Looking Ahead to Fall 2020

A Letter from Swann Galleries’ President, Nicholas D. Lowry

September 4, 2020

It is hard to imagine that it is already September. The late winter, spring and summer have flown by. The whole world has spent the last six months having trouble keeping track of the day of the week, and now I find the same phenomenon is manifesting itself in regard to months and even seasons. Not only is it already September, but autumn is almost upon us as well. But regardless of what the calendar says, regardless of the shortening days and cooler mornings, to me it feels like spring at Swann. In spite of all of the Covid-related obstacles in our way, this upcoming season at Swann looks fresh, new and promising.

Transitions & Updates

Swann has not spent the summer of 2020 hibernating—we have been growing and improving from within. Our dedicated staff has been hard at work cataloguing auctions and coordinating virtual exhibitions. We are fully up to speed and ready to greet the upcoming season with our customary Swann smarts and style. And within our team there have been several prominent, exceptional transitions:

• Deborah Rogal, Photographs & Photobooks Department Director
• Nigel Freeman, Vice President
• Rick Stattler, Vice President
• Alexandra Mann-Nelson, Chief Marketing Officer 

This year Swann was incredibly lucky to bring on board two talented specialists: Devon Eastland and Harold Porcher. In October, Devon will be organizing her first Swann auction of Early Printed Books, and in December Harold will be conducting our inaugural auction of Modern & Post-War Art.

A Preview of What’s to Come in 2021

We will be debuting new ways of enjoying catalogues, new stories, and new specialized sales. Devon and Harold are each spearheading efforts towards themed auctions in 2021, with Devon organizing a sale of early books by and about women and nonbinary people, and Harold at the helm of an auction focused on artists of the WPA. We are also looking forward to fresh iterations of our Illustration Art and LGBTQ+ auctions, both growing categories that have seen tremendous interest in recent months. And if that wasn’t enough, we will announce a winter sale of an exceptional single-owner collection in the weeks ahead, brought to you by our Prints & Drawings and Photographs teams. Keep an eye out for the news in our digital edition of The Trumpet newsletter, coming to you soon.

For any of you with items to consign do not hesitate to reach out to either Harold or Devon. Indeed should you have spent any part of your working-from-home time this year sorting through your collections or inventorying your libraries, and you find you would like to deaccess any items, I encourage you to contact whichever Swann specialist best suits yours needs.

Upcoming Consignment Deadlines

Modern & Post-War Art – Consign By September 15

African American Art – Consign By September 15

Fine Books & Manuscripts – Consign By September 18

Early Printed Books – Consign By September 18

Old Master Through Modern Prints – Consign By September 18

Contemporary Art – Consign By September 25

Since the middle of March it has been hard to look ahead. Outside of the universal mantra of “I can’t wait for everything to return to normal,” far too little thought has been given to what’s next. Now, at the summer’s end, it’s time to take a deep breath, and with guarded optimism dare to look ahead at what lies in store for us this fall. Or whatever season it is.

Sincerely,

Nicholas D. Lowry

President & Principal Auctioneer

Related Reading:

Modern & Post-War Art—Consign Now for December 2020

How to Consign to An Auction