Child Prodigy Painter Autumn de Forest on ‘The Wendy Williams Show’

Tuesday, June 4 on “The Wendy Williams Show,” catch Park West Gallery’s young prodigy painter Autumn de Forest as she shows off her latest masterpiece!

Eleven-year-old Autumn has been creating quite a name for herself in the art world, having been interviewed by Matt Lauer on “The Today Show,” and featured on “Inside Edition,” ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC news spots. The “pint-sized Picasso” has already commissioned six-figure works of art and garnered national and international acclaim for her colorful tributes to Marilyn Monroe.  Her artistic style has been compared to iconic masters including Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso.

“The art of Autumn de Forest already exhibits a maturity and depth that many artists never achieve.  She is an amazing person, an avid reader and a sponge for all that is good around her,” said Albert Scaglione, CEO and Founder of Park West Gallery.

Autumn’s greatest ability is her power to inspire those around her with the wonder of her creativity and the beauty of self-expression. She continues to reach young people and adults alike with her humorous and yet precociously articulate observations and insights into art, life and creativity.

Check your local listings for show details.

Learn more about the artist at http://bio.parkwestgallery.com/artists/Autumn-de-Forest.

C & G News: Group assists young adults who age out of foster care

May 30, 2013 — For many, the plight of foster children is something unseen, handled by the state while those fortunate enough to have families go about their lives.

But what happens when those in foster care age out of the system and suddenly find themselves out of sight, out of mind for the state, as well?

There are more than 14,000 children in foster care through Michigan’s Department of Human Services. More than 40 percent of that number is in the tri-county area, the majority in Wayne County.

Looming over each of their heads is the date they no longer receive assistance from the state, usually around age 21. That’s when they will be left to fend for themselves, with no family to turn to for guidance or support.

Life after high school is a source of great anxiety for these children, who already suffer acute feelings of abandonment. Any sense of stability is fleeting as they move from one place to another. And their caseworkers don’t always have the time to drive them to school or make sure they have the right supplies, much less play the role of a parent.

Recognizing the difficulty of this situation, the Park West Foundation formed in 2006 with the express purpose of aiding such individuals. Since then, it has assisted more than 500 young adults with matters of finance, clothing, housing, education and employment. Their focus was originally women, but now they also assist men aging out of foster care.

They also collaborate with a number of organizations to provide support services, such as crisis response, prevention and intervention; family preservation and life skills; teen parenting; and even worship opportunities through Life Directions, a program that provides exposure to different views of spirituality.

Without groups like the Park West Foundation, “Some would age out straight to the streets, and they’re the most likely to get in trouble and wind up in prison, since no one is caring for them or watching for them,” said Saba Gebrai, director of the Park West Foundation. “There is no stability or career path, no parents explaining what to do…”

Read the full article (pdf)

For more information about the Park West Foundation, Park West Gallery CARES and Park West Gallery’s other philanthropic initiatives, please visit www.parkwestgallery.org.

Heritage Florida Jewish News: Peter Max’s Art Still Pops

Peter Max’s Art Still Pops

May 24, 2013 — If Peter Max’s life had turned out the way he originally planned, he wouldn’t be an artist.

“I always thought I was going to become an astronomer because I loved astronomy so much,” Max says. “I thought art was something that kids do, a hobby.”

Max’s “hobby” has made him one of the most popular artists of the last 50 years, a painter whose dazzlingly colorful, easily recognizable work is among the most collectible in the art market. He has painted everything from musicians Jimi Hendrix and Taylor Swift to American symbols like the Statue of Liberty to cartoon characters and U.S. presidents. One of his more recent major works won’t fit in any art gallery: The Norwegian Cruise Line ship Breakaway, which took its maiden voyage on April 30, boasts a Peter Max design on the front half of the ship.

Max’s love affair with art began at a very young age in a very faraway place—Shanghai, China. Max, born Peter Max Finkelstein in 1937 in Berlin, was taken to Shanghai as an infant by his parents to escape Nazi persecution…

Read the full article (pdf)
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Park West Gallery has enjoyed a relationship with Peter Max since the 1970s, and is the artist’s largest and longest-running dealer in the world. Peter Max fine art is available at Park West Gallery cruise art auctions throughout the world or may be purchased through our gallery in Southfield, Michigan. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.

May is National Foster Care Month

Did you know? May is designated as National Foster Care Month. The annual campaign raises awareness about the urgent needs of youth in the foster care system and encourages citizens from every walk of life to get involved. Today, the campaign spotlights the importance of permanency for the more than 380,000 children under 18 in foster care.

Saba Gebrai, director of the Park West Foundation, recently spoke to WJR Radio’s “The Big Story” to address the issues of foster care in metro Detroit. The Park West Foundation was established in 2006 by Albert and Mitsie Scaglione, the founders of the Park West Gallery.

Click the player to listen:

For more information about the Park West Foundation, Park West Gallery CARES and Park West Gallery’s other philanthropic initiatives, please visit www.parkwestgallery.org.

The Straits Times: Artist Yaacov Agam Draws the Line to Stun

 

Artist Yaacov Agam draws the line to stun

Photo credit: The Straits Times/MUGILAN RAJASEGERAN

Paris-based Israeli artist Yaacov Agam marked his 85th birthday last Saturday in Singapore with a solo exhibition at Capella Hotel in Sentosa.

The Unexpected – Time In Art presents 18 works, a mix of old and new, that show the ease with which he has played with shapes, colours, textures and forms to create art.

His works are in several collections including that of The Guggenheim and he made a stop here en route from Taipei, where the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is showing a retrospective of his works.

His obsession with art, he says as he draws a series of dots, lines and animal forms on a sheet of paper, started after he visited the Lascaux caves in France, which are famous for the Paleolithic paintings on the walls.

The year slips him but it was pretty early in his career and led to an extended exploration of forms over the years. “The most important invention for humanity is art,” he says…

Read the full article (pdf)

Fine art by Yaacov Agam is available through Park West Gallery and our cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwestgallery.com.

Linda Le Kinff: Off to the Races

Park West Gallery collector James Rhodes of LA Progressive has written a terrific review about his recent cruise art auction experience and meeting the artist Linda Le Kinff. We’re proud to share the article below with all of our readers. Thanks James!

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It is rare that an opportunity arises to pluck me out of the national dysfunction  and madness I find myself currently engulfed in here in the United States and transported to a more tranquil Mediterranean setting. When Park West Gallery hosted a private sea adventure showcasing the works of world renowned artist Linda Le Kinff, we had to jump on the offer. PWG is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and hosts four acres of sculptures and 63,000 square feet of gallery space in 23 exhibition halls.

Le Kinff is the favorite artist of my wife and granddaughter. Perhaps it is her wildly colorful style or the exaggerated use of glowing women and hidden cats or maybe it has something to do with the tranquility of her work that connects with the “common man” — certainly an artist of the people…

Read the full article (pdf)

Fine art by Linda Le Kinff is available through Park West Gallery and our cruise art auctions at sea. Learn more at www.parkwest-lekinff.com.

Park West Foundation Director on WXYZ-TV Channel 7′s “Spotlight on the News”

 
Now in its 48th season, Channel 7′s “Spotlight on the News” is Michigan’s longest running weekly news and public affairs program. Saba Gebrai, Director of the Park West Foundation, was featured on last Sunday’s program. Gebrai spoke to host Chuck Stokes about steps being taken to improve the success rate for foster care youth in Southeast Michigan.

Watch: http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/political/spotlight_on_the_news/spotlight-on-the-news-race-for-the-cure–adoption#ixzz2SWECVmFy

For more information about the Park West Foundation, Park West Gallery CARES and Park West Gallery’s other philanthropic initiatives, please visit www.parkwestgallery.org.

Park West Gallery CEO Albert Scaglione on Michigan’s Big Show

Park West Gallery CEO Albert Scaglione was recently interviewed by Michael Patrick Shiels on “Michigan’s Big Show” radio program. It was a lively discussion about art world news and more — from the 23rd anniversary of the $500 million Gardner Museum heist to the best art venues in Paris to what’s new at Park West Gallery.

Click the player to listen or visit http://snd.sc/Xw1A9m.