October 26, 2007
Bringing It All Back Home by Corinne Brown
Bob Dylan wasn’t necessarily talking about art when he titled that famous album, but for one-time Denverite, Michele Mosko, it means returning to the place where she grew up and bringing her art career back with her. “Home” includes memories of the late Dr. Joel Mosko, her father, a physician, who was also a sculptor, painter, and owner of the Gallerie des Beaux Arts in Cherry Creek North in the Sixties. Michele was practically weaned on gallery openings and memories of her fathers’ friendships with Denver’s legendary art community of that age.
“I could never live up to his legacy,” she explains, “but it’s a dream to come back to Denver after almost 35 years in New York and bring my passion for art here. I think my father would have approved.”
What else she brings is her exposure to the New York art scene and her experience that such an environment brings. “I was fortunate to grow professionally there alongside individual artists and colleagues -- innovators in a city known for breaking new ground. Also, I benefited from the auction scene where I learned to track artists, follow price fluctuations and understand the buyer.”
Mosko has been an art dealer since 1994, although she’s worked in different areas of the art world for many years prior to and during her gallery ownership. Cumulative experience as curator for iPHOTOART - publisher and distributor of the important LIFE Magazine archive – and representation for other fine art publishers and artists, has helped her serve the consumer, the gallery world as well as the design and hospitality industry.
Mosko’s first gallery was located in the South Street Seaport in New York City, an alternative space, accessible by appointment. “That situation enabled me to take some risks. Besides, it was an affordable and attractive space. I cultivated my eye and my relationships. It was a truly seminal period in my career where I developed a sure sense of what attracted me -- work that’s interpretative of the artist, that expresses who he or she is.”
Her next gallery was in Soho, then the center of the New York active art market. A less conventional space, she enjoyed a more residential ambiance to showcase the work. “I had custom hours and attracted an elite clientele who appreciated the special attention I gave in selection, framing and installation.”
When asked why she chose to return to Denver now, she answered, “The city has grown. The collection amassed by Dianne Vanderlip at the Denver Art Museum is significant, helping to uplift Denver to international status. But more importantly, an approachability exists here, a willingness to try new things. I enjoy that. I also credit the healthy and supportive art scene and the new level of sophistication shared by the gallery members of the Denver Art Dealers Association.”
She admits there’s plenty of nostalgia here as well. “My father left a huge imprint and I feel deeply honored to think that I might be following in his footsteps.”
The gallery, located at 136 West 12th Avenue, near the Denver Art Museum, has a collection that is distinctive in its selective acquiring of inventory and its eschewing of consignment. Mosko’s passion is contemporary prints and blue-chip artwork, with some prices as affordable as $200.00. “I’m a collector,” she admits, “who became a dealer when it appeared that selling what I had in order to get what I wanted was the inevitable next step.”
Names like Jim Dine, Howard Hodgkin, Betty Woodman, and Andy Warhol are part of the collection. Silver gelatin photographic prints by Amalie R. Rothschild and Bob Kolbrener, add an additional element of interest. An admitted “collectaholic,” Mosko feels fortunate to be able to share, educate and cultivate the appreciative clients who often become friends.
Hoping to expand the business in her intimate but effective space, she plans a multi-tiered approach. In addition to mid-career painters whose works she’s represented over the years, her focus will be on internationally recognized editions, prints, and sculptures.
“I’m excited to represent these masterworks. What I’ve learned over time as a dealer and consultant is that everyone should feel comfortable to acquire and own art and enjoy it! I tell my clientele that ultimately they are the curator of their own collection. And I love to sell fine art. It’s what I do best. I am most fulfilled when I can place art to be enjoyed and appreciated.”
Michele Mosko Fine Art exhibits prints by international artists John Baldessari, Louise Bourgeois, Enrique Chagoya, Christo, Helen Frankenthaler, Howard Hodgkin, Jasper Johns, Alex Katz, Sol LeWitt, Robert Motherwell, Wayne Thiebaud, Betty Woodman, Huang Yan, and others. Featuring photography by Jill Greenberg, Bob Kolbrener, and Amalie R. Rothschild.
Bob Dylan wasn’t necessarily talking about art when he titled that famous album, but for one-time Denverite, Michele Mosko, it means returning to the place where she grew up and bringing her art career back with her. “Home” includes memories of the late Dr. Joel Mosko, her father, a physician, who was also a sculptor, painter, and owner of the Gallerie des Beaux Arts in Cherry Creek North in the Sixties. Michele was practically weaned on gallery openings and memories of her fathers’ friendships with Denver’s legendary art community of that age.
“I could never live up to his legacy,” she explains, “but it’s a dream to come back to Denver after almost 35 years in New York and bring my passion for art here. I think my father would have approved.”
What else she brings is her exposure to the New York art scene and her experience that such an environment brings. “I was fortunate to grow professionally there alongside individual artists and colleagues -- innovators in a city known for breaking new ground. Also, I benefited from the auction scene where I learned to track artists, follow price fluctuations and understand the buyer.”
Mosko has been an art dealer since 1994, although she’s worked in different areas of the art world for many years prior to and during her gallery ownership. Cumulative experience as curator for iPHOTOART - publisher and distributor of the important LIFE Magazine archive – and representation for other fine art publishers and artists, has helped her serve the consumer, the gallery world as well as the design and hospitality industry.
Mosko’s first gallery was located in the South Street Seaport in New York City, an alternative space, accessible by appointment. “That situation enabled me to take some risks. Besides, it was an affordable and attractive space. I cultivated my eye and my relationships. It was a truly seminal period in my career where I developed a sure sense of what attracted me -- work that’s interpretative of the artist, that expresses who he or she is.”
Her next gallery was in Soho, then the center of the New York active art market. A less conventional space, she enjoyed a more residential ambiance to showcase the work. “I had custom hours and attracted an elite clientele who appreciated the special attention I gave in selection, framing and installation.”
When asked why she chose to return to Denver now, she answered, “The city has grown. The collection amassed by Dianne Vanderlip at the Denver Art Museum is significant, helping to uplift Denver to international status. But more importantly, an approachability exists here, a willingness to try new things. I enjoy that. I also credit the healthy and supportive art scene and the new level of sophistication shared by the gallery members of the Denver Art Dealers Association.”
She admits there’s plenty of nostalgia here as well. “My father left a huge imprint and I feel deeply honored to think that I might be following in his footsteps.”
The gallery, located at 136 West 12th Avenue, near the Denver Art Museum, has a collection that is distinctive in its selective acquiring of inventory and its eschewing of consignment. Mosko’s passion is contemporary prints and blue-chip artwork, with some prices as affordable as $200.00. “I’m a collector,” she admits, “who became a dealer when it appeared that selling what I had in order to get what I wanted was the inevitable next step.”
Names like Jim Dine, Howard Hodgkin, Betty Woodman, and Andy Warhol are part of the collection. Silver gelatin photographic prints by Amalie R. Rothschild and Bob Kolbrener, add an additional element of interest. An admitted “collectaholic,” Mosko feels fortunate to be able to share, educate and cultivate the appreciative clients who often become friends.
Hoping to expand the business in her intimate but effective space, she plans a multi-tiered approach. In addition to mid-career painters whose works she’s represented over the years, her focus will be on internationally recognized editions, prints, and sculptures.
“I’m excited to represent these masterworks. What I’ve learned over time as a dealer and consultant is that everyone should feel comfortable to acquire and own art and enjoy it! I tell my clientele that ultimately they are the curator of their own collection. And I love to sell fine art. It’s what I do best. I am most fulfilled when I can place art to be enjoyed and appreciated.”
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