New York’s Jack Shainman Gallery has accused collector James Hedges of owing almost $300k for selling 19 artworks given to him.
The gallery filed a lawsuit on Friday in the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Filed against both Hedges and his gallery, Hedges Projects, the lawsuit lists invoices for 19 artworks consigned to the collector – between June 2022 and May 2024 – worth $298,772.72. While the names of the artworks were not mentioned, the gallery did argue that Hedges had sold those works but kept the funds for his personal use.
James R. Hedges IV is the son of prominent self-taught artists, and a former investment banker. Since 2013, he has been fully active in the art collection and dealership. He has served in the leadership of museum like the Dia Art Foundation, the Aspen Art Museum, and the Tate Museum network. He is also an art curator at the Hotel Bel-Air and the Beverly Hills Hotels. A prominent art collector, he has described himself as the “go-to guy for Warhol photography” in the past. Boasting the largest collection of Andy Warhol photographs, he previously held an exhibition for the same at the Jack Shainman Gallery in 2020 and at the Gagosian in 2022.
Also Read: Olympics Opening Ceremony Causes Uproar Over ‘Last Supper’ Dance
The Jack Shainman Gallery was founded in 1984 and recently expanded to a 20,000-square-foot space in Tribeca. The Hedges Gallery, meanwhile, has denied the allegations: “Hedges Projects is saddened to learn about the lawsuit filed by Jack Shainman Gallery. Hedges Projects and Jack Shainman Gallery have had a successful business relationship since 2018. It is unfortunate that Jack Shainman Gallery decided to file a claim while the parties are in the midst of business negotiations. We strongly disagree with the claim, and plan to assert counterclaims of our own, if necessary.”
