Ralph DeLuca (born May 13, 1976) is an American art advisor, and collector specializing in contemporary art and film memorabilia. DeLuca is an advisor to several celebrity clientele.[1]

Ralph DeLuca
Ralph DeLuca at the Park Avenue Armory
Born(1976-05-13)May 13, 1976
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Art advisor and collector
WebsiteRalphdeluca.com

Biography

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DeLuca was born in East Hanover, New Jersey. He purchased his first print, from Salvador Dalí's The Divine Comedy suite, using his birthday money at age 13.[2] He first worked in finance on Wall Street and collected memorabilia. Following Tony Shafrazi's advice, he changed paths and became an art collector and advisor.[3] He has been collecting contemporary artwork since at least the early 2000s.[4]

DeLuca has loaned posters from his collection for exhibitions at MGM Resorts,[5] Salon 94,[6] Poster House,[7] and the interdepartmental graphic design initiative of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[8] DeLuca's clients include Leonardo DiCaprio,[9] Sylvester Stallone,[10] Quentin Tarantino,[1] and co-founder of Tinder, Sean Rad.[11]

He is a resident of Las Vegas where he bought and renovated Betty Grable's old house and has been an advisor of the Mob Museum.[12]

DeLuca has collected over 5,000 vintage posters, including for Dracula (1931), acquired in 2009 for $310,700 from actor Nicolas Cage, and Phantom of the Opera (1925), acquired in 2014 for $203,150.[2][13][14] In 2012, DeLuca purchased one of the few remaining original posters for Metropolis (1927) at auction.[15]

In November 2024, DeLuca began authoring a column called "Street Smarts" in Cultured magazine, offering advice about the contemporary art market.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Leonardo DiCaprio's Art Adviser on the Ten Commandments of Collecting". www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  2. ^ a b Cascone, Sarah (2022-10-28). "'With the Wrong Prints, Your House Could Look Like a Dentist's Office': Collector Ralph DeLuca on How to Make Good (Not Bad) Decisions at a Print Fair". Artnet News. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  3. ^ Ellwood, Mark (2024-12-07). "Leonardo DiCaprio's Art Adviser on the Ten Commandments of Collecting". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  4. ^ Boucher, Brian (2024-05-02). "Meet Advisor Ralph DeLuca, the Self-Made Celebrity Whisperer Who's Won Over the Art World". www.culturedmag.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  5. ^ "Caldonia at the Bellagio Gallery helps illuminate the history of Black performance - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  6. ^ "Salon 94 | Caldonia: Concert and Film Posters from the Collection of Ralph DeLuca". Salon 94. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  7. ^ "The Utopian Avant-Garde: Soviet Film Posters of the 1920s". Poster House. 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  8. ^ "New Acquisition: The Mike Kaplan Poster Collection". Unframed. 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  9. ^ Bahr, Sarah; Syckle, Katie Van; Westervelt, Nina; Pinyodoonyachet, Jutharat (2024-04-06). "Leonardo DiCaprio, Tracee Ellis Ross and Gayle King Hit New York Art Parties". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  10. ^ "Did Leo DiCaprio's Former Art Advisor Exploit the Star's Name?". Observer. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  11. ^ "Six Art World Power Couples You Should Know". www.culturedmag.com. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  12. ^ "An Intersting Journey From Banking to Art: Ralph DeLuca". sg.style.yahoo.com. 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  13. ^ Ladurantaye, Steve (2009-07-29). "Movie posters yield blockbuster returns". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  14. ^ "Movie Poster Values On the Rise: The Star Wars "Triple Bill" is a Case-In-Point". Original Vintage Movie Posters. 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
  15. ^ Lewis, Andy (2012-12-13). "'Metropolis' Poster Leads $1.2 Million Auction of Movie Memorabilia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
  16. ^ https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2024/12/17/bogo-art-market-ralph-deluca
  17. ^ https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2024/11/18/advice-fall-art-auction-season-ralph-deluca
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