MIAMI - PARIS
Who We Are
Jillian Taylor
Jillian approaches everything she does with curiosity and respect which serves as the foundation of her estimable taste.
With a BA in Human Development as well as an MFA in acting from the prestigious Yale School of Drama, she has spent her lifetime in pursuit of all things that bring about wonder and beauty in the human spirit and that speak the truth of the human condition. She has lent her curatorial aid to dozens of projects in the mediums of theater, film, fashion, music, and fine art and continues to cultivate her keen eye through travel and exposure to new cultures and experiences.
Jillian’s most recent/current projects include a global commercial for Jacob’s Coffee, a new rock opera with music by Amanda Palmer, and a short film written by Wallace Shawn.
Alex Slato
Alex Slato is a second-generation art executive veteran with 33 years of experience in the Art industry. His parents before him opened up an art gallery and auction house in Caracas in the early 60s and were responsible for popularizing the Art Auction event in Venezuela. They both combined over 400 auctions in Caracas, most cities in Venezuela, and in 1981, 1982, and 1983 held the first 3 Latin American Auctions in Bal Harbour, Florida.
At the young age of 17, he started managing his parents' Art Gallery and auction house and by the time he was 18 he became the youngest art auctioneer in Latin America. In his twenties, Alex, while maintaining a rigorous auction schedule in Caracas, also took the gallery abroad and was one of the first wave galleries to participate in the Latin American international expansion. Thus the Gallery re-opened offices in Miami, Mexico, and Buenos Aires and attended from 1992-1999 most famous international fairs in the Americas such as Art Miami, FIA in Caracas, ArteBo in Colombia, and Art Chicago in the USA.
By his early 30s, Alex had knitted a tour of auctions events that united Caracas, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Miami, becoming the official auctioneer for the Museum of Puerto Rico, where he would auction for the next 20 years. At 31 Slato was recruited to become the Associate Director of the Museum of Latin American Art, MOLAA. he closed his art gallery and auction house and spearheaded the expansion (MOLAA). Where for a better part of that decade, he managed the Curatorial, Fundraising, and Special Projects departments for the Museum.
After his departure from the Museum Of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in 2010, he opened up his advisory firm, The Business of Art,LLC in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), an advisory company that worked together with several mayor collections in California for the acquisition of significant Latin American Blue chip pieces. He served as a curator and fundraiser Director for LA Artcore Gallery the oldest Nonprofit art center in DTLA and became a collector and advisor for many of the local Los Angeles downtown LA artists. In 2015 Slato was chosen to create and develop a 501(c)3 US nonprofit foundation to sustain the legacy of Venezuelan Geometric Abstract modern Masters, Alejandro Otero and Mercedes Pardo. That was instrumental for the Artists development in US markets and mayor museums like the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, MOMA and el Prado in Madrid.
In 2021, Slato decided to combine all his protects under one roof and Opened in Miami Florida a 4,000 square-foot art space for modern masters and contemporary exhibitions. Later in 2022, Slato partnered with Madame Leonor Parra to open up a Gallery space in the Matignon Avenue sector of Paris. This Paris gallery hold 5 exhibitions a year and focuses exclusively in Modern and Contermporary Latin American Art.
SLATO FACTS
- Holds 162 lifetime auctions.
- In 8 years, tripled the size of the collection of the Museum Of Latin American Art (MOLAA).
- Has curated exhibitions and given lectures in Museums and Universities across the United States.
- Is a Communications major- Audiovisual Journalism (UCAB-Venezuela).
- A master in Nonprofit Fundraising.
- Member of the International Society of Appraisers (ISA in 2001).
- Graduate of the Florida Auction School in 2000 (state accreditation in 2001).
- Member of the National Auctioneers Association since 2001.
- Member of the Florida Auctioneer Association since 2001.
- Member of the California Auctioneer Association (2001-2015).
- Is a professional public speaker.
An Auctioneer's Legacy
Huri and Natalio Slato, 1967
Huri and Natalio Slato, 1967
Huri and Natalio Slato: A Team Couple
In 1965, Huri Angelica, a Fashion Designer with an Art History degree who had her own fashion radio program in Buenos Aires during the mid-1960s, and Natalio, an Agricultural Engineer with an avid passion for literature, antiques, and the arts. Both met and fell in love. A few months later they created the first agricultural and cattle farm-related fair that promoted meats and grains from Argentina to Venezuela. This unique fair used the method of auctions in order to have products sell faster. In the booming 1960s Venezuela, the fair and the auctions were very successful and gave the couple the initiative to move to Caracas and start working in the 1967 Food and Agricultural Fair, which was completely invested in a new space to exhibit and was bringing in all the best Argentina had to offer. At the same time they both opened their first art gallery in the town of La Candelaria in Caracas and called it Huri Galerie.
Valor Arte Auctions 1960s-1990s
With the original name of Valor-Arte, (Valorización de Bienes y Arte, C.A.) the team couple started a company in 1968 that would become one of the most active and diverse art, antique, and real estate auction houses of the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s in the Mega Cultural city of Caracas, Venezuela. Both Huri and Natalio were considered the best auctioneers in the trade. Huri became the leading female auctioneer for the Americas during the decade of the 1980s.
Natalio Slato in Action at his Gala Auction in the early 80s
With a mission to export Latin American Art to the North American Market, in the early 1980s the Slatos open up Valor-Arte International based in Bal-Harbour, Florida. During this time, Natalio and Huri held two very large Latin American and International Auctions at the Americana Hotel in 1979 and at the Sheraton Bal Harbour in 1983. These Latin American Art Auctions, were the very first of their kind in Miami and the state of Florida. A precursor to the Latin American trend that was to follow in Miami’s art district for years to come.
Valor-Arte International Advertising for Bal Harbour Auction
Known as Valor-Arte and later as Galería Slato, the gallery moved from their gallery in Orinoco Avenue in Las Mercedes to Altamira in the late 1980’s conveniently located in front of Plaza Altamira (Plaza Francia).
From the 1980’s until Huri Slato’s retirement in 2003, It housed over a hundred and fifty auctions, 40 + exhibitions featuring Latin American and European artists, advised many top collectors nationally and was an eager participant of the 1990’s Art Fair market boom. So it was one of the founding galleries for first Feria Iberoamericana de Arte (FIA) in Caracas. As well as the Latin American Pavilion for Art Miami and Chicago in the early 90’s.
This space was a gallery for secondary market artworks and and auction house, representing only a handful of the best Contemporary artists of their time.
Partial View of exhibition or woman artists early 2000’s
Valor Arte International Auctions in the 2000s
Trained by both his parents since very young, Alex started as an Auctioneer in 1988 in the Museo Jacobo Borges in Caracas. Later he moved to Florida where he trained at Florida Auction School and passed the Florida State Certification and the International Society of Appraisers exam in 2000. For the next 20 years, as a museum executive, Alex has created mega Auction Fundraisers that not only worked as a platform for over 100 Latin American Artists in the California Market, but also a very good funding resource for events. Such events as: Museo de Arte De Puerto Rico, Los Angeles Contemporary Art Center, LA Artcore, Los Angeles gallery and almost for a whole decade the Annual Auction and Museum Of Latin American Art (MOLAA) awards event which in 2006 broke $1,000,000 in sales for Latin American Artists in California.
Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art experts with a focus on International Art
Under Alex's leadership, Valor-Arte has incorporated Natalio's and Huri's old traditions and respect to the business while adding new auction technology that allows us to reach our old clients better and welcome new collectors to our client base.
With over 50 years in the Auction Industry, we have shown respect, dedication, professionalism, and transparency. We aim to be South Florida's most important Online International Art and Collectibles Auction House.
