Last summer this gallery owner contacted me through DPW wanting to sell my work. Did some research and looked legit. Talked to her on the phone, signed a contract, and sent her $2400 worth of framed paintings. A couple months later she posted on the gallery’s FB page that she had to close the gallery and asked artists for patience while she worked on getting artwork returned. Here it is a few months since closing her gallery and I have emailed, called, commented on FB, etc. No response. I know there are other DPW artists who sold through her gallery. I won’t be sending my work out of state anymore.
So sorry! I didn’t know of them. Looks like their facebook page was deleted, if it was bee & laurel art and antiques in Wisconsin? They may be taking a little time to get everything shipped back? But if they went out of business, they may not have the funds for shipping. I hope they come through for you!
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How infuriating. No excuse—If they can’t afford to ship, they at least could ask you to cover the return shipping. How far are you from their place of business? Close enough to sue in small claims court? Please let us know how this ends. If they steal your art, it should be publicized, and they should be prevented from ever opening another gallery.
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I know how upsetting this can be. Something similar happened to me before, but it ended up okay.
First, you need to get in touch with her again. Is the phone number you have for her a cell phone? If so, she will not answer when she sees it is you. You need to call using someone else’s phone in the hopes that she will pick up.
If the number you had for her was at the gallery and it is disconnected, you will need to locate her personal number(s). If you can’t find the info for free, then try a site like Spokeo.com, $14.
If you have a UPS account, you can generate a return postage paid label. You can mail that to her or you could email it to her. (Instead of printing out the label, choose “print to PDF.” Then attach the PDF to the email.)
There is no value in getting upset. Just focus on your best outcome – getting your paintings back.
When you talk to her, try to be sympathetic about whatever is going on with her. If she likes you, she will make the effort to help you.
Best,
Trisha
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Time to contact the attorney general’s office since they are not responding to you.
I wish you the best of luck.
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Hi Judith!!! I had this exact problem! Have you had any luck? let’s connect about this!! Feel free to email me directly sure1979@hotmail.com
I have been trying to get her to send paintings to my gallery for one of the artists she carried from overseas. At first she said she was in the middle of stuff she was dealing with because her husband had died. So I gave her some time. Then, when I called a few weeks ago, the problem was her aging parents and she could not pay her rent on her home. Then I just called her again this week, on her cell phone number. She again said her parents were the issue, then she said she was an only child so she had to do it all. Then she said that her van was broken down but her sister was going to bring her a new one after Easter. And then, she said she wanted to use the same UPS guy who helped her when she closed another galley 10 years ago. RED FLAGS on all of this. People like this one make it impossible for artists to trust galleries. I don’t think anyone is going to see work from her again. 
Sounds like she is completely overwhelmed. You would wonder why she thought it would be a good idea to open a gallery?
If there are enough of you, perhaps you could come up with a plan together to retrieve all the paintings yourselves. Maybe it’s going to take someone to drive there and collect all the paintings, if anybody lives close enough to make it worthwhile?
I guess it depends on what they are worth to you?
Interesting that she says she is an only child, but her sister is going to bring her a new van. She has one excuse after another. Thanks for replying. It appears that a number of artists have been affected by her. If I learn anything more, I will post again.
Thanks for your comment, Jacqueline. I wish someone lived close by, not that I would trust her to follow through. My paintings are worth over $2,000, but it’s more about the principle of the situation.
Hah, didn’t cat ch that one! I was actually buying the story, at least leaning…
Yeah I agree. I also sent her work. I think it’s a goner… But what is she doing with all this artwork I wonder?
That is a good idea to find someone local. Even that though… Where would we send someone? Doesn’t seem like the gallery actually exists…
I was thinking, from one of her earlier stories, that she was battling the landlord since she could not pay the rent…that she might have been locked out and that the landlord has them. In which case he would have sold everything to get some part of his rent back. Or that she sold them at auction to pay her bills.
I also wonder if the only reason she has answered my phone calls, is that she does not recognize the phone number.
I do have someone, a fellow artist who is not far from her. She offered to PU artwork. But like Jennifer said…where would she go? It appears that the gallery did exist at one time, as there are records on the internet of it in that locale. But nothing now.
So sorry to everyone who this has happened to. I can imagine the frustration.
If you type ‘Bee and Laurel Art Gallery’ into Google, here’s what comes up:
Bee and Laurel Art and Antiques, llc - Home | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com › Places › Edgerton, Wisconsin › Shopping & Retail
Rating: 5 - 2 votes
To all my artists: Its been a hard hard month…but everything is out of the gallery and in my home! Boxed and ready to go. I will contact you all to find out how to proceed with your boxes/artwork----please be patient and know that your work is safe while you wait. I am so sorry that this all happened …and so fast…I didnt have …
This must be what she wrote on her facebook page before she shut it down so we can’t see the rest of what she wrote. But it sounds as though she does have all the artwork in her home.
It could be a matter of someone calling and asking for the address and offering to go and pick up all the work from her home then. It may be that she is so overwhelmed that she cannot cope. She probably cannot afford to return any of the paintings. I would try to keep the sympathetic approach (I know this is very frustrating) - she is more likely to be receptive to opening up her home?
Just trying to think of options.
If anyone would like to stay in touch with about this, feel free to email me at jelderart.com so not everything will be in this public forum.
Judith
In my research, it appears that she owns her home.
Do you have an address for it? Because a lawyers letter could go there. Wonder if it is worth having someone drive by the place where the gallery used to be and see what is there.
I do have an address.
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