has the opportunity to give the gift of allowing a young person to pick out a work of art for themselves, to do it. It's a gift and an experience they will never forget."
From John William Meek Yegge (age 9): "I really like the painting I have had my whole life. The blue bunny I have on the wall next to my bed helps my imagination. I can look at it and my mind wanders to all sorts of places. And then picking out the new bunny painting we have by our tv was so much fun and I get to look at it while I am playing Xbox and I feel so lucky to have something so creative in my life."
Sincerely,
The Artsperts
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