We would like to thank the thousands of fellow art-lovers who explore our website, join us for
email updates via Art Lovers’ Niche, follow us on Instagram, and stop to see us at the gallery.
Many of you are already familiar with Bedford Fine Art Gallery, but we want to take this
opportunity to bring you up-to-date.
Background – We have always loved art and started collecting over 30 years ago.
In the beginning, we thought a local art expert would be able to help us with our selections. We
quickly found out; however, the so-called art expert was not honest with us about the paintings
we purchased. We stopped seeing this individual and figured there had to be a better way to feel
safe and trust our purchasing decisions. We, therefore, worked hard to buck the typical
galleries and auction houses by creating a truly unique fine art gallery experience for our many
customers.
Bedford, Pennsylvania – Joan was born and raised in Bedford, but we spent our
first 31 years together living closer to Pittsburgh. We always dreamed of owning an older home.
Long story short, we ended up purchasing our home in Bedford, which is on the street where Joan
grew up. It was built in 1889 and, after the original family was no longer living there, served
as a public library (where Joan would go to read many books!). From the beginning, we thought
our Bedford home would be the perfect venue for a fine art gallery. We are also proud that
Bedford has many great things to offer guests who visit the gallery: The Omni Bedford Springs
resort, several great B&B’s, many specialty shops and boutiques, great restaurants, and the
list goes on!
Technology – When we were in college in the late ‘70’s, there was one fortran
computer that used key-punch cards for our computer science class! A lot has changed since then
and we felt it is important to stay up-to-date with technology. Since the beginning of Bedford
Fine Art Gallery, we have teamed with website design experts and are pleased that our customers
find the site easy to navigate, full of representative images and videos, and packed with great
fine art for sale. The proof of this is that a majority of our sales are via the internet to
folks that were not able to visit the gallery in-person.
One big community – In addition to our Art Lovers' Niche and Instagram
communities, we also help serve our local community. Throughout the years, we have helped the
Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art (SAMA). SAMA is a fully-accredited museum that started in
1976 and has five museum locations that serve six counties in Pennsylvania. We were fortunate to
be able to help with programing for children's education, the elderly, and our veterans
throughout the local communities.
Bottom line – Again, we would like to thank all our art-lover friends who have
been with us while we are living the dream! We have worked hard to make Bedford Fine Art Gallery
the most honest art gallery in the world. We have said it before, but it is needs to be said
again – are customers are the best! We feel very honored when our customers share their many
experiences with us, through their testimonials that we post on the website. Thank you.
Commitment
For over 50 years, Bedford has always been considered home. We (Jerry and Joan Hawk), have over
25 years of fine art collecting experience. Gallery co-owner, Joan (Claycomb) Hawk, was born and
raised in Bedford, living a few houses up the street from the gallery (often visiting the
gallery house, which was a public library at that time). We are wholeheartedly dedicated to
Bedford and our gallery. Our customers can trust our passion, commitment and experience in
guiding both the new and seasoned collector towards acquisitions that they find aesthetically
pleasing.
Small Town Value
Having a fine art gallery in a small, beautiful, historic town like Bedford provides a
value-added benefit for our customers. We are not dependent on the gallery for a living and do
not have the overhead of a typical fine art gallery such as those in New York or Washington, DC.
This allows us to offer superior pricing to someone buying multiple paintings or to the repeat
collector.
Quality
As most customers know, fine art can be followed like comparables in the housing market. You
must, however, be sure to compare apples-to-apples. With increasing popularity of 19th century
and early 20th century paintings and the limited supply of really great works, it is important
to buy the best. Our diverse inventory boasts some of the best examples from many well-listed
artists. We love realism and each painting was carefully selected to maintain the highest level
of quality. We believe we are safeguarding our customers purchase by providing the best quality
works available.
Period Correct Design
The foundation of our gallery is to establish and maintain mutually beneficial trusting
relationships with home owners, collectors, art connoisseurs, corporations, investors, and
interior designers. Whether the painting is for a new home, a stately older home, or an
executive office space, our paintings help complement many interior designs. It seems logical to
us to incorporate that perfect painting in great condition with your interior design, as opposed
to some modern art or prints that tend to be worth pennies-on-the dollar within a very short
time.
Trade-In Guarantee
Bedford Fine Art Gallery backs each purchase of artwork though our trade-in guarantee. If you
purchase a painting from us, you may trade-in that painting at any time after purchase for
credit against the purchase of a higher cost painting we have for sale. This is ideal for
customers who wish to upgrade their collections or just redecorate their wall space. We reserve
the right to reject, at our discretion, any painting for trade-in if the painting is in a
condition other than that of the original purchase. We believe this trade-in guarantee gives our
customers the confidence that their Bedford Fine Art Gallery purchases will retain their
original value. The trade-in guarantee does not apply to a consignment painting.
Layaway Plan
Bedford Fine Art Gallery offers a convenient, flexible layaway plan.
If we personally ever had a major purchase that required us to make payments, we
have always been very disciplined and regimented with an established payment schedule. This
helped us build trust and a great relationship with everyone in the fine art community over the
past 25 years. Through time, this allowed us to acquire top-of-the-line artwork to enjoy and
invest in, for our personal collection. We believe our flexible layaway program gives our
customers this same benefit. Bedford Fine Art Gallery keeps the painting until the agreed to
payment schedule is met and the painting is paid off in full.
Select Buying/Consignment
Centrally located in historic Bedford, Pennsylvania, Bedford Fine Art Gallery buys 19th (and
early 20th) Century fine art paintings. We are always actively seeking original works by well
listed American and European artists. We purchase original works and do not buy prints of any
kind. Bedford Fine Art Gallery has a standard for authenticity and condition of paintings we buy
and look forward to discussing fine art you are selling. You can call Jerry Hawk (co-owner of
Bedford Fine Art Gallery) directly at 724-459-0612 or send an email directly to Jerry at
jerryhawk@comcast.net Please provide images of the painting (front, back, close-up of signature,
etc.), as well as details such as: provenance (purchase history; prior ownership, etc.); artist
name; title of painting; medium (i.e. oil on canvas, etc.); sight size of just the painting;
overall size of the frame; where the painting is signed (i.e. lower right corner, etc.); any
labels or stickers on the back of the frame; and condition (if known, such as any repairs,
in-painting, relining, etc.). Jerry will respond to your inquiry about selling fine art
immediately and will answer any questions you may have. Unlike an auction house, there is no
gamble (painting may not sell for pre-auction estimate), commission, or fees on the amount of
money you will receive from selling your fine art to Bedford Fine Art Gallery. We strive to make
selling fine artwork to Bedford Fine Art Gallery a straight-forward process that is fair and
reasonable. We provide a Purchase Agreement and our payment to you is prompt.
Custom Packaging and Shipping
Bedford Fine Art Gallery does not provide in-house packaging and shipping; however, we know our
customers can rely on a local Bedford specialized packaging and shipping associate. Our
customers are serviced exclusively by the owner. Her packaging and shipping services are
outstanding. Packaging is customized according to the specific fine art painting, with
specialized wrapping, boxing and cushioning materials being used. If requested, MasterPak®
shipping boxes for framed artwork can be utilized. These provide three layers of foam protection
that snugly encases the artwork, all within a strong corrugated container that offers plywood
strength without the weight, cost, and shipping expense.
Please call 724-459-0612 to schedule an appointment at your convenience. Thank you for choosing
Bedford Fine Art Gallery as your gallery of choice.
