A new partnership between one of the country’s leading Canadian art galleries and two auction industry veterans brings a new presence to the Canadian auction landscape.
Consignor Canadian Fine Art will officially open its doors on August 1st at 326 Dundas Street West (directly across the street from the Art Gallery of Ontario), moving the former Mayberry Fine Art division of Consignor.ca into a separate, full-time auction venture. The new company will be a partnership including Rob Cowley (former Vice President and Chief Auctioneer with Joyner Waddington’s Canadian Fine Art), Lydia Abbott (former Canadian Fine Art Specialist with Joyner Waddington’s and Office Director with Heffel Fine Art) and Ryan Mayberry (Partner at Mayberry Fine Art and Founder of Consignor.ca), who will act as principals.
Consignor will offer a full range of auction and appraisal services, commencing with fall sales of Canadian art, including a November auction of Fine Canadian Art: an online auction which will feature works by important Canadian artists. The November sale (the first of semi-annual online auctions of premiere works by historical and post-war Canadian artists) will be accompanied by a full-colour and academic auction catalogue and extended live previews in the newly-renovated gallery space. The firm will also offer appraisal services, with documents written to International Society of Appraiser and USPAP standards (with both Cowley and Abbott being accredited members of the ISA).
The partnership brings together the private sale and auction industries: Mayberry Fine Art, with galleries in Winnipeg, Toronto, and British Columbia, has over 40 years of experience in the Canadian art market and are best known for privately brokering sales of rare and important works of Canadian art as well as representing some of the nation’s top contemporary artists; and Rob Cowley and Lydia Abbott, with over twenty years of combined experience within the auction industry, both playing managerial and senior specialist roles with Joyner Waddington’s and Heffel’s.
"Collectors and consignors alike want the assistance of experienced professionals who are able to accurately value a work of art and provide assurance on details relating to quality, condition, and provenance,” says Ryan Mayberry. “At the same time, many also want the affordability and convenience of purchasing online or within the quickly changing landscape of mobile devices. This strong new partnership provides both a dynamic team and a dedicated space that allows us to fully bridge the gap between traditional auction services, the online marketplace, and confidential private sales. The recent withdrawal of Sotheby’s Canada from the live auction marketplace combined with the vast increase in online auctions of Canadian art across the country clearly illustrate an ongoing shift in this business and we feel strongly that this new firm addresses those truths and will be adaptable to future challenges.”
Lydia Abbott comments: “The depth of knowledge, professionalism, and experience of our team is unparalleled in this industry. We are excited to bring quality and ceremony to the growing online auction market and this partnership will allow us to provide a wide range of specialties including Historical, Post-War and Contemporary, and Northwest Coast art.”
“This new alliance presents a strong blend of tradition and innovation,” notes Rob Cowley. “With multiple offices in Canada and record-breaking past performance in both the primary and secondary art markets, Consignor offers a high level of multi-faceted service to our clientele. The services which we provide are a perfect match to the changing landscape in our country’s art industry.”
With an official opening at 326 Dundas Street West set for August 1st, Consignor Canadian Fine Art has already begun collecting consignments for the fall auctions of Canadian Art.