Ralph DeLuca
Ralph DeLuca | |
|---|---|
 Ralph DeLuca at the Park Avenue Armory | |
| Born | May 13, 1976 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Art advisor and collector |
| Website | Official website  |
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]
Biography
[edit]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's clients include Leonardo DiCaprio,[5] Sylvester Stallone,[6] Quentin Tarantino,[1] and co-founder of Tinder, Sean Rad.[7]
Since purchasing a home in Las Vegas in 2017, DeLuca has become an active figure in the city's emerging art community.[8] He serves as an art adviser to MGM Resorts International and curated the Icons of Contemporary Art exhibition at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.[9]
DeLuca purchased and restored a former residence of Betty Grable and is a member of the advisory council at the Mob Museum.[10] He also located the original contract signed by Bugsy Siegel to purchase the Flamingo Las Vegas and helped fund its acquisition for the Mob Museum's permanent collection.[8]
In November 2024, DeLuca began authoring a column called "Street Smarts" in Cultured magazine, offering advice about the contemporary art market.[11][12]
Since March 2025, DeLuca has served as Vice Chairman of the Popular Culture department at Sotheby's.[13] In June 2025, the new department auctioned off the sweater vest from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.[14]
Collection
[edit]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][15][16] In 2012, DeLuca purchased one of the few remaining original posters for Metropolis (1927) at auction.[17]
DeLuca has loaned posters from his collection for exhibitions at MGM Resorts,[18] Salon 94,[19] Poster House,[20] and the interdepartmental graphic design initiative of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.[21]
His art collection is estimated to consist of 1,000-plus paintings, including figures such as Andy Warhol and George Condo, and over 20,000 photographs.[8] He also collects vintage Las Vegas casino chips, specifically those dating from what he refers to as the "mob era", spanning the 1930s through 1989.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Leonardo DiCaprio's Art Adviser on the Ten Commandments of Collecting". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Ellwood, Mark (2024-12-07). "Leonardo DiCaprio's Art Adviser on the Ten Commandments of Collecting". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Did Leo DiCaprio's Former Art Advisor Exploit the Star's Name?". Observer. 2023-05-26. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Six Art World Power Couples You Should Know". www.culturedmag.com. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ a b c d "Keen-eyed Expert Sees Las Vegas Becoming an Art Mecca". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2024-12-23. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
- ^ "Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art Challenges Convention with Iconic Contemporary Art in New Exhibition". MGM Resorts International. 2023-12-05.
- ^ "An Intersting Journey From Banking to Art: Ralph DeLuca". sg.style.yahoo.com. 2021-07-15. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
- ^ "Bye, Bye BOGO! Why You May No Longer Love Your Art Market Arbitrage".
- ^ "5 Pieces of Advice for Art Collectors Heading into the Billion-Dollar Fall Auction Season".
- ^ https://www.sothebys.com/en/about/team/ralph-deluca
- ^ "Ferris Bueller's Vest Hits the Auction Block. 'Anyone, Anyone?'".
- ^ Ladurantaye, Steve (2009-07-29). "Movie posters yield blockbuster returns". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2024-12-17.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Lewis, Andy (2012-12-13). "'Metropolis' Poster Leads $1.2 Million Auction of Movie Memorabilia". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Caldonia at the Bellagio Gallery helps illuminate the history of Black performance - Las Vegas Weekly". lasvegasweekly.com. 2022-08-25. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Salon 94 | Caldonia: Concert and Film Posters from the Collection of Ralph DeLuca". Salon 94. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "The Utopian Avant-Garde: Soviet Film Posters of the 1920s". Poster House. 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "New Acquisition: The Mike Kaplan Poster Collection". Unframed. 2016-04-26. Retrieved 2024-04-21.