A Walk Down Memory Lane ask the artsperts by Kristine Meek and Juliana Meek

Dear Artsperts,
You have represented Hunt Slonem for 30 years, what are your fondest memories during those years?
Signed,
Pearl

Dear Pearl,
Each member of our family, including the youngest, has a memory to share to commemorate the years of our relationship,
both professionally and in friendship….

From William Meek, “Last month as I was going through artist files, selecting older files to go to the archives in our warehouse storage, I happened across a single cashed check in Hunt Slonem’s file. It was a check for $1,000 and the note line read “for a small rabbit oil painting”. Written across the top of the check was “our first sale for you!” The check was from thirty years ago and the reason for keeping it all these years seems to be a mystery except that perhaps it was a premonition of the hundreds of sales to so many supportive and pleased patrons in the years since.”

From Barbara Meek, “Hunt, Bill and I were all in our early 40’s when we first met. Over the years we have shared many good times, laughs, and outings together both in Naples and elsewhere. Some of our outings in Naples have been to the butterfly garden, after which Hunt rediscovered his childhood love of butterflies. Another time, it was to Corkscrew Swamp to look for wood storks. But most enjoyable to me are the times Hunt and I would detour to discover the antique markets between RSW and Naples. Our excursions elsewhere include visiting his studios in New York City and visiting his antebellum homes in Louisiana and New York state. Certainly, to know Hunt is to love him and we have been privileged to have a strong personal relationship with this talented artist.”

John William as a baby with his first impressions of the painting Slonem gifted to him.

From Juliana Meek, “As the technologically inclined member of the Meek family, I had the idea to create a website for the gallery while still a student in 2001. Long before it became a trend, I worked remotely for the gallery for over a decade by updating the gallery website. It was through this effort that I gained ever increasing respect for Hunt. Each year more museums were added to his list, books published, and more gallery exhibitions. I also continued to gain appreciation for Hunt’s work as I uploaded new images of his work each season to the website. For many years I wouldn’t be able to see all the works in person, but I still was amazed by the images alone!”

From Kristine Meek, “My fondest memories of Hunt go back to when I was a teenager, and our Gallery had the first exhibition of Hunt Slonem works in Naples. I was in high school and got to pick out a 10×8 painting for myself and I picked out a painting of a pair of birds. I still have the painting and just last year I purchased a second 10×8 bird Hunt Slonem painting – this time a gold owl. It was really the experience of picking out a painting for myself at that young age, that helped me form my eye for collecting and appreciating art.”

From John William Meek Yegge (age 9), “I really like the painting I have had my whole life. The blue bunny I have on

the wall next to my bed helps my imagination. I can look at it and my mind wanders to all sorts of places. And then picking out the new bunny painting we have by our tv was so much fun and I get to look at it while I am playing Xbox and I feel so lucky to have something so creative in my life.”
Sincerely,
The Artsperts

Juliana Meek, Hunt Slonem, Kristine Meek

Barbara Meek, Hunt Slonem, William Meek

www.HarmonMeek.com
599 NINTH STREET, NORTH, SUITE 309, NAPLES, FL 34102 | 239.261.2637