Park West Auctioneers Tell Us Their Favorite Things About Working with Art

Posted October 16, 2019

In Art & Gallery News, Cruise Art Auctions at Sea

Park West’s Vice President of Sales Tim Findlay

It’s one thing to enjoy art, but it’s another thing to make your entire life revolve around art. That’s a choice that Park West auctioneers make every single day and, from what they tell us, it’s a decision they don’t regret.

Park West Gallery has a staff of dedicated auctioneers working all over the globe—at special luxury events and on over 90 cruise ships circling the seven seas. We recently asked five of our top auctioneers to tell us WHY they loved working with art and artists so much.

Here’s what they said…

Auctioneer Casey Gandy

“I never knew I even liked art before this cruise… I never thought I’d collect art… I’m so excited about my new art!”

I live for those types of comments from our guests. When I get the chance to take someone who has never been introduced to the magnificence of art and I get to open their eyes to a whole new colorful existence… it’s an absolutely beautiful experience.

– Casey Gandy

Auctioneer Matt Whittam

Art can be weird and wonderful at the same time. The way I look at it is… I imagine having a high school reunion and telling all my school friends that I’m now an auctioneer selling fine works of art all over the world… it would blow their minds!

When I’m out on a ship, it’s amazing to see people who say they have no idea about art spending time at all our onboard events and, at the end of the voyage, they collect art for the first time. It’s incredible.

– Matt Whittam

Auctioneers Irene van Huyssteen and Jared Hamer

Just the other day I introduced the artist Wyland to a packed room on Norwegian Bliss—the billion-dollar ship that he painted—and he said “Thank you” to me? I had to pinch myself! But it’s just another day at the office with Park West.

– Jared Hamer

Auctioneer Chris Greyvenstein

Everyone has their own passion, and I’ve come to learn that my passion for art grows every day. I really love sharing art with others. The best thing is when someone says, “You have changed my life and my entire outlook on art!” or “The art gallery team made my cruise!”

I’ve found that, on a cruise, I’ll encounter three different kinds of people.

People who have zero interest in art… they’re great practice for my communication skills. I love the challenge of winning them over.
People who have some interest in art… they provide me with an excellent opportunity to get involved and really educate them more about something that intrigues them.
And people who have a lot of interest in art… those are the people where I learn from them, which is fantastic. That’s how my passion for art grows.

– Chris Greyvenstein

Auctioneers Katherine Moreno and Chris Vounnou

My favorite part of being an auctioneer is having the opportunity to expose new collectors to another person’s perspective through art. Someone can be transported to a new world—a new feeling, an idea, a thought, an emotion—through an artist’s form of expression. That is a powerful and purposeful feeling I get to experience every day.

– Katherine Moreno