The golden gavel: Life as a Park West auctioneer
It’s not just the art. The people and the relationships are what makes Park West so successful in selling and delivering art anywhere in the world
The auctioneer is the heartbeat. If they are successful, they are masters at engaging diverse audiences. They greet, meet, teach, and sell artwork to art aficionados and people who are buying their first piece.
Park West prides itself on education. Trainees are not just trained in the art and how to talk about it but also in how to connect and relate to customers. They are put through rigorous mock auctions, and one must climb the ladder from art associate to gallery director to becoming one of their prized auctioneers.
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Ricus Jonker, a Park West auctioneer for eight years, puts it this way, “Our goal is to teach people about art in a non-intimidating way. You get exposure to artists, I mean you have everything. I have a $150,000 Pablo Picasso up in the gallery, but it’s also hanging next to a $50 artwork. I will treat you the same whether you’re aiming to not collect, collect for $50 or collect for $150,000.”
Ricus gives his team homework and asks them to tell him their least favorite artist. Then, he asks them to read up on them and find three things about this artist that they can relate to. Ricus: “They end up selling more art from these because now they’re relating to that person.”
Ricus talks about a heartfelt experience as one of the most memorable moments and pieces of artworks that was purchased from him in his career with Park West. Royal Caribbean was doing some humanitarian cruises in 2017 and 2018 when some of the hurricanes wiped out a lot of the Caribbean islands.
The cruise line picked up a couple whose son was supposed to get married at a hotel in St. Martin. Alas, the hotel was sadly washed away, and they only had the clothes on their backs. Even in these horrible circumstances this couple resonated with a piece of art: Waiting for you in St. Martin, by Marko Mavrovich. “We were all in tears. You just saw somebody at their worst, and then you get to share an emotional moment with them,” Ricus says.
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Park West offers personal encounters
Park West galleries began to offer online auctions, which started during the COVID-19 period. While these online platforms are wonderful for some, Ricus explains the novelty of acquiring artwork on a cruise ship,
“I've seen so many people that know they can purchase from Park West directly, but they would rather see the artwork in person because it ties into the person that they bought it with, and it ties it to that emotion that they were feeling at the time on the cruise," he said,
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"You'd be surprised how many people I'm in contact with that email me and they say to me, we're looking at booking a cruise. Which cruise are you going to be on?” he shared.
A lifestyle unlike any other: bringing art and emotion to the high seas
In a 10-month contract, Ricus ended up on three different ships including the inaugural sailing of the Celebrity Beyond.
“I got to meet a lot of people and work with a diverse team,” he said.
His favorite part of working for Park West: “It’s a lifestyle. I get to meet so many people and see so many places.”
Ricus appreciates the lifestyle.
“I was a high-end executive back home and I was doing well for myself, but when you do this, and you say to your family we are all going for vacation. That is a feeling you cannot describe. The lifestyle that you get, that is why it doesn’t matter which crew member you talk to, that is why cruise ship life is so addictive. There is a joke amongst everyone saying, 'This is my last contract,' sure, next year you see them and year after year. You do this, and you get so accustomed to the lifestyle. It gives you opportunities beyond your wildest imagination,” he added.
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