"We really enjoy being a part of the Park West events. We have always enjoyed art but every time we attend a Park West event, we learn so much that we didn't know and have developed a greater appreciation for types of art we never considered before.
We especially enjoy meeting the artists. Talking to them and getting to know them makes their artwork more personal and gives us a better understanding of it. The three artists we have met---Marko Mavrovich, Dominic Pangborn and Simon Bull---are artists we'd never paid attention to and didn't realize how much we like their work until meeting them.
Chris Lindsay's knowledge of art and his ability to convey it to us 'new-comers' is wonderful. We are educated about great artwork and then allowed to purchase it at great prices. Thank you for including us and we look forward to seeing you again in the future."
Brenda & Carl S.
We especially enjoy meeting the artists. Talking to them and getting to know them makes their artwork more personal and gives us a better understanding of it. The three artists we have met---Marko Mavrovich, Dominic Pangborn and Simon Bull---are artists we'd never paid attention to and didn't realize how much we like their work until meeting them.
Chris Lindsay's knowledge of art and his ability to convey it to us 'new-comers' is wonderful. We are educated about great artwork and then allowed to purchase it at great prices. Thank you for including us and we look forward to seeing you again in the future."
Brenda & Carl S.
Webster, New York
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"Just wanted to say Thank You for the invitation to be a guest, of Park West Gallery. Bill and I enjoyed ourselves very much, and enjoyed meeting and making, I hope, lifelong friends.
I hope Park West Gallery knows what a GREAT team the four of you make. You all work very well together, and very hard and long hours to pull off such an event. I hope to see you all again."
I hope Park West Gallery knows what a GREAT team the four of you make. You all work very well together, and very hard and long hours to pull off such an event. I hope to see you all again."
Kathryn S.
Palmyra, Tennessee
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"We can't say enough how much we enjoyed the VIP cruise and that every aspect of it was above and beyond what we had expected. Thanks again for everything!"
Kim and Bill K.
Kim and Bill K.
Cantonment, Florida
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"It was an amazing experience. Between the artists and the classes it was all extraordinary. We considered a very special opportunity."
Michael and Robbin J.
Lakeland, Florida
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"We had a nice and educational time and walked away with art I am sure we will enjoy for many years. Thank you and your team for a well executed, professional and enjoyable time. We look forward to another opportunity."
Hill and Marshall G.
Hill and Marshall G.
Boca Raton, Florida
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"We really enjoyed the cruise. Most of all we enjoyed the learning experience. You really made sure everyone was well informed on the artworks, artists and different aspects of the artists and movements they belonged to. Ranging from Tim Rogerson's Donald Duck to the Dali we picked up, we are very happy with our purchases. We also look forward to seeing you again. Again I would like to thank you for the fantastic experience and the great art."
Anthony and Larissa D.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Park West Gallery
ReplyDeleteVIP Dept.
2/16/09
To whom it may concern,
My wife and I recently returned from our first VIP Cruise / auction at sea on the Carnival Miracle out of Port Everglades on 2 /1–9 /09.
We have to admit, when Samantha Alteri first contacted us, we were very skeptical about the invitation. We had been to a VIP land auction at your Miami Lakes Gallery before but this invitation was very different with its offer of an 8-day cruise. After many question filled e-mails and phone calls to Samantha (sorry about that), we accepted the invitation. Of course our first thought was of our past “time share” sales horror experiences. Boy were we ever wrong in thinking that. We ended up having the time of our lives meeting other people who shared our love for art and cruising to exotic places. But I think most of all we enjoyed the company of your fine Park West staff, seeing works of art we had never seen before, and meeting the special artists who sailed with us.
Getting to meet Simon Bull, Dominic Pangborn and Tim Rogerson was one of the coolest and most special things that we have ever experienced. Not only did we get to see some of their fantastic works of art but also we got to talk with them, hang out around the ship with them and watch them paint. What a thrill for all in attendance. You don’t usually get to speak with an artist and find out what goes through their minds when they paint or what inspired them to create the beautiful works of art we got to see. Too many times, all we know about an artist is what we read in an art books or hear about in second hand stories. Oh to have been given the opportunity such as this to speak with the likes of Rembrandt, Picasso, Mouly, Miro or Dali in such a fashion when they were alive. Each of our artists was very different in their approach to creating art but they all had the love of creating and appreciating it in common. That was the common thread for all of us in attendance. Truly an amazing experience.
We would especially like to thank our wonderful hosts for the trip as well. Chris, Samantha, Katherine and Rebecca went out of their way each day to make sure all of our needs were taken care of. Each of them had their own insight and knowledge regarding different art and artists and were always available to answer any of our questions. It was a difficult task to keep track of our group as we all had different needs and questions. They all handled a very stressful situation in a calm and professional manner. But the most important part of the whole experience was the fun factor, which was met every single day.
This was our second but most in-depth time spent with Chris. We were lightly exposed to his wit and knowledge at the Miami Lakes event. From the very first meet and greet at the hotel before the cruise, we knew we were in for a treat. Chris has the ability to make you think, ask questions, look at art and artists differently then you thought possible and most importantly, enable you to have a good time. Who could have guessed you could find Homer Simpson in a Tarkay original. If you haven’t seen Chris’s demonstration, ask him to show you. It was very refreshing to see the Park West group during off hours (if they had any) around the ship as well. There was no talk of art (unless you wanted to) but pleasant, get to know you conversations and talk of other topics and experiences. We went from strangers to friends in a short period of time.
Learning can be fun if you listen and ask questions. Our Guru Art Guide, Chris, was more masterful than mystical in opening our eyes to appreciate the art world around us. The array of different art brought on board for the VIP auction was outstanding. We knew most of the artists but had never seen or knew of the existence of many of the works. For the first time we realized we were now collectors and not just buyers of art. Again, Chris and his staff were there to answer any of our questions during the auctions. They all had the ability to advise us and guide us in our choice of art to collect. What was most satisfying to us was to hear all of them remind us many times to “collect artwork you like”. That is the key to the whole thing for us. Our tastes are all over the spectrum as far as styles and artists. Attending the evening lectures on different artists’, styles, techniques and history really changed our opinion on art we would never have thought of adding to our collection. We have come to learn from past “regular” auctions to have open minds and not go with a shopping list of things we “need” to get at your events. Over the years of buying art, we don’t think there is an item in our house we haven’t enjoyed looking at each day. It’s a pleasure to hear that philosophy being presented to us by your company even at the VIP level. We have decided it’s time to take our art collection to new levels so we will be exchanging some of our older art so we can add to our gallery of new fine art works. We hope they will find good homes and be with people who can take the same journey as we are on. We are excited to receive our new artwork in the coming months.
Again we thank Park West, Chris, Samantha, Katherine, Rebecca and everyone else we didn’t meet who helped make this a wonderful and memorable trip.
Respectfully
Patrick & Diane Abad
Plantation, Fl. 33313