Artists Trust Frances Iger Laterman With Their Work. Her Fundraising Shows Have Raised Millions for Causes She Holds Close
The owner of L'Esprit d'Art has represented painters from New York to France, Italy and the Middle East, taught collectors to look closely, and written and directed six fashion shows for UJA.
NEW YORK. Ask the artists Frances Iger Laterman has represented why they stay with her and the answer tends to come down to one word: trust. Painters have often told her there are few people they trust the way they trust her. In a business where an artist's income can hinge on someone else's honesty, that is the reputation she prizes.
Ms. Laterman has owned L'Esprit d'Art since 1982. These days she works as a private dealer and consultant, seeing clients privately and by appointment only. Her specialty is classical contemporary art.
Her roster has never stopped at the Hudson. Over the years she has worked on behalf of artists in New York, France, Italy, other European countries and the Middle East, and many have come to count on her to guard their interests.
Collectors see another side of her. She takes particular pride in teaching people to look harder at paintings and drawings, and several who started out as curious newcomers went on to assemble collections of their own. Each client gets individual attention, and she builds those relationships one person at a time.
Her reach extends well past the art trade. Ms. Laterman wrote and directed six major fashion shows featuring Israeli designers for UJA, and each one raised several million dollars. The productions drew on her years in fashion and turned that experience toward philanthropy.
Backing the Jewish community has been a constant for her. She has also long been involved with leading figures in cancer research, a cause she follows closely.
Keeping her eye current is part of the job. She belongs to the American Federation of Arts and makes a habit of visiting major art fairs, auctions and gallery shows to keep up with new work and new names.
A native New Yorker, she is a graduate of Forest Hills High School and attended Syracuse University from 1954 to 1959. Asked what has carried her through more than forty years in the field, she points first to integrity, then to the faith artists have shown in her eye and her attention to detail.
She is rebalancing rather than slowing down. Ms. Laterman hopes to add several new clients in the coming years while staying close to a select group of artists and leaving more room for travel, one of her favorite pastimes.
Dynamo Times recognizes Frances Iger Laterman for decades of principled work on behalf of artists and collectors, and for a record of generosity that has aided the Jewish community and the fight against cancer.
About L'Esprit d'Art
Frances Iger Laterman is a New York private art dealer and consultant specializing in classical contemporary art, and has owned L'Esprit d'Art since 1982. She has worked with artists in the United States, France, Italy, other European countries and the Middle East, and is a member of the American Federation of Arts. Her philanthropy includes writing and directing six Israeli designer fashion shows for UJA and long involvement with cancer research.