About

When real estate developer/entrepreneur Anthony Curis contacted blue-chip art dealer Rhonda Long-Sharp in 2010 about the purchase of artwork by Russell Young (British, b. 1960), neither party expected the serendipitous events that would follow. Just eighteen months after their first contact, the pair forged a partnership that has resulted in the Long-Sharp/Curis Modern + Contemporary Fine Art gallery, established in Detroit, MI.

Detroit, listed by Art Basel-Miami as one of the four most “up and coming” art meccas in the world in 2010 (http://www.oceanfrontnights.com/), seemed to the pair to be almost too perfect a place to open an art gallery. “He sent me articles, books… on the Detroit art scene,” Long-Sharp says of Curis, who has seen first-hand what he calls the “huge transformation [Detroit] has seen in the past decade.” He says that his home city of Detroit has become a “huge rising market in the arts. “ Indeed, Long-Sharp encountered evidence of this transformation when she went to visit Anthony and wife JJ Curis in Detroit. Long-Sharp left the city, mesmerized by Detroit’s “vibe,” which she called “unlike any other.” Concrete plans for the Long-Sharp/Curis gallery in downtown Detroit commenced following this visit, and were later solidified when JJ Curis’ business acumen was thrown into the mix.

Long-Sharp/Curis launches with the intention of showcasing works by some of the biggest names in the modern and contemporary art world in Detroit’s already-thriving art scene. In addition to exhibiting works of art by modern and contemporary masters, the gallery will also be bringing live talent into the city; shows are already scheduled through 2012.