For those of you who don’t know me, I’ve worked with ACA and the Bergen family for over half my life – or as Jeff would say “Before child labor laws were invented.”

Like most of you I met Jeff and the ACA family under ordinary circumstances which quickly turned extraordinary. It was a job interview in my case.

A brief typing test; a palm reading followed by an interview with Sidney, Jeff and Dorian in an office filled with Joseph Cornell collages casually strewn about there Jeffrey laid out the gallery philosophy – “Mikaela We Never Judge Anyone By Their Watch and Shoes.” And at that moment somehow I knew I was home.

The rest is history – 30 years of it, in a lifetime of a gallery aged 92. A remarkable journey filled with magical thinking and creative deal making.

Unconventional and easy going, Jeffrey was a friend to all both in the artworld and beyond. He always took the time to chat and visit no matter if you were the valet or captain of industry – A trait made easier since he had no computer – but he made everyone feel seen and heard. Unjudged and in turn he shared unconditionally his love for art with all who cared.

There are few who could wax on so poetically about Ernest Lawson’s crushed jewel palette or Romare Bearden’s collages and their syncopated beats and forms which replicated Jazz rhythms Benton’s undulating lines or Faith Ringgold’s struggle to tell her story and ultimately overcoming the odds by following her mother’s sage words “You’ll have to work twice as hard to get half as far.”

When Jeff got going about his favorite subject he was hard to stop – his body rocking and words bubbling over in enthusiasm in a volcanic art eruption. Always an art historical adventure, his energy was contagious.

He never lost the thrill of discovery. His keen eye and highly tuned antenna led him on far flung treasure hunts that led to the fabled Pearl Carpet of Baroda to more local discoveries including a long lost Hale Woodruff and a Henry O Tanner among many others.

Jeffrey was a staunch advocate for American art and the artists in the ACA “staple” as he used to say. He remained committed even if sales were slim or the artist not in high demand, his loyalty and belief produced many long term relationships which continue to this day. He gave many art stars of today their earliest gallery representation including Judy Chicago, Barkley Hendricks and countless others. He also cultivated and empowered the early careers of many arts professionals who worked at the gallery over the years.

His laid back vibe and Southern drawl distinguished him from his contemporaries as did his willingness to deliver a painting himself or don a tool belt to hang a show – there was no job that was below him.

Although he resisted the digital age and never thought he would see the day where art was sold online he recognized the future while remaining true to his past – A world before sales agreements and letters of intent – when a gentlemen’s agreement was a binding contract.

Jeff’s curiosity and art knowledge defined him and continues to enrich all our lives. As he would often say of others – and now I can say of him, “He’s forgotten more about art then the rest of us will ever know.”