Arts & Entertainment

Shannons April 29th Fine Art Auction Posts 2 point 4 Million USD in Sales as World Records are Shattered

Milford, CT, USA, May 13, 2021 -- Shannon’s launched the spring season with strong results during their April 29th Fine Art Auction. Nearly 90 percent of the 201 lots offered were sold, realizing $2.4 million in total sales. Works by women artists, 19th century American art and Modernism led the sale, which was upbeat with busy chatter from a bank of 20 phone bidders and robust online participation. All prices reported include the buyer’s premium.

The top lot of the auction was a masterpiece by Charles Morgan McIlhenney, titled Summer Afternoon by the Shore. The painting quadrupled the high estimate, selling for an even $100,000. When it was first offered in 1992, the painting set a world record price for the artist when it brought $33,000. Buyers remembered this work and aggressive phone bidding shattered the previous record by threefold.

From the same Connecticut collection, four oil paintings by Fidelia Bridges did exceptionally well. Red Breasted Grosbeak in a Thicket sold for $80,000 and Gold Finches and Thistle sold for $55,000. Both set new world record high prices for the artist. Also, Morning Glories sold for $37,500, including premium, meeting the previous record high, while Myrtle and Lilies sold for $30,000 with the premium.

The cover lot, a Floral Still Life with Shells by Paul Lacroix, sold for $71,500, establishing a new world record for the artist. Another Paul Lacroix in the auction, Still Life with Chrysanthemums, sold for $16,250.

As further evidence of a thriving still-life market, nearly every still-life in the sale exceeded the high estimate. Reported prices include a large Severin Roesen for $60,000, a Charles Ethan Porter of colorful flowers for $25,000, a Marcel Dyf floral still-life for $18,750, a large Peto with a copper kettle for $22,500 and a small Peto with a pipe, book and candlestick for $32,500. Even contemporary still-lifes soared, with three works by Robert Kulicke tripling their high estimates—Single Pear sold for $11,250, Flowers in a Glass sold for $10,000 and Fruit on a Table Top sold for $9,375.

It was a strong night for quality 19th century American paintings. A.T. Bricher’s Low Tide, Grand Manan Island sold for $60,000, J.F. Weir’s Niagara Falls sold for $35,000 and Edward Moran’s The Journey’s End sold for $23,750.

Modernist works in the sale were led by Lyonel Feininger’s Three Sails, which sold for $47,500 against aggressive absentee bids. A Modernist abstract painting by Milton Resnick sold for $45,720 and $30,000 after lively participation from the phones.

American sculpture was well-represented, led by two superb offerings. A presumed unique casting of Young Girl Skipping Rope by Abastenia St. Leger Eberle sold to a museum collection for $32,500, and Janet Scudder’s Young Diana sold for $27,500.

Shannon’s managing partner, Sandra Germain, commented, “During our ten days of in-person previews, we welcomed many of our loyal clients as well as many new buyers. Even in the absence of a live audience, the pulse in the room was vibrant. It was a tremendous start to the year for us and the results are encouraging for the overall art market.”

Shannon's next auction will be held online, June 24th, followed by the fall auction in October. To consign a single artwork or an entire collection, contact the gallery at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, please visit www.shannons.com.

About Shannon's Fine Art Auctioneers:
Shannon's accepts consignments year-round. The next auction will be held online, June 24th, followed by the fall auction in October. To consign a single artwork or an entire collection, contact the gallery at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about Shannon’s Fine Art Auctioneers, please visit www.shannons.com.

UK Indie Music Producer Singer Songwriter Release New Single No Louder

Muncie, IN, May 10, 2021 -- Taran Richards from the U.K. originally met up with Ondra Berry 4 years ago in a competition called Beat of the week, in Los Angeles, USA. Ondra Berry was born in Reno Nevada, USA and started making music when he attended High School. Ondra was lucky enough to have his song selected so that all the artists who entered the competition would then use his instruments to try win B.O.T.W. Taran just happened to be one of the artists who used his instruments that week and then went on to win first place 10 times running in other competitions in the contest.

Taran started making music at the age of 23 and created the U.K. group Tribe of Fable at the age of 30 that was broadcasted on the BBC Radio and did many gigs for a few years all around the U.K. Taran Richards had not only learned to become a Solo Artist at this point but also a songwriter and music producer too. This is where Taran met Jessiah aka Jessica Carter who then went on to be a recording Artist for many of Taran’s projects including the brand-new release “No Louder.”

Jessiah started making music and doing gigs from the age of 24 and was born and raised in Lancaster, U.K.

Ondra Berry at this time was not only a Music Producer but also a Script Writer for his own film projects and after a few meetings together, Taran and Ondra started to make music for tv and film to get Sync Placements with other clients all around the world.

Not only using Taran and Ondra’s skills with Music Production and songwriting but Taran also has access to two of the best male and female singers in the U.K. right now, including an extra songwriter, so all together as a team they have been creating songs that will live on forever on tv and film.

Taran has now joined Ondra’s team as a Music Manager for Reel Brothers Productions projects and is currently working with the rest of the crew on two films set to be released very soon alongside Tre Ferguson and Eric L. Jones with their new Film “Necropolis” out in 2021.

Taran Richards is now a signed artist with Amada Records and his current new single “No Louder” feat. Jessiah is now available worldwide on all digital streaming and download platforms. He his also under the management of Andrew “Drew” Knibbs of RruffNekkTalentEnt and Tiffany Gaines of SSMG ENT officiates the track distribution.

Holabirds Massive Western Americana Signature Sale May 13 to 17 has Collectibles in Many Categories

Fresh off a February auction that attracted about 7,500 registered bidders and featured around $1 million in collectibles of all kinds, Holabird Western Americana Collections will bounce into spring with another five-day monster sale, planned for May 13th thru 17th, online and live in the gallery at 3555 Airway Drive in Reno. Start times all five days are 8 am Pacific.

This auction – officially titled a Western Americana Signature Sale – is loaded with historical autographs, minerals and mining collectibles, numismatics, stock certificates, Americana, art and more – a staggering 3,049 lots in all. “We’re proud to present another amazing offering of fresh material from dozens of collections across America,” said company president Fred Holabird.

Collectors panning for gold need look no further. The auction features gold nuggets and high-grade gold specimens from two major collections, one of them the superb collection of William Mayrsohn, a longtime mining executive. Also, the mining artifacts, ephemera and historical items run the whole gamut of material and are inclusive of some of the rarest of their kinds.

Rare books and reference books range from Fremont to a detailed, multi-volume set of the Oxford dictionary. Firearms and military collectibles include a custom-made copper cannon from Michigan’s Copper Range. Numismatics feature medals and tokens galore, from Ron Lerch and other major collectors. And rare silver ingots include a circa 1874 example from Bristol, Nevada.

Ken Prag’s outstanding autograph collection features eleven different Thomas Edison stock certificates, signers of the Declaration of Independence, Harry Houdini and famous financial figures such as J.P. Morgan, Jay Gould and John D. Rockefeller. Also, the American Express collection includes what is believed to be the earliest company stock ever offered at auction.

Early American stocks feature American turnpikes, plank roads and banks and a great collection of Robert Morris material. Also sold will be Republic of Texas document collections, historical breast badges and ribbons, historical photographs (Deadwood, Dodge City, Leadville, eastern Nevada, etc.), gaming collectibles and firefighting collectibles, including California gold badges.

Native Americana will be highlighted by material from the historic Miles family of Ely, Nevada, to include important circa 1920 historical photographs of White River petroglyphs, items from the research library of the Ely Cosmological Society (also from around 1920, much of it inscribed by key Pittman). In addition, a great selection of turquoise jewelry will be on offer.

Day 1, on May 13th, will include original artwork, stocks and bonds (to include mining and non-mining) and autographs. The artwork will be led by a watercolor painting of the Kennedy Gold Mine in Jackson, California (the heart of the California Mother Lode), by Ralph Baker (1908-1976). The painting, housed in a 40 ½ inch by 34 ½ inch frame, should sell for $2,000-$4,000.

The superstar Day 1 lots promise to be stock certificates, such as the earliest known American Express certificate (#46) issued in New York City on April 29, 1853 for 12 shares, to William R. Osborn (est. $10,000-$20,000); and a Wells Fargo Company certificate from 1870, one of only five known, marking the company’s rise as a world-class business entity (est. $5,000-$10,000).

Day 2, on May 14th, will showcase mining and mineral collectibles (including ore specimens and fossils), railroadiana and transportation, and philatelic (including covers, stamps and postcards). A framed collection of 62 U.S. Department of the Interior duck stamps, starting in 1934, mostly unsigned, with a 1979 painting signed by Harry Adamson (#295/850) should reach $700-$1,500.

Day 2 will feature a gold metal and white quartz nugget gathered from the Knob Hill Mine in Republic, Washington, weighing 6.15 troy ounces and about 65 percent gold metal (est. $7,000-$9,000); and a group of about 31 gold nuggets, weighing 26.0 grams, from the J. Miles collection of Ely, Nevada (and the Osceola placer gold camp), collected in the 1920s (est. $1,500-$2,200).

Day 3, on May 15th, will 602 lots of firearms, military and political memorabilia, cowboy and Western, jewelry, badges and numismatics (ingots, coins, medals, so-called dollars and tokens).

Day 3 lots will include a custom 14kt gold necklace with diamond bands and emerald eyes in a spotted leopard, plus gold and diamond earrings and leopard ring (est. $10,000-$15,000); and a silver ingot weighing 5.15 troy oz., engraved from Julius A. Turrill (White River / Pioche, Nev.), who owned stock in Comstock mines, to his nephew Clayton, circa 1870 (est. $8,000-$12,000).

Also up for bid on Day 3 is an archive of material pertaining to Fremont Spencer, a fireman in Walnut Creek, Calif., from around 1918-1950, including gold badges, photos and a gold Masonic card (est. $8,000-$10,000); and a very rare first model Navy revolver, serial #1, built around 1862 by Bacon Mfg. Co. (Norwich, Conn.), with a bored through cylinder (est. $3,000-$6,000).

Day 4, on May 16th, will be dedicated to Native Americana and general Americana. A complete set of Classics Illustrated Comics (1941-1969), #1-#169, plus some copies of Classics Illustrated Junior, has an estimate of $3,000-$6,000; and a copy of the Leadville (Colo.) Chronicle Annual from 1862, published by the Leadville Courier, with cover lithos, should reach $1,000-$3,000.

An archive of black and white photos from around 1917, from a participant in the Mexican Expedition to hunt down and capture the legendary outlaw Pancho Villa, is expected to realize $1,000-$2,000. Also, a pair of vintage Santo Domingo (N.M.) oyster shell heishi and Nevada turquoise stone necklaces, crafted around 1940-1950, should change hands for $700-$1,500.

Day 5, on May 17th, will feature general foreign, bottles, sports, and bargains and dealer specials, to include general Americana, philatelic, stocks and bonds, numismatics and tokens. A rare and beautiful group of four Russian Orthodox Church bishop’s bells, made in Russia circa 1997-2000, will be offered as one lot (est. $1,600-$3,200). Bell ringing is a church tradition in Russia.

Internet bidding will be available via iCollector.com, LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Auctionzip.com. Telephone and absentee bids will also be accepted. The full catalog can be viewed online now, at www.holabirdamericana.com. For those planning to attend the auction in person, state and CDC regulations and protocols regarding COVID-19 will be strictly enforced.

Color catalogs are available by calling 1-844-492-2766, or 775-851-1859. Also, anyone owning a collection that might fit into an upcoming Holabird Western Americana Collections auction is encouraged to get in touch. The firm travels extensively throughout the U.S., to see and pick up collections. The company has agents all over America and will travel to inspect most collections.

To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections and the Western Americana Signature Sale slated for Thursday thru Monday, May 13th-17th, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com. Updates are posted often.

About Holabird Western Americana Collections:
Holabird Western Americana Collections is always in the hunt for new and major collections to bring to market. It prides itself as being a major source for selling Americana at the best prices obtainable, having sold more than any other similar company in the past decade alone. The firm will have its entire sales database online soon, at no cost – nearly 200,00 lots sold since 2014. To consign a single piece or a collection, you may call Fred Holabird at 775-851-1859 or 844-492-2766; or, you can send an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about Holabird Western Americana Collections, please visit www.holabirdamericana.com.

Neue Auctions will Hold An Online Only Modernism Sale on Saturday May 15th with 424 Quality Lots

Beachwood, OH, USA, May 6, 2021 -- An important and visually arresting dining table custom designed by Wendell Castle (American, 1932-2018), an untitled ink on paper artwork by Franz Josef Kline (American, 1910-1962), and a lovely oil on canvas still life floral painting by the Vietnamese painter Lê Phổ (1907-2001) are just a few expected highlights in a May Modernism auction planned for Saturday, May 15th by Neue Auctions, based in Beachwood, outside of Cleveland.

The online-only auction, starting at 10 am Eastern time, has 424 lots gathered from regional estates and longtime collectors, including selections from the late Cleveland concert promoter Mike Belkin and his wife Annie. Items cover a wide range of mediums and categories, to include paintings, sculpture, works on paper, furniture, art glass, ceramics, enamel work and jewelry.

There are many undiscovered finds in many categories, plus works on paper by noted artists such as Alexander Calder, Fernand Leger, Robert Indiana and Julian Stanczak. Also sold will be offerings from the Print Club of Cleveland, furnishings by Charles and Ray Eames and Knoll Furnishings, bronzes by William McVey, three woodblock prints by Milton Avery and more.

The Wendell Castle dining table has a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$50,000 and features an oval top in holly veneer, inlaid with purpleheart triangles and inlaid dots spelling "The Check's in the Mail” (the table’s title). It has a leather covered edge with a purpleheart substructure supporting six gold plated brass rings, all raised on 15 leather covered cones.

Mr. Castle created a similar table for his own residence titled Never Complain, Never Explain, in 1981. It’s pictured on the cover of the book Furniture by Wendell Castle (Hudson Hills Press, NY, 1989). The Check’s in the Mail (1988) is 120 inches long and 59 inches wide and is signed and dated. It’s from the Mike and Annie Belkin collection.

The untitled Franz Kline ink on paper, circa 1949-1950, is framed, with a sheet size of 21 inches by 18 inches. It’s signed and inscribed “April 15, Kline” lower right and has an estimate of $30,000-$50,000. It also bears a Kline Foundation number on verso (ZD 325). Franz Kline was a major force in the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s and ‘50s.

The oil on canvas still life by Lê Phổ, titled Fleurs (Flowers), is artist signed lower right with a chop mark and is 13 inches by 9 inches (sight, less frame). It should change hands for $6,000-$9,000. Lê Phổ was born in Hanoi, but he studied at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (where he later taught) and called Paris his home from 1937 until his death.

Modern furniture pieces will be led by a mid-century (circa 1950-1960) wingback chair by Arturo Pani (Mexican, 1915-1981), upholstered in horsehair fabric with a split crest rail and extreme scroll wings, raised on cabriole legs; and a circa 1960s Odyssey coffee table by the American design team of Philip Laverne (1908-1988) and Kelvin Laverne (b. 1936). It’s etched, patinated and polychromed bronze and pewter. Both pieces carry estimates of $3,000-$5,000.

There are three color woodblocks printed on Japan paper by Milton Avery (American, 1885-1965), titled Rooster, Hen and Lamb. Hen, an artist’s proof, is signed lower right and dated 1954 (est. $1,500-$3,000). Also, a photolitho diptych by Valerie Hammond (American, b. 1952), titled Southern Cross (A Constellation in the Southern Hemisphere), 2008, each piece 57 ½ inches by 44 inches as framed, should hammer for $6,000-$9,000.

An oil on canvas Still Life with Sculpture on Table by Claude Venard (French, 1913-1999), boldly executed with heavy impasto, signed lower center and nicely housed in a 28 inch by 28 inch frame, is expected to knock down for $3,000-$5,000; while an oil on canvas River Landscape by Jean Franck Baudoin (French 1870-1961), artist signed lower left, with a sheet size of 23 ½ inches by 31 inches (less frame), should hit $2,000-$4,000.

A diminutive cloisonné enamel on copper over painted wood box form by Kenneth Bates (American, 1904-1994), titled Homage to Art Deco (1984), featuring a multi-colored geometric design, signed and dated to the base, is expected to rise to $500-$1,000. Also, a tall, rounded cylindrical form stoneware vessel by noted Cleveland School artist Claude Conover (1907-1994), 22 inches tall, signed and titled, should gavel for $3,000-$5,000.

Internet bidding will be facilitated by Liveauctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Phone and absentee bids will also be accepted. Neue Auctions is open for gallery previews, Monday thru Friday, from 9 am to 5 pm, at 23533 Mercantile Rd. (Ste. 119) in Beachwood. All COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place (social distancing etc.). Masks are required of all.

Neue Auctions invites everyone to be added to its email list to receive notifications and information regarding all current and future sales. For info, visit www.neueauctions.com. To learn more about Neue Auctions and the May Modernism auction planned for Saturday, May 15th at 10 am Eastern time, please visit www.neueauctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.

About Neue Auctions:
Neue Auctions provides a bespoke experience for sellers and buyers, with items presented fully guaranteed and vetted, and combines regular online auctions with selected art exhibitions and educational opportunities. Offering consignment services for single items, estates and corporate collections, the firm assists clients in the complicated process of settling estates and general downsizing, working with private individuals, trusts, estates, museums, banks and attorneys. Neue Auctions continues the long-standing history and tradition of art collecting in Cleveland by bringing fine works of art to the market for sale, encouraging the current and next generation of collectors. Neue Auctions is accepting consignments for future sales. For purchases or inquiries about consigning, please call 216-245-6707; or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about Neue Auctions, please visit www.neueauctions.com.

Best Selling Author Dr Tony V Lewis Releases New Book Between Mountains Finding God In Valleys

Houston, TX, May 6, 2021 -- Everyone likes the view from the mountaintop. It is easy to believe that God is with us when things are going well. But what happens when we have to travel through the valley and we are faced with heartache, sickness, disappointment, and tragedy? What do we do then? Do we look to God for victory in the valleys? Here is the good news. Your battle is the Lord’s. Yes, you are in the battle too. Your valley is your valley, but you are not alone. We have a God who loves us and delivers us, a God who can propel us in dramatic fashion into the tangible realm of His divine provision. It is never too dark that He cannot see, nor too far that He cannot reach us in our valleys.

Between Mountains (ISBN-13 : 979-8731330565) Trade Paper, $14.95; 172 pages, is available from amazon.com and www.tvlewisbooks.com. More information on Between Mountains “Finding God In Valleys” can be found at www.tvlewisbooks.com.

About the Author:
Dr. Lewis is the founder and president of Christian Bible Institute and Seminary. He also serves as Senior Pastor of the Dwelling Place of God Christian Fellowship Church in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Lewis has earned both Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity degrees, a Ph.D. in Theology, and a Doctorate in Christian Counseling. Dr. Lewis is a Certified Christian Counselor, Anger Management Specialist, Integrated Marriage and Family Therapist, Christian Chaplain and Biblical Life Coach. He is also the author of The Wife He Wants “What A Godly Man Seeks In A Wife “, The Message and The Messenger “ A Guide To Basic Sermon Preparation and Ministry Protocol”, Word Potential "Essays On The Faculty Of Spoken Words “and Pastoral Counseling “An Introduction To Pastoral Care”.

He is happily married to Dr. Carla D. Lewis. First Lady Lewis, an anointed psalmist, and author who works closely in ministry with Dr. Lewis. They are the proud parents of three wonderful children, Tony, Timothy and Breanna. For more information on Dr. Lewis, visit www.christianbibleinstitute.net.

Media Contact:
Dr. Tony V. Lewis
281-882-9492
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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