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With more than 20 years in the art market and appearances on Antiques Roadshow, Westchester local Gene Shapiro is an expert in his field. “Growing up, I was surrounded by music, art, and books. I was dragged to many auctions in my youth, looking for instruments and art. I loved going to the previews, as well as to the auctions,” he says.
Shapiro, who earned a B.A. in art history at the University of Pennsylvania and started his career at the prestigious Sotheby’s in New York City before going on to work as a private art dealer, founded Shapiro Auctions (now based in Mamaroneck) in 2007, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. “As a private dealer, I had amassed a growing number of private clients who were asking me to do more for them,” he explains. “I knew that owning and directing my own auction house would put me in the best position to do this. We held our first auction that year and have continued to achieve record results for our consignors over the last 13 years.”
When an opportunity arose in 2019 to purchase a 20,000 sq. ft. Art Deco building on Boston Post Road in Mamaroneck, Shapiro didn’t hesitate to make the move. “Our new location has allowed us to expand our facilities, offer a live-auction setting, and serve as a hub for collectors,” he says, calling Shapiro Auctions “a local auction house with a global footprint.”
The firm’s expertise includes paintings and works of art, and while live auctions were not happening at press time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is poised to do virtually what it does best: buying and selling jewelry, porcelain, rare books, silver, watches, clocks, Mid-Century Modern furniture, and sculptures.
Shapiro Auctions accepts individual items or entire estates on consignment. It also offers a full range of valuation, estate liquidation, and consultative services.
“I love discovering beauty and sharing it with people who are in search of their ideal objects,” says Shapiro. “As an auction house, we are connectors of people and history.”
