‘Amazing Incompetence’: Artwork Valued at $1 Million Accidentally Sold for Less Than $200
- Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:17am by
Liz Klimas
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A redwood relief carved by Sargent Johnson. (Photo: Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens via The New York Times)
What’s being referred to as a “huge scandal” has befallen the artistic world. But no need to fret, it has a happy ending. Carved redwood panels by African American artist Sargent Johnson were not only lost for 25 years, but when they were found they were accidentally sold for less than $200, even though the art is valued at more than $1 million.
The Daily Californian (via UWire) reports that the artwork was originally commissioned in the 1930s as organ screens for the California School for the Deaf and Blind as part of the Work in Progress Administration, which was part of the New Deal. From there the screens were lost in the 1980s when the school began renovation. It is even reported that they were “feared stolen” by University of California-Berkeley officials. But, in 2009, the panels were found among plywood storage bins. Greg Favors, a furniture and art dealer according to the Daily Californian who discovered the panels, offered $165 for them.
Since then, it has passed through a few hands, is now valued at more than $1 million, and in 2014 will have a permanent exhibit at the The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The New York Times reports that before it was sold last February for less than its value to Huntington, the 22-foot carving was restored and it was at this time, Favors began to learn its true value:
In need of a restorer, [Favors] contacted Dennis Boses, owner of Off the Wall Antiques in Los Angeles, who has provided eye-popping objects for celebrities like Jackson and for flashy restaurants including the Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood, and who has been an expert on the popular A&E reality show “Storage Wars.” Mr. Boses trucked the panels to his warehouse in North Hollywood, where he restored them. He was hoping the art might fetch $10,000 to $11,000.
Meanwhile, Mr. Favors scoured the Internet searching for the artist’s name.
On Oct. 16, 2009, at 9:03 a.m., he e-mailed Gray Brechin, a Berkeley scholar of historical geography who specializes in New Deal art, asking for help.
At 9:08 a.m., the response arrived: “You BOUGHT this? They SOLD it?” He identified Sargent Johnson as the artist and added, “I am astounded that they deacquisitioned it.”
Sargent Johnson working on a carving in the 1940s. (Photo: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library via The New York Times)
Knowing this, Favors contacted Michael Rosenfeld, who owns a gallery bearing his name in New York. Rosenfeld said he would buy it if he got approval from the General Services Administration to sell. Favors was approved to sell the artwork by GSA, which said in 2010 it doesn’t ownership over WPA art that was associated with non-federal buildings. The New York Times reports that Berkeley tried to buy the piece, which was appraised at $215,000, but couldn’t due to limited budget. Rosenfeld purchased the panels last February for $225,000. Rosenfeld then quickly resold the piece for “considerably less” than what he says is its $1 million value because he felt it should be in a museum, according to the Times.
Even still, Berkeley has come under strong criticism for its treatment of the artwork:
Harvey Smith, president of the National New Deal Preservation Association, called what happened a betrayal of the public trust. “We all pay for this art and we all own it,” he said.
“It’s hard to imagine losing something longer than a pickup truck,” he added, referring to what he called Berkeley’s “amazing incompetence.”
“It’s astounding,” he said.
The Times reports Berkeley’s assistant risk manager, Andrew Goldblatt, as saying the circumstances that happened with the artwork was “an error of ignorance” and that while the university is sorry, it is “very happy about the result”.
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thejackal
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 5:59pmThe only reason it’s worth anything is because Berkely is involved with a african-American…. Certain types of ‘artists’ have their ‘artwork’ valued at a much inflated level due to their prefered citizen status. Basically, if Berkely says it‘s then it’s probably toatal crap.
Report Post »Jive Mickey
Posted on February 26, 2012 at 4:05pm50 Bucks … tops.
Report Post »RedSoloCup
Posted on February 25, 2012 at 10:45pmAnything displayed at Bezerkely isn’t even worth $200. More like $2.
Report Post »mountainmover101
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 3:20pmIt is a nice piece. I don’t know about the million dollar price tag. Art valuation is a slippery slope. Most people have no idea that art valuation in the world is controlled by a precious few individuals. It has nothing to do with market tolerance . It is basically what a few “elites” say it is.
Report Post »Just4Rocks
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 9:14pmThis piece was carved by a black American; this was before desegregation and way before No Child Left Behind. That a black American could carve anything…Who knew? He did this without modern education, amazing, simplily amazing. Before Dr. Spock, before race based quotas- how could he be successful? Hard Work??? Talent??? Skill??? Just think how great he might have been if he could have taken part of No Child Left Behind.
Report Post »lamarlamar
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:07pmIgnorant………….it says it all.
Report Post »cranberry
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:58pmThe value is what someone’s willing to pay for it… i’ve heard that before….
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:02pmthe Amazing Incompetence is valuing that at 1 million dollars
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:31pmIF “We all pay for this art and we all own it,” — How come I’ve never seen a penny from it?
Report Post »schroeder123
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 12:02pmBerkley and art, go together. How much is a Berkley education ? How much is a piece of art worth.?
B T Barnum said it best.
Report Post »RugDog
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 11:02amIt’s only “Art” because you’ve been told it is.
Report Post »LASTCALL4LIBERTY
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:15am$200 is too much!
Report Post »IMAWAKENOW
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 10:23amwasn’t this one of the original examples of the government spending tax money to fund questionable projects? Kind of a 1940s solindra or grant for the arts. It looks like a high school art project,,,, and worth a million bucks? Someone should keep an eye on the Jeasus in urine art from a few years ago that we paid for. Who knows what that could be worth.
Report Post »Godagesil
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:37amOnly in California…its no wonder they are nearly bankrupt, they have incompetence at ever level, in every state institution.
Report Post »Mr.Fitnah
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:30amIf I had them you could have picked them up @ the end of my driveway.
Report Post »Macman1138
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:56amReally.
Report Post »I’ve passed this kind of stuff up at yard sales.
And recently too.
sawbuck
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 6:48amThis is what this story forgot to mention in this story.
~~
Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP), 1935-1942: The Federal Art Project was the largest of the New Deal art programs in both its scope and the number of artists employed.
In 1934, the federal government began loaning or allocating the movable artworks created under the New Deal art programs to public agencies and nonprofit institutions. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is the federal agency that is responsible for inventorying these loaned artworks.
Cataloguing Project
GSA’s Fine Arts Program catalogues movable New Deal artworks housed in non-federal repositories. In collaboration with repositories, GSA aims to provide a centralized resource of information about New Deal artwork that is readily available to museum professionals, the academic community, art conservators and the public at large. To date, over 20,000 artworks have been located. We continue to work with the museum community to develop cooperative agreements for the future care of and responsibility for these important works of art.
~~~
Continue.
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:02amWhen these pieces were made, they paid artist around the country to make these artworks painting and such. Many of them ( art ) where either given away ,lost or ( people thought they legally bought/sold ) for pennies when the building’s were demolished and so on…
Now they (our Government) have come to realize that these works of Art..
Are worth thousands and some millions of dollars…
Here’s the kicker they always owned them…they never sanctioned the selling of them .” The Gov. at the time didn’t care about them.
But now some of the art is worth millions… “And they want them back” ..
And By Federal Law …They (ART WORK) are there’s ..!
COTINUE
Report Post »sawbuck
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 7:05amSome People “legally” went to (public Auctions and bought these art pieces)
Some people bought “ the building’s” with this artwork still hanging.
Back in the 50’s AND 60’S ..nobody gave it a second thought. They thought they legally owned them.
But our wonderful Gov. TODAY being broke… saw this as a opportunity and said NOPE.. If you have one of these and they ( GOV. ) gets wind of it…
Say BYE BYE
If you turn it in , or turn in your neighbor … they put a plaque under it with your name…
To acknowledge you were the one that “found” the lost artwork.
Good little commoner we are…
AND NOW YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.
Report Post »Ronald Wilson
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 5:46amJust attach a story to something I made and make it valuable ? Perfect. I’ve got a great story, come over here to the bathroom for a sec.
Report Post »Eye of the beholder. Looks like it belongs in a ******* Barrel to me. I’d give ya that for any amount of gold any day.
Ronald Wilson
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 5:49amI just gotta say, it seems a little extreme to censor “*******”. I’m talking about the actual place to eat that is called “******* Barrel”. They have good breakfast.
Report Post »Heb4Seven
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 8:28amOh My Gosh!!! I also can’t believe *Cr.a.c.k.er* Barrel’ got removed from your post. I am fully surprised that even the GB website is fallen to the same ‘censoring’ that the ‘politically correct’ liberals are doing. I have NOT met one white person who is offended by this, – in fact, it mostly just gets laughter.
Report Post »BTW…When my daughter asked what I wanted to be called when I became a grandmother, I said, ‘GrahmCrac-ker’. :)
joehanx2
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 5:15amit was feared stolen was a claim made and if so did they repay since its finding
Report Post »piper60
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 4:36amThis piece of art should be in a museum. Regardless of the artist’s politics.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 3:27amThis piece… is an Excellent Art Deco… even if made by Satan… and I would love to have it!
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 2:44am…
Report Post »This so called American artist, was in the Communist Party for most of his life.
That’s very un-American. I wouldn’t give two cents for his art.
Captain Crunch
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:51am“An error of ignorance”???
Report Post »Must be talking about the 2008 election.
hillbillyinny
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:25amSorry, actually wanted to say–You mean someone at BERKLEY was IGNORANT?! I can’t believe it. . .
Report Post »LIVINGTHEDREAM
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:25amAnd I flea market locally? CR AP….
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 24, 2012 at 1:44amKnow what you mean, I had a chance to get my hands on an old antique book for a dime; then a blasted antiquities dealer found it as well – he won it in the bidding that followe, but paid more for it than the book actually was worth.
Still wish I could have gotten it though.
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