excerpt
A Triumph
Henri scoffed at his plans. Where would he sell these huge paintings
and furthermore, given he had never sold his smaller Arctic paintings,
what made him think the public would find the larger ones any more
palatable? Marsha agreed with Henri and suggested that Ken stick to normal
paintings.
Ken was certain of his inner voice. One day, Rocco Pannese, a short,
round man with an infectious smile, walked into the framing factory.
Rocco was involved in the Columbus Centre on Lawrence Avenue – a
large Italian-Canadian meeting place – part of which he was trying to
turn into an art gallery.
Ken was most interested, and Rocco toured him through the centre,
a beautifully designed building that housed tennis courts, sports halls, a
library, and recreational facilities. The centre had been conceived by the
second generation Italians who had prospered in their parents’ adopted
country. The building was their gift to the city. Unfortunately, when the
children of the original founders took over the management of the Columbus
Centre, they created an unwieldy bureaucracy.
Ken told Rocco about his interest in the Arctic and his plan for two
immense Arctic paintings.
“But the Reichmanns don’t buy paintings,” Rocco said.
Ken threw up his hands. “What the hell is all this about? How does
anyone know they don’t buy paintings? Who started saying that and who
repeated it – over and over – until it became an established fact? I’m going
to create a painting for them.”
Ken caught himself and took a breath. He asked how he could help
with the gallery. Who had had the original vision for the Columbus Centre
and was he still alive?
Joseph D. Carrier, Rocco said, and yes, he was alive.
“Do you know him?
“Yes.”
“Can you get hold of him?”
“Yes.”
“Can we meet him then?”
Libros Libertad 