I have good last minute news that a potential lot offer sale may happen as well as a possible exhibition.  And in September 15, 2023, I learned that one of Michael’s sculptures Standing Woman with Flower is now in the collection of Racine Art Museum/Wustum.

 

Finally though... I am satisfied that I have done as much as I can to preserve Michael’s artwork. The project is now ended. The website will remain online for a few more years. The database of the collection is online and in my archives as well as with the Climate Controlled Storage records.

 

I retain reproduction rights to the collection as I do not want the work misused. I will no longer be actively promoting or maintaining the work.

 

I thank all who have helped in this effort and thank all who have brought these works into their homes.

 

—Suzanne Anderson-Carey

 

THE LEGACY PROJECT  

 

Following is a record of the Michael J. Carey Artwork legacy project:

 

Total works in studio or storage at 2017: 323

Total works collected, placed, or gifted after 2017: 63

41 sculptures

18 works on paper
4 prints

Total works remaining as of 7/26/23: 260

 

Works on Paper: 142

88 unframed works were placed in Climate Controlled Storage in 2017

Of the 54 framed works in the studio in 2017: 3 sold, 18 were gifted, 1 was kept by estate, 6 were removed from the collection, 22 were unframed and will be added to Climate Controlled Storage in 2024, and 4 will remain in the studio. 

Still hoping for donation acceptance as I cannot keep these last 4 very large and heavy works.

*Cataloging process completed

 

Sculpture: 52

41 placed in private collections: 11 sold, 27 gifted, 3 kept by estate

11 available (1 of these is pending). Those 11 will be removed from the collection if unplaced.

*Cataloging process completed

 

Sculptural Frames: 3

These are not just MJC’s enhanced frames, they are sculptures foremost, frames secondarily.

Found photograph these by Ben Ailes. Thank you Ben.

Requires 2 or three people to move them as they are in travel crates.

 

Sculpture Commission Records: 3 sets

*Cataloging of images process completed

 

Prints: 132 

In 15 editions of various numbers

All available 

*Cataloging process completed

4 sold or gifted

 

 

 

Care of Legacy Collection

 

Maintenance & Storage

Painting rack for framed pieces built.

Worktable with flat storage built.

Acid-free archival portfolios made for storage of unframed works.

9 Float frames for flat works with paint stick.

3 Prints framed and matted.

 

Cataloging Process

Photography for print and web completed and archived.

Catalog numbers assigned.

Dimensions, dates.

Provenance, signature.

Collector if sold.

Storage location (including portfolio number).

All above information in database excel files.

 

Overview Book of Artworks

15 hardcover and 15 softcover books printed.

All but one sent. Pdf master file for print stored. 

 

 

Website of Collection

 

Work completed:

Artworks: All inherited work posted except for 3 sculptural frames I can’t move.

Ongoing: Update artworks (caption info if sold).

Content written and posted.

Products CD’s and catalogs posted.

Jazz Skycaps posted.

Prints posted.

Slides of works prior to 1988 bulk scanned. (May add history to site at some point. Scans require extensive cleanup.)

 

 

Sales of Collection

​

11 sculptures sold.

27 sculptures homed

3 sculptures kept

3 prints sold.

1 print gifted.

*Numerous sculptures also sold when Michael was represented by SFMOMA Artists Gallery. These are not included in this total. But I have old records of about 5 such sales.

 

*Note: I began complete cataloging of the remaining studio work in 2018. From 1983 till then, I was involved in many aspects of Michael’s art — including photography contracting, photography assistance, website design and maintenance, art promotion, public art proposals, and hands-on print production. That helped. I did not catalog earlier artworks nor have close knowledge of sales, collectors, art finances or sales records. If I have mistaken artwork dates, titles, or overlooked any collectors, please accept my apologies. 
Many earlier works created before 1988 which are either collected, lost or that Michael destroyed, have slides that have been scanned. There are 135  such images. There are three such images including New Hats that are professionally digitally photographed. Cleaning up the other 135 images and cataloging all of those is a task that I cannot take on. 

​

 

Shows or Events

 

1632Gallery 1632 35th Street, Sacramento CA

Folsom Harris Center, Folsom CA

MOCRA Show was canceled when Director retired.

Crocker Art Museum did a studio visit but declined acquisition or donations. They did not have appropriate shows upcoming for the of the work.

 

2022 East Bay Open Studios

2023 East Bay Open Studios

Note: To sell the work at the East Bay Open Studios, I cannot enter it with Michael’s name... the studio has to be listed in their promotional materials and online as Suzanne Anderson-Carey and show my work. They said it is ok to sell anything in my studio during the sale, but they do not allow it to be promoted. That’s why I send my own email invitation for that.

 

De Young Salon exhibition

This was suggested so I explored the possibility. Work must be by an artist living and working in the Bay Area and completed within the last 2 years. 

 

​

Promotional / Outreach

 

An Overview Book of Artworks

2023: 15 hardcover and 15 softcover books printed. Pdf master file for print stored.

2024: 15softcover books printed and am mailing or delivering.

 

Gallery Outreach & Visits

Took Overview book to 2 local galleries. Mailed books with individual letters regarding collection, donation, representation, thank you etc. to prospective galleries and institutions as well as to collectors of Michael’s work.

 

Galleries and institutions:
Seager Gray Gallery 

John Berggruen Gallery

Fresno Museum of Art / Michele Ellis Pracy

Sonoma Art Museum / Linda Keaton

Texas A&M-Commerce / William F. Kuracina

California State Univ / Rachel Clarke

Anglim / Trimble

John Berggruen Gallery

Trish Bransten / Ruth Bransten Gallery

Oakland Museum of CA / René de Guzman

Jack Fischer Gallery

John Natsoulas Center for the Arts

Robert Green Fine Arts

 

Collectors of Michael’s work:

Michael & Regina Almaguer

Mark & Gail Ashworth

Scott Atthowe

Janice Barger

Ann Dewart

Pat Mahony Getz

Janet Hart

Steve Harwood

Gwenna Howard

Marion & Stan Leff

Shelley Liles McBurney

Marian Parmenter

David and Patricia Schwartz

Maria Schiavone

David Schwartz

Patti Schwartz

Toni Sherman & Don Meyer

Scott A. Shields

Amy Spencer

Joanne Travers

Dave Travis

Michael Verlander

Christopher Wagstaff

Sharon Wilchar

​

 

Outreach Notes 

 

Lost Art Salon:

Initial visit and presentation to Lost Art in SF. Visit to our studio June24th. 

Phone discussion July 15. Difficulties scope and large format of the collection discussed. Some pending thoughts in discussion but...the timing and logistics and physical demands on are not possible any longer. Good news! Renewed discussions and potential for a lot offer and potential exhibition

 

Seager Grey Gallery 

Visit to gallery, gave catalog. They praised work but not taking in much new work or artists.

 

Anglim / Trimble

Mailed catalog. Called gallery and spoke to Shannon. He praised work but not taking in much new work or artists. Said I could call back and he might have some suggestions. (Honestly, I have gotten exhausted by suggestions.)

 

Ruth Bransten Gallery

Mailed catalog. Got a voice message from Trish Bransten. She praised work but was not sure she could help.

 

Crocker Art Museum
Had a studio visit in 2019 but declined acquisition or donations. They did not have appropriate shows upcoming for the of the work.

 

Robert Green Fine Arts

Tried him because he has some legacy artists. Visited gallery and left catalog. Praised work but not taking in art.

 

Grey Loft Gallery

Outreach via email.

 

Bay Nature Magazine

Outreach via email regarding donation

 

Nature Conservancy

Outreach via email regarding donation

 

LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe

Outreach via email

 

Unless noted no responses.

 

Outreach Success:

 

Mailing of Overview Catalog to a collector resulted in a museum donation

I received an appraisal inquiry regarding a donated piece.
The following work is in a museum collection.
Standing Woman with Flower, c. 1999 

RAM: 441 Main Street, Racine, WI
Wustum: 2519 Northwestern Avenue, Racine, WI 

 

 

Auction Houses

 

Michaan’s: outreach to online art sales site. Got a reply of interest. They returned my second call and are interested in the folk art collection well as the artwork. They have asked to do a walk through but requested that I be specific about which items I want to auction. That will take me a while and probably indicates they don’t want to handle the complete collection. So, I will have to address that, and it will take some time and more photography. I will call them if and when ready to arrange collectibles and artwork visit.

 

Clars: outreach to online art sales site

Emailed to Fine Art Specialist with 2 potential sculptures to evaluate for possible auction.

Reply: Estimates are given based on previous auction records by the same artist. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any auction records for Michael Carey’s work.  As such we would have to respectfully pass. If you have anything else in your collection that you would like us to review, please let me know.

 

Bonhams: outreach to online art sales site

Emailed to Fine Art Specialist with 2 potential sculptures to evaluate for possible auction. Same answer as Clars basically.

​

Avenues and Venues Ruled Out

 

Saatchi Fine Arts: outreach to online art sales site

Research site online for selling and emailed for specific information.

Received reply: They do not sell any deceased artist’s work, nor do they allow selling it by any second party, family, or heirs.

 

Artsy: outreach to online art sales site

Research site online for selling and emailed for specific information.

Reply: “Thank you for your interest in selling with Artsy! We are happy to take a closer look at your artworks for sale consideration. To start, we’ll need some more information on the artwork, which you can submit by following these steps: Visit our Sell with Artsy home page and click “Submit an artwork”. Search for your artist. If an artist does not appear, we are not accepting submissions for that artist at this time. 

 

Artfinder: outreach to online art sales

Reply: “Hi Suzanne, many thanks for getting in touch and for advising. Unfortunately, this would still not be permissible as artists are required to either be self-representing on their own, or part of a Gallery, and at this current time they would need to be alive.” 

2nd outreach asked how I could become a gallery since I have a resale license etc. and had a design business…but I do not want to do that. Answer: “Unfortunately this would still not be permissible as artists are required to either be self-representing on their own, or part of a Gallery, and at this current time they would need to be alive.”

 

Masterwork: research guidelines of online art sales site

They sell blue chip art only and even if they did not, they require a $15,000 deposit and then take 60% of sale price. Not a viable solution.

 

 

Cost versus Revenue

Since January 2018

Costs to date approx. $54,000 

Sales to date approx.  $29,400 which has been used for the above costs.

(Sales taxes included in all sales whether or not itemized in sale invoices are none-the-less reported and paid via business Suzanne’s resale account.)

 

 

 

 

 

Finally

 

I have good last minute news that a potential lot offer sale may happen as well as a possible exhibition.  

 

After that... I am satisfied that I have done as much as I can to preserve Michael’s artwork. The project is now ended. The website will remain online for a few more years. The database of the collection is online and in my archives as well as with the Climate Controlled Storage records.

 

I retain reproduction rights to the collection as I do not want the work misused. I will no longer be actively promoting or maintaining the work.

 

I thank all who have helped in this effort and thank all who have brought these works into their homes.

 

—Suzanne Anderson-Carey