Thanks to the collaborative work of a group of FIU Business alumni and friends, a gift of over $800,000 of artwork has been made to the college by Albert Scaglione, CEO and founder of Park West Gallery.
When former FIU student Charlie Cartaya came aboard as Director of Plant Operations at Park West Gallery, he asked his wife, College of Business alumna Barbara Pestana (BBA ’02), if FIU would be interested in receiving a donation from Park West. Cartaya and Pestana, who first met at FIU, thought the university would be a good fit for a Park West gift. In addition to its headquarters and gallery in Southfield, Michigan, Park West has a gallery and distribution center in Miami Lakes, Florida. The group also got help from former FIU student Arnaldo Puig, regional director of TransGroup MIA, who agreed to transport the artwork and absorb the cost of transporting and storing the art.
The gift from Park West, a commercial art gallery well known for their art auctions on cruise lines throughout the world, encompasses over 300 pieces of art including works by Mark Kanovich, Linda Le Kinff and Zamy Steynovitz. As part of their contribution, Park West has also provided custom framing for the art work, and will assist the college with the placement of the art throughout the business school facilities including the College of Business Complex, the Ryder Business Building and MANGO.
Pestana, an Alumni Board member who also serves as a mentor to FIU students, encourages other alumni to be creative in finding ways to support the university. “Of course, financial contributions from alumni are the usual way of helping, and very much needed,” she said, “but think outside the box and look for other opportunities. Being creative is a good way of paying it forward to create opportunities for future students.”