The Fine Art department at Clars specializes in a vast array of eras and mediums of the field. Working with art pieces by world renowned artists, it is our goal to achieve the highest records for our clients. The categories Clars handles include paintings, works on paper, prints, photography, and sculpture.
Rick Unruh
Rick Unruh has been CEO and President of Clars since 2019 and Director of Fine Art since 2010. Under his leadership, Clars’ Fine Art department has had numerous world auction records, as well as, over a decade of consecutive record years of sales growth with over $100 million sold in the fine art division during his tenure. Among his notable achievements, Rick was responsible for the recent sale of Loie Hollowell’s mixed media work, Point of Entry (Blood-Orange Moon Over Orange Sac), selling for $1,050,000 (a U.S. record for the artist). Prior to this, Rick was an institutional equities trader with several international investment banking firms in New York and Paris. Rick has established numerous client relationships with affluent collectors, corporations, museums, galleries, and dealers both in the U.S. and Internationally. He has also been a regular guest commentator on Northern and Southern California’s PBS television.
Alexa Malvino
Alexa Malvino has been with the company since 2014. Ms. Malvino received her Master’s in Art History from San Francisco State University, with a focus on printmaking, along with her Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art and Visual Culture from University California, Santa Cruz. Today, she manages the print multiples, photography, and contemporary art sales at Clars. Alexa is also one of the auctioneers at the gallery.
Erin Cabral
Erin Cabral is a Senior Specialist in the Fine Art Department at Clars. She has worked in the auction industry for over a decade beginning her career at Bonhams in San Francisco where she was a cataloguer then specialist in the California and Western Paintings and Sculpture department. Prior to joining Clars, Erin was the Fine Art Specialist at Fine Estate Inc. She has also worked in fine art galleries, most recently at Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco. Erin received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of California, Davis.