Farmington Fine Arts to Present Auction of Fine American and European Paintings, Prints, More

Farmington Fine Arts, LLC
P.O. Box 1413, 69 Forest Hills Drive, Farmington, CT 06043
(860) 676-9996

Contact: Kim Knox Beckius, Publicist
email: kimberlysk@earthlink.net telephone: (860) 675-1013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Farmington Fine Arts to Present Auction
of Fine American and European Paintings, Prints, More

AVON, CT, June 28, 2002—A study by Norman Rockwell, two works by Connecticut
African-American artist Charles Ethan Porter and the original bronze sculpture that served as the
model for the Rolls Royce hood ornament are among the 250 works to be auctioned September 19
when Farmington Fine Arts, LLC presents an auction of fine American and European art at The
Great Hall at The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut.

Auction previews are scheduled for September 17 and 18 from noon until 6:30 p.m. and the day of
the auction, September 19, from noon until 5:30 p.m. The auction begins at 6:30 p.m. The auction is
free and open to the public and will appeal to collectors, dealers and those interested in acquiring
unique and beautiful works for their homes or offices.

"We consider this to be a very diverse auction with something for virtually any collector," said
Stephen R. Gass, Vice President of Farmington Fine Arts. Gass and his partner, Lamont McEvitt,
founded their Farmington-based auction and appraisal business in 2002 to provide central
Connecticut residents with an alternative to traveling to Boston or New York to acquire fine pieces
for their collections.

Highlights of the September 19 auction include:

- Two works by Charles Ethan Porter (1847-1923), an African-American painter from Rockville,
Connecticut, known for his fruit and flower paintings. Porter studied at the National Academy of
Design beginning in 1869 and in Paris from 1881 to 1884 with Samuel Clemens as his sponsor.
Porter had a studio in Hartford's Richardson Building during his latter years. His work is receiving
much critical acclaim and is in the collections of many major museums.

- "Three Views of Mary Alcautara," a large oil on canvas study done by Norman Rockwell
(1894-1978) while he was attending sketching classes in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, as he
frequently did throughout his career. Of particular interest is that Rockwell later used the center of
the canvas for a preliminary sketch of his painting, "Weigh In," which is now part of the collection of
the New Britain Museum of American Art.

- A bronze sculpture by British artist Charles Sykes titled, "Spirit of Freedom, Casting #2." Standing
over two feet tall and in perfect condition, the piece was cast in November 1910 and used as the
prototype for what is now the widely recognized Rolls Royce hood ornament.

In addition, among the more than 250 lots are more than 35 works by well-known Connecticut
painters including several associated with the artist colony in Old Lyme, American and European
paintings of the 19th and 20th centuries and a selection of works by contemporary artists with prior
auction track records.

For a complete auction catalog, visit Farmington Fine Arts online at
http://www.farmingtonfinearts.com. You may also request a catalog and additional information or
inquire about consigning works you own by calling (860) 676-9996.

The Great Hall at The Bushnell is located at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut. Works
sold at the auction are subject to a 15 percent buyer's premium.

About Farmington Fine Arts
Farmington Fine Arts, LLC is a Farmington, Connecticut-based fine art auction and appraisal
company founded by Lamont McEvitt and Stephen R. Gass, who each have decades of experience
in fine art consulting with major museums and nationally known collections. The company plans to
hold auctions at The Bushnell in Hartford twice annually and continuously seeks high quality
consignments of works of art.

McEvitt spent 17 years at the head of SL McEvitt Associates, a company that designs imaging
computer systems for Fortune 50 companies. He has been actively involved in fine arts consulting
since 1973: he assisted in mounting the Robert Brandgee exhibit at the New Britain Museum of Art
for the 150th anniversary of Miss Porter's School in Farmington, he was a consultant during the
formation of the Hartford Steam Boiler Corporate Art Collection, he assisted the Connecticut
Gallery in mounting the first major Charles Ethan Porter exhibit at the Old State House in Hartford
and he has recently appeared on two Connecticut Public Television programs about Porter. He
currently serves on the Board of Corporators of the Hartford Art School at the University of
Hartford and as an appraiser of fine art for Phillip Morris, which conducts antique appraisal fairs
nationwide.

Gass was executive vice president of Arthur A. Watson and Company Insurance Group for 23
years. In 2000, he was recognized by The Greater Hartford Arts Council as one of the major figures
in the arts in Hartford County. He has served on the steering committee of the Collectors Council of
Hartford's Wadsworth Atheneum and the acquisition and loan committee for the New Britain
Museum of American art for six years. He was also president of the board of directors of the
Farmington Valley Arts Center for three years.

Source: Farmington Fine Arts
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