Michael Olsen Brings Relévant Galleries To Cherry Creek North
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH
WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE RICHARDS // CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While “Wolf of Wallstreet” may have reignited the flames of fascination with the Jordan Belfort escapades, it is David Yarrow’s brilliant photographic commentary on the tale (complete with reality TV star Josh Altman) that has seared a permanent image into pop culture vignettes and the minds of the artistic community.
As luck would have it, this piece was recently showcased (alas, already purchased) at our very own Relévant Galleries here in Cherry Creek North. Open since June of 2021, co-partner and managing director of AD Galleries (the parent company of Relévant Galleries), Michael Olson is committed to bringing more of Yarrow’s work to the Colorado market. Originally from North Dakota, Olson met his wife Lynnette in Aspen, and she led him into the art world.
“I was able to help scale our business there into three separate locations and become the Managing Director,” Michael says. “Not many people are able to say they have worked at the same company their entire life, but I love the industry and the people. I’m happy to say our daughter has followed in our footsteps and has joined the family business at our newest location— Relévant Galleries.”
Michael and his wife are partners in AD Galleries along with Paul and Bonnie Zueger, who founded the firm over 50 years ago.
“AD Galleries now owns nine locations in Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek, Denver, Santa Fe and an exhibition gallery in Dallas, TX,” Michael explains. “Each gallery has a different identity and name based on its market. All of the galleries can be found at our website adlgalleries.com.”
While Michael lives in Vail full time, he was kind enough to sit down with me and discuss his newest gallery.
Stephanie Richards: What sets Relévant Galleries apart from your other ones?
Michael Olson: Relévant Galleries focuses on a single artist collection by fine art photographer David Yarrow and bronze sculptor Gib Singleton. Our other galleries feature 10 to 15 local and world-famous painters and sculptors at one time, with a diverse selection of subject matter and medium.
SR: Why Cherry Creek North?
MO: I feel Cherry Creek North is the predominant shopping district in the Midwest currently, and it attracts not only Colorado residents but people from all over. We also have two sister locations (Clayton Lane Fine Arts and Masters Gallery) that are within walking distance from Relévant Galleries which have been successful in this neighborhood for over 15 years. They each have their own identities in regard to artwork featured. These three locations combined work together to create Cherry Creek North’s most powerful art group.
SR: Tell me about Relévant Galleries’ commitment to David Yarrow and the Gib Singleton collection.
MO: Due to our incredible success with David Yarrow’s work in our Vail and Beaver Creek galleries, we quickly took advantage of the opportunity to become the exclusive representative of Yarrow’s work in the Denver market. Our company currently holds the largest collection of his work in Colorado.
Additionally, we will be integrating a select collection of work from world-famous, bronze sculptor Gib Singleton. His work has permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art, the Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Vatican and the State of Israel. His most famous work was the bronze crosier carried by Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.
SR: That’s very impressive that you have the largest collection of David Yarrow’s photography in Colorado! What made you what to showcase his work?
MO: His interesting and diverse subject matter, which varies from African to North American wildlife imagery to his storytelling works that feature famous icons such as Cindy Crawford and Jordan Belfort. David has so many years of success and expertise as a world-renowned, fine art photographer, and he combines that with his unique ability to visualize, stage and choreograph his storytelling scenes which he turns into fine art photography masterpieces.
SR: Yarrow sold a piece at Sotheby’s for $106,000. What do you think it is about his work that speaks to people?
MO: His photographs are truly timeless, and he uses culture icons that have a world-wide representation. David Yarrow is one of the top selling fine art photographers in the world. His exposure and success in the U.S. market is rapidly growing. We anticipate continued success in regards to the value of all of his artwork over time. We believe this is just the tip of the iceberg for his career.
SR: Talk to me about his “wildlife” work compared to his “storytelling” pieces. What do you think it is about these images that speak to such a broad group of collectors and art enthusiasts?
MO: The “wow” factor truly comes from the detail that goes into every single piece that he produces. David once described his work like an iceberg: “You only see the 10% that I want you to see.” He balances his collection beautifully with both the storytelling and the wildlife, which is why we showcase both. The storytelling is all about him setting up the scene as if he were a movie director, whereas the wildlife life shots purely come from his raw talent of knowing how he wants to represent the animal. We stand strongly behind his ability to raise funds for conservation and charities alike to give back in any way that he can.
SR: What’s next for Relévant Galleries?
MO: We will be one of the headlining galleries in the U.S. to be showing David Yarrow’s works. Outside of major European cities such as Oslo, Zurich and Monaco, we are currently showing one of the largest solo exhibitions of his work in North America. Our goal, along with our other locations, is to make Cherry Creek North a U.S. destination to view incredible works of art.