|
Featured Athletes |
| Ted Williams |
| Babe Ruth |
| Dwight Evans |
| Featured Artist |
| Armand LaMontagne |
| Resources |
|
Contact
Us
|
The American Sports Art StoryA classic business tale…The truth is that American Sports Art is a business fluke. I wasn’t looking for a sports art business, it was looking for me… In casual conversation one sunny day in the summer
of 2004, I learned that part of Armand LaMontagne’s “Legends of Baseball” art
collection was silently gathering dust in a secure storage facility.
Now the name didn’t hit home immediately, but it’s pretty hard to be a sports fan in New England without knowing the life work of Armand LaMontagne. “The guy from Rhode Island” who carves blocks of wood into life-sized sculptures of sports heros Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams and Babe Ruth. He’s a legend (even if few people know his name). Like many admirers, I had no idea that LaMontagne
was also a renowned artist. But after seeing the incredible detail in
his paintings (visit the collection) I was captivated. And the more I
learned, the more interested I got. It seems that a group of businessmen had
commissioned LaMontagne to produce the series to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the summer of 1941. That summer was quite a ride for big
league baseball. Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio set new standards and
provided a needed diversion for a country on the brink of war. And while the original group had done a great job of marketing the artwork, a stash of the collections somehow along the line the project lost steam. A decade passed. And a new era of commerce arrived. After reviewing dozens of Sports Art web-sites it became clear that few, if any, of these businesses were offering a first rate experience for their customers.
Most sports art sites are nothing more than a database of posters and a e-commerce shopping cart. Framing (if it’s available at all) consists of cheap aluminum extrusions and cardboard backers. A big gap seemed to exist when it came to serving the needs of discriminating customers who understand and appreciate the value of real art – in real frames. I sensed opportunity and have invested significant time and money to assemble a team to bring this young business to what you see here today. Art authority Dominic Rognanase (of Complements Art Gallery in Warwick RI) consults and advises to verify the quality of the collection and select top quality framing to perfectly complement each piece of art. My Sports Art experience has been fun and rewarding so far. I have met great people, and continue to make new friends daily. Everyone seems interested! If you know anyone who can help us expand operations please make the connection! We are always looking for:
Thanks again for visiting. I hope you’ll come back
often –
Ben Ben Arnold
|
and tell your friends to do the same.