Kennebeck partners with leading U.K. fine art company

Art Business News, August, 2005

LOUISVILLE, CO -- Kennebeck Fine Art has joined forces with DeMontfort Fine Art, considered the United Kingdom's leading international fine art publisher and distributor of original paintings for 15 years, forming DeMontfort USA. DeMontfort Fine Art contributes a unique asset from its impressive stable of artists, ranging from top international names and award winners to the freshest talent, including Doug Hyde, named the "most popular living artist in the U.K.," according to BBC News; landscape painter John Lowrie Morrison of Scotland; and figurative artist Sherree Valentine Daines.

"We have always been very successful with our works in the U.S., but to take it to the next level, we felt it necessary to find a partner with a strong U.S. presence," says Lynn Godson, DeMontfort's sales director. "We have always been extremely impressed with Kennebeck, both in terms of product and professionalism--their core values are very similar to our own."

Mark Muller, owner of Kennebeck and new CEO of DeMontfort USA, adds, "Joining forces with DeMontfort to form DeMontfort USA will enable us to fill a definite void in the US. art market. Many people in the United States cannot afford the cost of an original or limited edition canvas, but want more than a poster gracing the walls of their homes.

"We will offer high-quality, paper limited editions that will be accessible to everyone. The DeMontfort portfolio is brimming over with fabulous contemporary imagery that already has made a huge impact internationally."

Staying current with interior trends and the constantly changing global art market, DeMontfort offers a product mix that includes original paintings, limited edition prints, sculptures, glassware and ceramics. The mix ranges from affordable gift ideas to collectors' items. The U.K. company has won many major industry awards, such as "Gift of the Year," "Best Customer Care" and "Best Selling Original Print Artist"--three times. And, DeMontfort placed 13th in the 2003 Sunday Times' "Fast Track 100," a listing of the nation's fastest-growing companies.

"We will continue to offer artwork from Kennebeck, and with the addition of the DeMontfort portfolio, the combined companies will have more than 70 artists on our books," Muller says. "We will be able to offer the variety and options in artwork that the galleries in the American marketplace are desperately looking for. With the combination of the exciting artwork and the unique package of marketing and merchandising services, DeMontfort USA will be a central resource for all of our galleries' needs."

For more information, call 303-665-5549; e-mail info@kennebeck.com.