My hats off to the Yanks! You are truly irrepressible! These have been the toughest days any region of the country has faced since NY was hit by 9/11 and New Orleans and vicinity by Katrina. As a result, the NY Stock Exchange was closed for two days this week, but it took but one day for the art market to resume in full force, at least uptown where the floodwaters were not as severe. Auctions this week went on as scheduled or were delayed by no more than a day. Downtown, where the depredations of the storm were more severe, repairs are already underway. It is truly amazing how quickly you jumped back and resumed business as usual. What a testament to your incredible resilience!
As an aside, the lightning-fast rebound of the art market could also be viewed as a testament to the depth of the commitment to collecting. This can only be attributed to the profound meaning and joy with which art enriches our lives and makes one’s pain so much more bearable.
Perhaps the only good thing that could be said about Sandy is the unexpected love-fest she engendered between Barack and the conservative heavyweights Bloomberg and Chris Christie (and, if not of similar importance but certainly vital to the individuals involved, the great boon to NY conservators as a result of the Chelsea flood).
Best wishes to you all as you recover and rebuild!
