Founded in 1988 by Eric Hanks, M. Hanks Gallery specializes in African American art. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, collages, assemblages and prints by some of the finest artists from the 19th century to the present day comprise the offering available through the gallery and from its extensive inventory of fine art.
Eric Hanks
African American art specialist and owner of the renowned M. Hanks Gallery, Eric Hanks is one of the leading representatives of Black artists, promoting and selling their works nationally to individual and museum collections, publishing exhibition catalogues, teaching art appreciation classes, and writing articles and essays appearing in prestigious art books and various other publications. He can also be seen performing on air appraisals on the Antiques Roadshow produced by WGBH in Boston and seen on various PBS television stations.
Since 1988 Eric Hanks has performed art appraisals for a variety of clients across the country. He is a certified member of the Appraisers Association of America and maintains compliance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Donations of art, buying the right amount of insurance, estate planning, selling art, or simply wanting to know the current value of one or more works of art are some of the reasons collectors seek Hanks’s appraising expertise.
Utilizing his knowledge, experience, and extensive connections with artists, collectors, and art professionals Hanks helps collectors locate and invest in the best works of art that fit their needs and tastes.
Curriculum Vitae
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Education
1979 – BA History, Towson State University, Towson, MD.
1992 – MBA, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA.
1993 to 1996 – Personal Property Valuation 201, 202, 203, and 204, and, Fine and Decorative Arts, The American Society of Appraisers, Herndon, VA.
2000 – Problems in Maintaining an Appraisal Practice: New Legal Liability Issues, New York University and the Appraisers Association of America
2002 – IRS Legal Guidelines: Appraisal Writing Seminar, Appraisers Association of America, New York City.
2002 – The Basics of Appraising, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2003 – Working Relationships: Appraisers and Other Professionals, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2004 – National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2005 ¬− All About Appraising Prints, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2005 – Beyond the Essentials, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2006 – The Unique Role of the Independent Appraiser, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2007 – Certification, Paintings & Drawings, American: African American Art
2007 – Valuation and Condition, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2008 – Changing Times, Changing Markets, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2009 – New Vistas in the Marketplace, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2010 – Assessing Expertise Today, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2011 – Tomorrow’s Challenge: Valuing Art and Design in the 21st Century, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2012 – Risky Business: Determining Value in a Complex Market, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2013 – Connoisseurship in Context, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2014 – Discourse in the Market: All Things Considered, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2015 – Global Trends and Market Forces, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2016 – Of Value: Influences, Complexities and Contradictions, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2017 – Of Value, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2018 – Of Value, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2019 – Of Value, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2020 – International Fine & Decorative Arts Summit, Appraisers Association of America, NYC
2021 – Of Value, National Conference, Appraisers Association of America, New York City
2022 – Of Value, National Conference, Appraisers Association of American, New York City
2022 – Uniform Standards of Appraisal Practice, Compliant to December 2024
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Associations
2000 to the present Certified Member of the Appraisers Association of America
2007 to 2010 Board Member, Appraisers Association of America
1995 to 2002 Board Member, Santa Monica Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
2001 to 2002 Treasurer, Santa Monica Convention and Visitor’s Bureau
1989 to the present Member of the Art Dealers Association of California
2008 to 2019 Board Member, artworxLA
2013 to 2022 Commissioner, Los Angeles County Arts Commission
2019 to 2020 Vice President, Los Angeles County Arts Commission
2020 to 2021 President, Los Angeles County Arts Commission
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Published Articles and Essays
“Artis Lane,” St. James Guide to Black Artists, edited by Thomas Riggs, Detroit: St. James Press, 1997, p. 313.
“Collecting Art,” Turning Point Magazine, May/June/July 1999, p. 31.
“Emilio Cruz,” St. James Guide to Black Artists, edited by Thomas Riggs, Detroit: St. James Press, 1997, p. 126.
“Journey From the Crossroads: Palmer Hayden's Right Turn,” International Review of African American Art, Volume 16, Number 1, pp. 30-42.
“Tina Allen,” St. James Guide to Black Artists, edited by Thomas Riggs, Detroit: St. James Press, 1997, pp. 7-8.
“A Song for his Father: William Pajaud and the Jazz Funeral Tradition,” International Review of African American Art, Volume 17, Number 2, pp. 2-13.
“Longing for Happiness and Freedom: The Artwork of Walter Williams,” The Artwork of Walter Williams, Santa Monica, CA: M. Hanks Gallery, 2005, pp. 7-17.
“A Child of the Universe…Speak Like a Child: Mildred Thompson and Walter Williams,” International Review of African American Art, Volume 21, Number 2, pp. 12-31.
“Phoebe Beasley: The Consummate Artist,” Unsung Requiem: Lost then Found-Phoebe Beasley, La Verne, CA: Harris Gallery, University of Laverne, 2019.
“Rare Edmonia Lewis Photo Discovered,” International Review of African American Art Plus, February 25, 2013, Electronic Publication, http://iraaa.museum.hamptonu.edu/page/Rare-Edmonia-Lewis-Photo-Discovered.
“Why So Many African American Artists Moved to Paris in the 1920s,” PBS.org Antiques Roadshow, January 31, 2022.
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Positions
1988 to Present – Owner/Director M. Hanks Gallery, Huntington Beach, CA.
1992 to Present – Fine Art Appraiser.
1992 to Present – Instructor, Art Appreciation Classes, M. Hanks Gallery.
2004 Instructor, African American Art from Slavery to the Present, University of San Diego.