Photo / Maureen Milliken
William Milliken, a co-owner of Barridoff Galleries, readies a Bernard Langlais wood relief for next weeks' auction.
May 9, 2018
Barridoff Galleries auction house expands with South Portland lease
Barridoff Galleries art auction house has new permanent quarters at 312 Gannett Drive in South Portland, where it will host two auctions a year.
By Staff
The Portland-based auction house Barridoff Galleries has moved its operations to 5,300 square feet of new space at 312 Gannett Drive in South Portland.
The auction house will hold two art auctions a year at the space, the first one next week, as well as store its art there, the owners say.
The auction house was established in 1978 by Robert and Annette Elowich and last year was sold to a local group of professionals “who look forward to continuing their legacy while updating and expanding the Barridoff brand to best serve their clientele,” said a news release from the group.
“The time was right for everyone, and we look forward to keeping a close relationship with Rob and Annette as we lead Barridoff into the future,” said co-owner William Milliken.
The building in the Cummings Road Business Park is owned by 312 Gannett Drive LLC, managed by Ed Rowe.
The building was under construction when the auction house first settled on it, and the developer helped design the interior to meet the needs of the business, including art storage space, office space and an auction area, Milliken told Mainebiz.
Expanding services
Previously, the auction house would rent short-term space for its auctions. He said that having a physical presence allows the business to expand its services.
Besides the move to the South Portland site, the auction house plans to offer online auctions in the near future as well as estate auctions. Currently, art buyers can bid online for art sold in the two yearly auctions, but he said they also will have auctions that are held entirely online.
Milliken said the auction house is insured to store art, and also plans to offer art storage services, for which there’s a need in the area.
The business moved into the new building in February, and has been working to get things ready for the first art auction in its new home. He estimates the auction will generate $500,000 to $700,000 in sales.
Barridoff Galleries will host its first auction at the site at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, with art including that by John Singer Sargent, Pablo Picasso, and Maine artists Waldo Pierce and Bernard Langlais, and more. Milliken said while works by artists both classic and contemporary from around the world are sold, there is a focus on Maine artists.
The gallery will preview the art on Wednesday and Thursday, May 16 and 17, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday.
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