Park West Gallery Honors Famed Artist Peter Max’s Late Wife Mary Max through Park West/Peter Max Charity Fund
World’s Largest Art Dealer Donates $250,000 to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
NEW YORK, NY – January 16, 2020 – Today, Park West Gallery made a $250,000 contribution to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) in memory of Mary Max, the wife of American pop artist Peter Max. Mary Max tragically took her own life last year at the age of 52 in New York City.
Park West Gallery has represented and sold the works of Peter Max to collectors worldwide for nearly half a century.
Albert Scaglione, Park West Gallery Founder and CEO, and Diane Pandolfi, Director of the Park West Foundation, presented the check at AFSP’s national office in New York City. AFSP is a non-profit organization that raises awareness, funds scientific research, and provides resources and aid to those affected by suicide.
Representatives from Park West Gallery and the Park West Foundation present their donation check to Robert Gebbia, CEO of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. (Pictured left to right: Michael Karay, Park West’s Associate Vice President of Merchandising; Albert Scaglione, Park West’s Founder and CEO; Mitsie Scaglione, Park West’s Corporate Secretary; Diane Pandolfi, Director of the Park West Foundation; Marc Scaglione, President of Park West Gallery; and Robert Gebbia.)
Immediately following Mary Max’s death in June 2019, Park West Gallery created the Park West/Peter Max Charity Fund. 20% of the proceeds of every Park West Gallery sale of one-of-a-kind Peter Max serigraphs titled “Angel with Heart” were directed to the charitable fund totaling $150,000. Park West Foundation made a matching contribution of $100,000.
“Angel with Heart” – Peter Max
“Peter and I have been friends for over 45 years. I was there when Mary and Peter got married. If you know Peter, you know Mary was the inspiration for many of his paintings,” said Scaglione. “This tragedy opened my eyes to the insidious impact of suicide in our culture. Fortunately, there are organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention that are making a difference, but they need more funding, and we are eager to help,” Scaglione continued.
Pandolfi added, “We have a long-standing commitment to sponsor organizations that, through a diverse variety of worthy causes, strive to make the lives people lead fuller and more meaningful. The contribution we are making today to an organization that works tirelessly to improve our nation’s mental health is one we are particularly proud of.”
Artwork from the Peter Max Gallery at the Park West Museum in Southfield, Michigan.
“This donation from Park West Gallery in memory of Mary Max will help us save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide,” said Robert Gebbia, CEO of the AFSP, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to suicide prevention. “We thank Park West Gallery and the Park West Foundation for their generous support.”
Park West Gallery is committed to continuing the work of the Park West/Peter Max Charity Fund in 2020, again directed at suicide prevention. Another Peter Max serigraph titled “Two Sages Looking at Sunrise” has been selected as the work from which the fund will operate supported in part by a portion of sale proceeds.
“Two Sages Looking at Sunrise” – Peter Max
About Park West Gallery and the Park West Foundation
Founded in 1969, Park West Gallery is the world’s largest art dealer, having introduced over two million clients to the joy of collecting art.
Learn more about the mission of the Park West Foundation at https://parkwestfoundation.org/
About the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at https://afsp.org/
