AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID GOLDSTEIN,
COO OF JERRY’S ARTARAMA – THE WORLD’S MOST
RENOWNED ART MATERIAL SUPPLY COMPANY -
AND VISIONARY BEHIND THE WORLD OF
ART SHOWCASE, SET TO DEBUT AT THE WYNN
LAS VEGAS DECEMBER 20-22

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The Multi-Faceted “Celebration of the Senses” Invites
Painters From Across the U.S. To Meet and Share Their Work
With Serious Collectors In A Setting Filled With
Music, Dance, Bourbons, Fine Wines and Gourmet Foods

Long branded as the “Entertainment Capital of the World,” Las Vegas may just be on its way to becoming a visual arts mecca as well with the highly anticipated debut run of the World of Art Showcase (www.worldofartshowcase.com) at the Wynn Las Vegas December 20-22.

This is due in part to the groundbreaking vision of David Goldstein, COO of Jerry’s Artarama, the world’s most renowned art material supply company and the event’s chief sponsor. The Raleigh, N.C.-based family owned company has 15 locations nationwide and sells painting, drawing, picture framing and other arts and crafts supplies to thousands of artists worldwide via www.jerrysartarama.com.

Driven by Goldstein’s belief that “artwork is a living thing” and that “art fans and collectors can be intimately involved with what they buy,” the World of Art Showcase is an exclusive show for professional artists (both renowned and up and coming) from across the U.S. to sell their art and make important personal connections with art buyers, collectors and galleries.

Fashioned as a harmonized presentation of the finest original contemporary paintings, the world class exhibition transcends the typical “curiosity seeker off the street” vibe of most art fairs and exhibitions to establish itself as a world class cultural event. Consistent with Jerry’s Artarama’s trademarked philosophy of “Empowering Artists Since 1968,” the event’s primary goal is to promote the most talented contemporary American painters—whose work ranges from classical to modern.

The prestigious presentation of artwork on display in the two vast ballrooms at the Wynn is the centerpiece of a multi-faceted three day “Celebration of the Senses” that includes music, dance, boutique bourbon, fine wines, handmade chocolates, pastries, gourmet food and culinary arts.

David and World of Art Showcase Executive Director Mario Parga see this as a completely new way of viewing and buying art, reflecting the start of a completely new age for the arts. “Art in all its forms needs its heroes and one of the goals of The World of Art Showcase is to increase the numbers of heroes and their fame,” David says. “Art in all its forms also needs its freedom, and another goal of the showcase is to remove the economic chains of the true artist. We can achieve this by giving their works their full measure of support.

“The commonality of all,” he adds, “is that the fine artist, wine maker, musician, dancer, choreographer, gourmet food maker and artisan chef all thirst to create not only something of value but to create something that connects on a deeply personal and human level. To some degree the success of this show will usher in a new awareness of ourselves as human beings allowing all that come to rejoice in our differences, marvel at our ideas, cry at our shortcomings and sometime be amused by our faults. Most of all it will allow all of us to see the uniqueness created by the yearning of the human spirit. It will show how the artist tries to reach new heights. Not just to make money or gain control but to give a glimpse on how special the world can be when we caress our uniqueness and open our hearts and minds to the love expressed within the art itself.”

Another aspect of David’s passion about the World of Art Showcase is his belief that while a great piece of art can enrich people spiritually and emotionally every day, it’s also the best financial investment they can make, whether they are connoisseurs or novices in the world of art appreciation. He boldly asserts: “Art enriches your life every day, and at the same time, offers better returns than the stock market. Buying stocks is sometimes about embracing a sheep mentality, where we’re following trends. You’re never going to make a 40 percent return on your money. But anyone who buys good quality art and later chooses to sell it will make more money than they ever dreamed possible.”

Embracing the family business—his father Jerry Goldstein opened his first art materials and supplies store on Long Island in 1968—David began collecting art during his adolescent years, using any money he made from part time jobs (and even some of his bar mitzvah loot) to invest in various serigraphs and etchings by artists such as Dali, Rembrandt, Picasso, as well as works by British sculptor Henry Moore. His residences currently have what he terms a modest total of 40 paintings, but he believes “we can make our homes a castle through art, because there is a story behind each piece and when you first saw it and were inspired to buy it. It’s a very personal and profitable endeavor that begins with the way your eyes and mind first react to an artist’s work.” The Jerry’s Artarama headquarters is also home to an impressive art collection.

The World of Art Showcase is an exciting and natural extension of The World of Art educational division of Jerry’s Artarama, which fosters a community spirit among customers and visitors as “your place to learn, share and enjoy art.” Launched four years ago, the World of Art now offers over 1,000 free online video art lessons, in which artist experts and professionals demonstrate, teach, offer tips, techniques and art instructions on video. According to David, 30,000 FAL’s per month are seen by users, and the number of “students” is doubling every year. The World of Art also sells Art Lesson DVDs which cover an abundance of art media – from fun lessons for kids, to lessons on drawing, oil and acrylic painting, watercolor painting drawing and cartooning, print making, sculpting and more.  Through its Burning Oak Studios division it has also produced and is producing a home schooling program with educator Lindsey Volin.  Although designed for home schooling it can be purchased by both educators in public and private schools.

The Jerry’s Artarama story began in 1965, when Jerry Goldstein was managing a toy store on Long Island. One day he asked a local art teacher for his supply list, and was shocked at the pricing and the fact that there were no discounters for art supplies. Jerry convinced his boss to start selling art supplies, and thus launched the world’s first discount art supply store. His first standalone store introduced thousands of budding and established artists throughout the region to the wonder of discount pricing. Jerry believed in treating customers like family, and that tradition continues to this day.

Jerry’s Artarama has always been a family business, with Jerry’s sons Ira and David starting to work in the discount art supplies store in their early teens and eventually becoming the company’s two managing partners. In 1979, David decided to make Jerry’s great prices available to customers throughout the U.S. and launched the company’s mail-order operation; this inspired the company’s very first art supply catalog, which was four pages long. To this day, Jerry himself looks over all 500-plus pages of the catalog and web page to make sure their customers are getting a great deal.

As the art supply company expanded, Jerry’s moved up to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in 1984, and then a gigantic 28,000 foot facility when they relocated the business to Raleigh, N.C. in 1994. In the mid 1990’s, David and Ira started to search numerous European countries to import art supply products unavailable in the U.S. In 1998 they set out for China, where, they quickly realized, they could unearth the best values for their customers. Further, they found they could also create products with relative ease there. In fact, the line of art materials and products they produced had a revolutionary effect on the U.S. art-supply market.

Seeking yet more space, Jerry’s opened a 160,000-square-foot facility in Henderson, N.C., a distribution center selling supplies to over 200,000 customers from virtually every country in the world from its multi-faceted web site. Starting around 2003, Jerry’s Artarama started opening super stores with regularity. Today there are 15 discount art supply stores in the chain, including locations throughout the Northeast and the South, plus stores in Texas and Colorado — with more on the way.

Seen in the context of the company’s ever expanding reach in the art world, the World of Art Showcase is an opportunity to celebrate art, artists and art collectors in a unique and revolutionary way. “There is no show in the country with so many artists in one place at one time,” David says. “Back 100 or 150 years, people would routinely talk to artists when they bought their works. Imagine time traveling and having the opportunity to meet Picasso as you bought one of his paintings! There are usually so many buffers between artists and buyers and our goal is to take those down and make it the interactive experience it is designed to be.”

As David says, “Art is not as foreign as some people may think. It is a vital part of our communication and is one of the few remaining communication vehicles free from the chains of politics and business entities that wish to control what is communicated. For this reason our forefathers would applaud the World of Art Showcase as a natural extension of our rights to freedom that here in America, 236 years ago, a few brave men risked their lives to gain. It is fitting that in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave that we have the emergence of the most significant event for free expression of fine arts ever to be assembled.”