Emen Levy, Artist

THIS IS THE SHORT VERSION OF

A LONG JOURNEY FROM ART DEALER TO ARTIST.

Early in 1966 I opened "The New Consciousness" gallery in Greenwich Village N.Y. Later that year I produced an international exposition in Forest Hills, N.Y. Ten years later I was the research director of The O'Rourke Gallery on Madison Avenue, and became known for selecting high quality art for investors nationwide. When I started my own art investment service, I moved into The Plaza Hotel, and while there, produced a sale and seminar "Fine Art for Capital Appreciation". Opening night festivities were featured on NBC news.

After a couple of decades as a dealer in New York I wanted a change of pace and moved to New Orleans, with the hope of spending a little more time creating some of my own art. During the early days in New Orleans I worked with three prestigious galleries on Royal Street, until I started making mosaics out of Mardi Gras beads.

I had a few successful gallery shows in the French Quarter and became known as the "Mardi Gras Bead Artist". Later I received a commission to create a 6' x 10' bead mural at the site of the first American Mardi Gras in Mobile, AL.

THE STORY BEHIND THE COVID REX SERIES

After Katrina I relocated to

Baltimore, MD. During my

self-imposed Covid quarantine,

I found myself with a stack

of my silkscreen prints of

The Rex Parade in black and

white on heavy art paper, the

reverse side was an excellent

surface for oil paint. It was the

first time I had the opportunity

to spend at least a year with

nothing else to do but paint.

After 3 years I have over 40 oil paintings on heavy paper that measures

30" x 22". Each with an image of The Rex Parade on the reverse.

The process was almost meditative and produced my best work.

After Katrina I relocated to

Baltimore, MD. During my

self-imposed Covid quarantine,

I found myself with a stack

of my silkscreen prints of

The Rex Parade in black and

white on heavy art paper, the

reverse side was an excellent

surface for oil paint. It was the

first time I had the opportunity

to spend at least a year with

nothing else to do but paint.

After 3 years I have over 40 oil paintings on heavy paper that measures

30" x 22". Each with an image of The Rex Parade on the reverse.

The process was almost meditative and produced my best work.

After Katrina I relocated to Baltimore, MD. During myself-imposed

Covid quarantine, I found myself with a stack of my silkscreen prints of

The Rex Parade in black and white on heavy art paper, the reverse side was an excellent surface for oil paint. It was the first time I had the opportunityto spend at least a year with nothing else to do but paint.

After 3 years I have over 40 oil paintings on heavy paper that measures

30" x 22". Each with an image of The Rex Parade on the reverse.

The process was almost meditative and produced my best work.

"MARDI GRAS IN MOBILE"