Steven Straw Gallery

It is known that Douglas James and Steven Straw had a business relationship during the 1970s based on newspaper records from this time. Steven Straw became a notorious art dealer and gallery owner in Newburyport, Massachusetts during the late 1970s. Steven Straw was born February 7th, 1952. His father gained importance as an art auctioneer, which allowed Straw to enter the art world at a young age. He then went on to build Steven Straw Comapny, Inc. and dealt with some of the most well-kown artists in the world. He focused his collection in the best of 19th and 20th century work and owned paintings outright instead of on consignment, as was most often the custom. Unfortunately, in 1979 it was revealed that Steven Straw had been selling paintings that he didn't own . He filed for bankruptcy of $11 million in 1979, and after that many different art dealers stepped forward with civil suits against him, leading to the complete loss of his credibility and his demise in the business. He never returned to the art world, as he was forced to spend time in jail and later in a halfway house where he later died. It seems as though most of Straw's collection was sold off to pay for his debt and Montclair Meadows was sold to Phillips, where it finally made its way to Joanna Salvo.