Background and Experience

Q. Can you tell us about your personal background and what originally inspired your passion for art?
Since as far back as I can remember, I have had a passion for art and painting. I have painted most of my life, but only studied painting formally later in life. Even before I studied art formally, I remember periodically staying up all night painting — because I felt compelled to. I believe my passion for art came from my father. He was a chemist by training but painted as a hobby.

Before starting The Palm Beach Art Collection, I was a financial executive for many years at USAirways and then Marriott, served on many boards, including two public company boards, and did strategic and financial consulting for a number of galleries, combining my business experience and passion for art.

Fabio Modica
Untitled 4, 2025
79 × 79 in

Q. What motivated you to establish the Palm Beach Art Collection, and how did your vision come to life?
One of my gallery consulting projects years ago was for Ellen Liman, owner of The Liman Gallery, near the Breakers. I had met Ellen when she was a judge for an art show in which I had won one of the awards. When Ellen lost her gallery lease in the historic Paramount Building in Palm Beach, she asked me to help her analyze her options. Long story short, she convinced me to acquire her gallery inventory and to start fulfilling her vision of an online gallery. We co-founded The Palm Beach Art Collection in 2021, and added the Liman Inventory, some of Ellen’s paintings and some of my paintings to our new website on Artsy, which is the world’s largest art marketplace with over 3 million art collectors world-wide.

Q. Were there any pivotal moments or mentors who influenced your career in the art world?
Definitely Ellen has encouraged and influenced me both in my painting and in the gallery. But, our approaches to selling art are very different. Ellen was and is a fixture in the Palm Beach Art Community and social scene, where I am more focused on the e-commerce side of selling art.

Iris Scot
Japanese Inks 2018
42 x 48 in

The Gallery’s History and Mission
Q. What is the story behind the Palm Beach Art Collection? What makes it unique within the Palm Beach art scene?
From the beginning of the gallery with only the Liman Inventory and Ellen’s and my paintings, we now represent 23 artists and have over 650 works by over 80 artists and over $5M in inventory. Several of the represented artists are international, living and working in Canada, Sicily, the UK and Italy, and others are throughout the US, including Palm Beach.

We offer something for every taste and budget. This breadth of offerings and options is what I try to stress to collectors who are concerned about not being able to see the art locally. It is a tradeoff.

Q. Can you share how you curate your collection to reflect the tastes or interests of your clientele here in Palm Beach and beyond?
“Certainly we watch style and color trends, but good art is never out of style.”

The key is finding good art that collectors will fall in love with, and periodically refreshing the inventory.

Crimson Emerald Rosso
Voluptua, 2021
53 × 44 in

Favorite Artists and Artworks
Q. Which artists, past or present, resonate most deeply with you personally?
It is hard to single out one of our artists — they are all amazing artists and wonderful to work with. The three whose work I feel most passionate about though are Fabio Modica, Iris Scott and Rosso Emerald Crimson. All three have works that took my breath away when I first saw them.

Q. What are you currently observing about the preferences of art collectors in our local area?
We are hearing more about people collecting art as an asset class with the potential for significant financial gains. The bonus is investing in art that you love and can enjoy while it appreciates.

Q. How has the demographic or interests of art buyers evolved over your time as a gallery owner?
We are seeing a lot more younger collectors buying original art.

Q. How do you decide between showcasing local talent versus national or international artists?
I really don’t focus on location when I accept an artist submission. I rather focus on some fairly specific criteria.

www.ThePalmBeachArtCollection.com