William Quigley to auction new and rare works at The Umbrella!
April 25, 2017 by Natalie
One of the most influential contemporary artists of our time, William Quigley, is auctioning work at The Umbrella in Concord through May 25, with a percentage of the proceeds going to benefit The Umbrella. The auction includes original new and rare works, as well as 15 limited edition prints of Lin-Manuel Miranda as HAMILTON available for purchase.
All William Quigley artwork up for auction and available for purchase can be viewed here: http://501auctions.com/
This is the FIRST time the public will have an opportunity to view Quigley's new work “Had a Hunch” (a portrait of Tom Brady), and what better place to view it than in Massachusetts, home of the New England Patriots. This piece was painted the night before Super Bowl LI. Other pieces include one of Mr. Quigley’s only remaining Audrey Hepburn portraits, and two limited edition Lincoln prints (2011 and 2016).
About the Brady painting, Quigley says, "I'm not sure who knows about it just yet, but I'm hoping Tom and Gisele see it. I wanted to make the best painting I could and pay homage to Tom, the New England Patriots, Belichick, their fans, the city of Boston, and America in general.
I started the painting the night before the game, feeling and hoping the Pats would win. The Super Bowl is America's Sunday, when we all come together and celebrate as a country, united as one, with family and friends, regardless of who you are rooting for. Atlanta played an incredible game, but it's not often we see leadership and greatness on this level. Finishing the painting was my Super Bowl, as I was inspired by Jasper Johns 1955 Flag painting, the Pat's comeback and Tom's amazing career. I felt part of something special making this piece.”
The Umbrella invited Mr. Quigley to their annual gala, ARTRAGEOUS, as the Stewardship of the Arts Award recipient, as he has a longstanding history with both the Concord community and The Umbrella. Mr. Quigley’s connection to Concord and The Umbrella goes back many years, having lived in Concord and worked in studio space at ArtScape at the Bradford Mill. In 2013, he showed in The Umbrella’s “East Meets West” gallery exhibit.
William Quigley says, "I was shocked, yet deeply touched, to hear of this prestigious honor from what I consider a very serious and essential part of not only Concord, but everyone who supports or actively participates in The Umbrella. I’ve been blessed and fortunate to have done some nice things, but this ranks very high on the list as far as pride goes. Like many artistic communities, The Umbrella is a model for inspiration, in a well established landmark space and center for Creativity in an extremely proud town. Upholding The Umbrella name is an obligation in itself that should never be taken for granted. Living, learning about and painting in Concord allowed my work to grow in areas that only the experience alone reflects. The intellectual, lineage of history is alive in tradition as it is fresh with new ideas.”
BIO - ABOUT WILLIAM QUIGLEY
William Quigley has been called "a cultural catalyst" and one of the most influential contemporary artists of our time. Due to his global art presence, artistic passion, and widespread philanthropy, he was honored in 2007 and named by VH1 as Visual Artist of the Year.
Henry McNeil, owner of McNeil Gallery in Philadelphia, launched his career 30 years ago selling three of Quigley's paintings in the same show with one of Andy Warhol's last shows before his death, "Images of a Child's World" exhibit in 1985.
Quigley then moved to New York to attend Columbia University's MFA Program and continued painting full-time out of his SoHo art studio. In 1994 he founded the renowned AB Gallery in Los Angeles in 1994, directed by Dan Bernier. Quigley's art went on to show with some of the most respected galleries, dealers and museums throughout the world, including: Germany's Arne Zimmermann Gallery; Pablo's Birthday, New York; Art Basel, Switzerland and Miami; Scope, Chicago; and becoming the first American to have his works exhibited at the Miro Foundation in Mallorca, Spain through Galeria Ferran Cano.
Although there was always great interest from many galleries and dealers wanting to represent this artist, most of the success surrounding his work has come from ambitious, unconventional avenues that have led to selling to and amassing over 600 devoted collectors, many of whom can be found in ARTnews's list of the "World's Top 200 Collectors". He has painted commissioned portraits of, and in many cases for, Presidents Bush and Clinton, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Springsteen, and most recently, Tom Brady, to name a few.
Quigley’s connection to Concord and The Umbrella goes back many years, having lived in Concord and worked in studio space at ArtScape at the Bradford Mill. In 2013, Quigley showed in The Umbrella’s “East Meets West” gallery exhibit. He recalls his time in Concord and seeing the work at The Umbrella as very special, describing it as “transcending the expansive technological world we live in and bringing life to a more focused grounded level of reality where he tried to focus more on the grit in the paintings.” Quigley continues to combine his artistic passion with a strong commitment to philanthropy, as he believes that embracing the work of local artists, collecting it, and supporting it is almost as important to the process as creating it. William has profound gratitude for his family and friends for their unwavering support. quigleyart.com
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