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street art

Palm Beach Modern Auctions launches Urban Culture division

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
street art
Even five years ago, street art was bringing strong prices at Palm Beach Modern Auctions. The company sold this monumental work on canvas by Barry McGee (American, b. 1966-) to an Australian bidder in 2013 for $54,120. Palm Beach Modern Auctions image

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Palm Beach Modern Auctions (PBMA), a familiar name to international buyers of contemporary and modern art and design, has launched a new Urban Culture division.

“Since our earliest days in 2010, we’ve included pop-culture items in our sales. But over the years, our consignments and public interest worldwide have increased to the point that it was time to open a dedicated department, which we are calling ‘Urban Culture,’” said PBMA co-owner Wade Terwilliger.

Urban Culture now becomes a regular highlight of PBMA’s Annual Winter Auction, a favorite event with the company’s regular clientele. Among the subcategories listed under the Urban Culture heading are: street art, entertainment, celebrity and sports memorabilia; comic books and original cartoon art; concert, travel and pop art posters, collectible sneakers and t-shirts; autographed photos and ephemera, and anything else that capture’s the public’s fascination. The category will also feature collectibles with a close association to Florida, such as surfing, skateboarding, vintage motorcycles, and space exploration.

March 3 debut to feature James Dean’s iconic Rebel Without A Cause red jacket

The Urban Culture department will debut at PBMA’s March 3 auction. The headliner is a cinematic blockbuster: the red jacket James Dean famously wore in his immortal role as Jim Stark in the 1955 film classic Rebel Without A Cause. “The jacket has been privately owned ever since James Dean’s untimely death in 1955. It has never before appeared at auction, although international auction houses have been aware of its existence and clamored for the chance to sell it,” said Terwilliger. “We’re tremendously honored that the owner entrusted the jacket to us and thrilled that it will serve as the centerpiece for our first Urban Culture offering.” Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available on all items in the March 3 auction through LiveAuctioneers.

To discuss consigning street art or memorabilia to a future auction, call 561-586-5500 or email info@modernauctions.com. Online: www.modernauctions.com.

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