A terrific opportunity for Americans to see a great collection of Orientalist art



From: graham arader [mailto:grahamarader@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2017 11:49 AM
To: Graham Arader, James Stavridis, "Aoun, Joseph",  "Walter Arader . Clara" , "Dietrich, Robert" 
Subject: Fwd:

Progress!!!!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: graham arader <grahamarader@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 11:46 AM
Subject: Re:
To: "Dietrich, Robert"

Thank you Bob

Shafik Gabr is a giant of a leader and certainly looks forward to hearing from you regarding a show of his collection in Boston.  I certainly will commit $10,000 toward funding this.

Best,

Graham

On Thu, Jun 22, 2017 at 11:39 AM, Dietrich, Robert > wrote:
Dear Graham, 

Greetings from Geneva and apologies for my delayed response.  President Aoun has asked me to explore your proposal to arrange for an exhibit of Shafik Gabr's collection, perhaps in conjunction with the Fletcher School. I will be back in the States at the end of next week and will be touch base with you then. As always, thank you for your ongoing interest and support of Northeastern and our students.  
With warm regards, 


Sent from my iPhone
Robert G. Dietrich
Associate Vice President
University Advancement 
Northeastern University
Suite 402
716 Columbus Avenue 
Boston, MA 02120




On Jun 19, 2017, at 2:25 AM, graham arader <grahamarader@gmail.com> wrote:
Thank you Shafik

Going back 4 generations my family has been giving to cultural institutions in America - mostly about 30 different Universities out of the 3600 4 year colleges and universities in the USA

The good is that my gifts of over 20,000 works of art over the last 40 years generates 4000 graded papers a year. My vision is that professors use my gifts to inspire students and give assignments.  The proof that my gifts are meaningful is that the graded papers are shown to me.  The proof that my gifts are simply used by University Presidents to bolster their fund raising reputations is that NO papers are generated.

My great passion is the transfer of information - both scientific and historic - across cultures and, of course, your genius collection could not possibly be more significant especially at an institution where diversity is embraced.

This e mail introduces you to a giant - Joseph E. Aoun - the 7th President (since 2006) of Northeastern University.  Born in Beirut, Lebanon, President Aoun is a blessing to American education inspiring 18,000 student a year.  His influence in the Arab world is legendary and it has long been my hope that he could have the opportunity to meet with the Admiral to discuss ways of working together.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to host an exhibit of your genius as the world's leading collector of Orientalist Art co hosted by these two great Universities situated in the Boston area!!!!

And wouldn't it be even more wonderful to create a prize of $1000 each for the 10 best essays about your collection written by students of these two great institutions which I would be honored to fund?  Of course, the scholars whom you selected for your book would be the judges.

The precious students of the USA should learn that American and European artists created a profoundly alluring bridge to the Islamic World well over 150 years ago.  What better way to inspire them to fortify that bridge as they enter positions of responsibility.  You could do that better than anyone in the world!

Truly,

Graham


Joseph - Shafik Gabr is a man that I very hope hope you will have the opportunity to meet sometime soon.  I have never suggested that your intensely busy schedule be determined by a suggestion from me until now.  This would be a show more compelling than anything the MFA of Boston (across your symbolic railroad tracks) has ever hosted.  Let's host the show in the building that you outbid them on!  



On Sun, Jun 18, 2017 at 7:11 PM,  wrote:

Graham

You are too kind and I appreciate your most thoughtful message. It has been a journey and it still continues.

It would be a pleasure to learn about your collection which must be amazing in its size and depth.

I would be most pleased if you would accept my invitation to visit in DC and Cairo and view parts of the collection and I may share with you present thoughts and future vision.

From this collection was born the Shafik Gabr Foundation in the US which follows the one in Egypt. And from the US Foundation was born the East-West:The Art of Dialogue initiative for which I would be most appreciative to have your thoughts. That can be for another day when we meet again.

We plan to be in NY in July and I will reach out to you then.

All the best wishes

Shafik
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
From: graham arader <grahamarader@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jun 2017 17:11:01 -0400
To: Shafik
Subject: Re:

I am in SHOCK.

You are a genius.   Your study is amazing.  A brilliant work of beauty, research and style.  What a fine contribution to the body of knowledge you have made at the very highest level of quality, scholarship and outright allure.

There are well over 30,000 books in my reference library.  Collecting them for the last 50 years has been my passion because KNOWING THE HISTORY BEHIND THE ART has always been much more rewarding for me than enjoying the view.  This is a way of collecting that is not shared by many but there is no chance of a cure.

Your work easily is in the top 5 or 6 of all the works in my library and every word will be read with my customary passion.  Congratulations and most of all, THANK YOU.

A final salute to you - no matter how successful you have been, there are others from this part of the world whose wealth dwarfs all others in all of history.  For you to have made this towering accomplishment certainly required stealth, courage and a mind of steel.  Again, congratulations.

It would be my great honor to see this collection someday.

Truly

Graham

On Fri, Jun 16, 2017 at 4:32 PM, <> wrote:


Dear Graham

My daughter would love to meet you when she is in NY and settled in her new job.

In the meantime I hope "Masterpieces of Orientalist Paintings" has reached you.

All the best from Cairo

Shafik
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
From: graham arader <grahamarader@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2017 21:47:07 -0400
To: 
Subject: Re:

would love to get your daughter's impression of Ogilvy after a few months.  they are the cutting edge advertising firm in the world today.
Graham

On Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 6:16 PM, > wrote:

Graham

Thank you for your thoughtful and most kind message.

It was a real privilege and pleasure to be there last night honouring Jim and meeting you.

The "Masterpieces of Orientalist Paintings" shall be couriered to you from London next week. I hope you enjoy it and in the near future visit to see the paintings in situ in Washington DC and Cairo.

David Ogilvy seems to have an amazing man and created an industry and company that is most impressive. When I read that he worked in the kitchen and as a salesman it reminded me when I had to fend for myself at 16 and work as a delivery boy to make ends meet.

Keep well and I look forward to our paths crossing again

Best wishes

Shafik
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device
From: graham arader <grahamarader@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2017 14:29:38 -0400
To: <>
Subject:

​Shafik

What a pleasure to hear you speak so elegantly at our table last night at our evening honoring Admiral Stavridis.  Your generous heart, open mind and experience are what the world needs.

Would love to see your collection someday and yes, a copy of your book would be a valued gift.

Congratulations on our daughter's graduation from Yale and her new job at Ogilvy.  I knew David Ogilby and he was one incredibly smooth, creative man.  Here is a brief biography:

Named to the Advertising Hall of Fame in 1977, David Ogilvy was one of the field’s most extraordinary talents, still revered for his writings on sales, marketing, and copywriting. His books Confessions of an Advertising Man and Ogilvy on Advertising remain classics in their field. After a failed attempt at farming, Ogilvy founded one of the world’s largest ad agencies. His creativity and originality continue to inspire today’s advertising and marketing professionals.

Born in England in 1911, Ogilvy enjoyed an Oxford education and as a young man worked in the kitchen of the Hotel Majestic in Paris. He also worked in London as a salesman for Aga Cooking, achieving such success that he was moved to author a still-renowned guide to salesmanship.

After relocating to the United States in 1938, Ogilvy worked for consumer researcher George Gallup, and did intelligence work at the British Embassy during the war. Ogilvy founded his ad agency Hewitt, Ogilvy, Benson & Mather, later known as Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, in 1948 with no previous experience. Among his famous clients were Rolls-Royce, Lever Brothers, Schweppes, General Foods, and American Express. In 1989, he sold his Ogilvy Group to WPP, making that firm the world’s largest marketing and communications company. Ogilvy died in 1999 at his home in France.

Hope to see you again soon.

Best wishes,

Graham Arader
1016 Madison Avenue
NYC, NY
10075

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