J.J. Weinberg - Lost Art & Chanel's Secret

Did an art gallery really throw two of my paintings in the garbage? Are they really holding one of my paintings, hostage, until I pay a $200 ransom to get it back? Did they really send multiple lawyers after me for simply telling the truth?

On 10/24/22 I sent 3 pieces of my legacy and artwork to a gallery in Palm Beach Florida. Two paintings on 20x20 boards and one painting on a 12x12 canvas. The boards were wrapped in butcher paper to protect the surfaces and the canvas was sandwiched between the 2 boards which acted as the integrity and weight of the approximately 5 lb package.

On 10/29/22 UPS issued me Proof of Delivery.

I confirmed a black frame for framing the canvas when I was sent an image and said the other two boards should be framed in gold.

On 11/1/22 I received an email from the gallery that said "We have only received your "No Nein Number 3" piece and are still waiting on the other two."

In shock, I immediately responded, “What? They were wrapped up with the no 3!”

I sent a follow-up email that said I was “sick to my stomach” and that there were 3 paintings. I mentioned that the gallery knew I was sending out 3 pieces and I sent images and videos that the gallery had seen and interacted with on social media. “I am beyond distraught right now. Please just let me know when you have them in hand so I can calm down.”

Well, they never had them in hand again after they first opened the package. I’m writing this on 2/8/23, over 3 months after the fact, and still don’t know what happened to my paintings.

Did they throw my legacy out with the garbage?

The work itself is an examination and critique of the cult of personality. I utilize the same propaganda of glamour they used to conceal the truth of Chanel’s Nazi ties to actually reveal them. In 2019 I read, “Sleeping with the Enemy - Coco Chanel’s Secret War” which details declassified documents that unveiled her Nazi spy codename and number; F-7124. Having my work destroyed immediately made me think of the tragedy of masterworks lost in Nazi Germany and this quote from Frank Stokes in Monuments Men.

“You can wipe out an entire generation, you can burn their homes to the ground and somehow they'll still find their way back. But if you destroy their history, you destroy their achievements and it's as if they never existed.”

These aren’t just paintings to me. They are proof of my existence. They are a part of my personal history and achievement. And now they are gone. It’s brought me many tears and it shattered my heart like Kristallnacht. It isn’t lost on me that Hitler’s reign of terror has its roots in being a rejected artist hence his plundering of masterpieces throughout Europe during World War 2.

For 2 months I tried to find a way to work with the gallery through what I could only guess was an accident. The paintings were priced to bring me $6,000 each, a portion of which I had plans to donate as well. $12,000 in value to me financially and the priceless loss to my legacy. Each physical painting was also equipped with an NFC chip (near-field communication) as the paintings were also to be tied to an NFT record on the blockchain. The goal of the NFT was to also be able to donate 50% of my net secondary sales to organizations like the Anti-Defamation League and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. This was part of what I wanted my future legacy to be and that opportunity was stolen from me. The gallery refused to accept any reasonable financial or ethical responsibility for my work. They kicked me down the road for 2 months. They mistook my kindness and openness to explore the alchemy of the tragedy for weakness.

I was asked, “What about the shipping insurance?”, on a package that they signed for and was delivered. I was asked “What about your homeowner’s insurance?”, for work that was in the physical custody and legal responsibility of the gallery per the terms of their own contract. Finally, after more than 6 weeks of pushing it down the road, I was told they were looking into their insurance but I had to wait a week. More time passed and I was told that their insurance wouldn’t cover it. I’ve requested and still have not seen a copy of the gallery’s insurance policy.

Aside from the financial remuneration, I repeatedly told the gallery that I had plans on making a documentary film to tell the story of the work. I asked them for a clear explanation of what I would put into the film on their behalf.

I have to ensure that my work isn’t simply thrown away and forgotten, this work deserves better and I must ensure it survives. And I feel compelled to share my story with other artists that may encounter a similar dilemma on their own path. So I’ve begun work on a mini-documentary film with a local company called the Pixel Factory. Ryan Juszkiewicz has been kind enough to help shoot most of the preliminary shots for the documentary without any payment upfront because he believes in the work. My friend Benjamin Garcia has already helped with drone footage and we are well underway in production. We’ve finished the first trailer for “All That Glitters Is... Gone | Lost Art and Chanel’s Secret”. I want to be able to screen the film in May in observance of Jewish American Heritage Month and with your help, I know I can.

The gallery has already sent multiple lawyers after me with bogus “Cease and Desist” allegations for defamation of character. First, they lost my work, then they refused to compensate me for the emotional and financial turmoil, then they tell me I can’t tell anyone my story. It’s a quintessential cycle of abuse. To add insult to injury, in the last letter from their lawyer they had the audacity to say that they will not return the canvas that they have until I pay them $200 for the framing. I can’t even afford to get my own painting back at this point and even if I could, I refuse to pay their ransom when they owe me in excess of $12,000.

With all of the losses and the time and energy needed to make this successful I really need your help. I can honestly say that 2022 was the most spiritually and financially challenging year of my life. I caught Covid right before 2022 and then again at the beginning of 2023. I’m far behind but I refuse to quit and I could really use your help. If you donate through the QR codes below, I will receive the funds more quickly and it will allow me to receive more of the donation.

I will list your donation here on GOFUNDME regardless of how you donate. I also have plans to release my work as NFTs and “phygital” art (combining digital and physical). We are also looking for people willing to help fund the film that will be recognized via Production Credits at the beginning of the film. Anyone that donates or purchases will be listed on the end credits of the documentary as a supporter of this vision. I will also be doing giveaways for people collecting the NFTs and donors.

The gallery has already sent multiple lawyers after me with bogus “Cease and Desist” allegations for defamation of character. First, they lost my work, then they refused to compensate me for the emotional and financial turmoil, then they tell me I can’t tell anyone my story. It’s a quintessential cycle of abuse. To add insult to injury, in the last letter from their lawyer they had the audacity to say that they will not return the canvas that they have until I pay them $200 for the framing. I can’t even afford to get my own painting back at this point and even if I could, I refuse to pay their ransom when they owe me in excess of $12,000.

I consider myself an alchemist and I’ve been looking for a way to turn this all into gold. I feel I’m finding it by being brought closer to the story of the art lost in Nazi Germany, a terror in which Chanel took part. I found it by discovering the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant just 5 miles from my house. I’ve lived in NW Indiana all of my life and never knew that we had a munitions plant and bunkers for storing those bullets and bombs right here in our county. This plant was instrumental in fighting World War 2 and I never knew it existed. While we were making bullets to fight the Nazis, Chanel was making love to one. I grew up 25 miles away, hearing stories about my Jewish Heritage, and had no idea it was there. No field trip? No National Monument recognition?

Ryan took me there when we started thinking of locations to shoot. Now it’s an extension of the motivation behind this series. I want to be able to bring this history to children locally. We can touch the fate of the world in our own backyard. It’s all a reminder that this doesn’t just happen in the movies.

Thank you for your support!

J.J. Weinberg

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