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Believing that art is as legitimate a field for high-pressure salesmanship as automobiles or iceboxes, plausible Painter La Grange has persuaded five friends into putting up $1,000 each as the capital of a La Grange syndicate. He in return has bound himself to produce at least 35 pictures a year. The syndicate will send the works of Painter La Grange from gallery to gallery throughout the land. All have their prices plainly marked, none are exorbitant. The sale price is to be divided in equal thirds between the exhibiting gallery, Artist La Grange and the syndicate. The syndicate makes much of the fact that if a would-be purchaser is unable to pay $300 or $500 for a picture, any of the La Grange opera may be purchased on instalment for as little as $10 a week.— Artist Rockwell Kent once was incorporated, Architect Frank Lloyd Wright is now. In 1920 the then little known Artist Kent wanted to go to Alaska, had not enough money. Friends incorporated him at $10,000. Artist Kent received 49% of the stock of Kent, Inc., a manager's salary and all earnings above 10% stock- holders' dividends (including profit made from his vegetable garden). When Kent returned from Alaska, Kent, Inc., was dissolved, stockholders paid back in full.
Frank Lloyd Wright Corp. was capitalized by friends October, 1929, with $50,000 preferred stock. Wright, bankrupt, owned no stock. His incorporators' first act was to buy back his famed and beauteous home "Taliesin" at Spring Green, Wis. From Madison's Bank of Wisconsin the rest of the principal was used to finance his office.
—Few U. S. citizens realize that almost any reputable art dealer is only too glad to sell paintings on instalment, that $10 a week will put an example of almost any first class modern artist in their homes.