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94
A furrier extends his business, right next door, to include a
European art collection.
FRANK PROVENZANO SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
• Computerized bridal registry
41
Opening The Door To Art
HOURS: M-TH 10-6, FRI. 10-7, SAT. 10-5, SUN. 12-4
I
t's one month away from the
debut of his new gallery, Eu-
ropa, yet co-owner Arthur
Bricker sits back and relaxes
in his business office. It's as
though it's a "done deal" —
which, in many ways, it is.
Typically, when a new busi-
ness venture is being considered,
most of the work is done leading
up to making the decision.
Think of the idea for Europa
Art Gallery as having undergone
a three-decade incubation.
After 30 years collecting art,
traveling the back roads of Eu-
rope looking for cubist paintings
or a hard-to-find early 20th-cen-
tury classic, Mr. Bricker has had
a long time to think about his lat-
est venture. And in about 30
days, when the gallery opens its
doors and hangs its first oil paint-
ing, that will be the easy part. Or
so he says.
Until then, all that remains
are a few logistical arrangements,
like painting the walls, finding a
place for the reception desk and
installing the lighting. The in-
ventory already is complete, al-
though plans to hang the show
have yet to be discussed. Obvi-
ously, there are more immediate
concerns.
"We're going to show art that
people can live with," said Mr.
Bricker, referring to the gallery's
intent to exhibit original oils, lim-
ited rare lithographs, pastel
drawings and sculpture from pri-
marily 20th-century European
artists.
Last week, a swinging door
was installed that will allow cus-
tomers going to Mr. Bricker's fur
business to enter the adjoining
gallery, located in West Bloom-
field in the Orchard Mall. The
"swinging door" is not only an ap-
propriate metaphor, but in Mr.
Bricker's thinking, it's the right
first step.
Actually, in one single step,
customers to Bricker-Tunis Furs
will be able to see immediately
how Mr. Bricker and his partner,
John Tunis, have diversified their
fur business to include European
fine art.
"It's not like an oil painting and
a fur are competitive items," Mr.
Bricker said. "We have discern-
ing customers who are interest-
ed in both."
If all goes according to plans,
Europa Art Gallery will blend en-
trepreneurial boldness with love
of art "you can live with," Mr.
Bricker said.
"Our concept is different than
the normal gallery," he said. "We
won't live and die with one idea.
We'll do a lot of different media
and change frequently."
At the gallery, however, one
idea takes precedence. Europa
will be operated in accordance
with business, not aesthetic, prin-
ciples. That means making sure
the gallery changes with con-
sumers' taste. And that's an area
Mr. Bricker believes is no differ-
ent than running a successful fur
business.
In the last two decades, the fur
er share more than a business.
Their lives have traveled similar
paths.
Both are third-generation fur-
riers of immigrant grandparents.
Mr. Bricker's father came from
Russia, while Mr. Tunis' father
immigrated from Greece to New
York City, where he worked as a
designer in the fur industry.
Like most decisions over the
last eight decades, the new di-
rection for Bricker-Tunis evolved.
Actually, the idea started off
Arthur Bricker, artist Yuri Gorbachev and Suzy Bricker at the new gallery:
A "swinging door" philosophy.
industry has undergone profound
changes, and furriers had to mod-
ify the way they conducted busi-
ness, Mr. Tunis said. "Through
the '90s, the key thing is to use
your square footage to generate
as much revenue as possible," he
said.
To keep up with consumers'
demands, Bricker-Tunis aggres-
sively advertised their ever-
changing line of merchandise.
That type of marketing approach
will eventually be applied to
drawing customers to the gallery.
Of course, Mr. Tunis quickly
pointed out, any changes in
Bricker-Tunis Furs were mea-
sured by references to their 80-
year family tradition as furriers.
In fact, Mr. Tunis and Mr. Brick-
rather simple. A few paintings
were displayed around the store.
Shortly thereafter, Mr. Bricker
began an informal survey of cus-
tomers. He asked them if they
would visit a gallery if it were
next door, and if it would change
their impression of Bricker-Tu-
nis.
"We're showing an ability to
change with the times," said Suzy
Bricker, Europa Art Gallery di-
rector. "Art enhances the busi-
ness just like it enhances people's
lives. Establishing an art gallery
is a hopeful gesture to get people
to live positively again."
Mr. Bricker and his wife, Suzy,
are planning a trip to New York
City prior to the opening of Eu-
ropa. They will meet with inter-