Gallery owner and arts advocate Ann Korologos, known outside the art world for her work as the secretary of labor during the Ronald Reagan administration, died January 30 in Salt Lake City. In a statement, her gallery said the cause of death was complications related to bacterial meningitis. She was 81 years old.
After acquiring the Basalt Gallery in Basalt, Colorado, in 2007, Korologos changed the name to the Ann Korologos Gallery and quickly got to work offering artwork from a variety of artists all across the art spectrum, from classic landscape scenes done with impressionistic brushwork, to more representational depictions of people and places all around the region, to very contemporary images that were expanding collectors’ tastes in new directions.
“Ann was a passionate and dedicated advocate for the arts, and her enthusiasm for the gallery was unparalleled,” says Sue Edmonds, director of the Ann Korologos Gallery. “She was the epitome of a true art collector, and treasured her relationship with the artists as much as she did their work. Ann inspired us, challenged us and mentored so many far beyond the world of Western contemporary art. Through the gallery we will strive to carry on her legacy of excellence.”
Prior to working in art, Korologos served as the secretary of labor under Reagan, only the second woman to have that position, from 1987 to 1989. Then known as Ann Dore McLaughlin, she had also been in the Treasury Department and served as the deputy secretary of the interior. “Though her name was not widely known outside Washington, she was well regarded among political insiders from both parties, and her Senate confirmation went smoothly,” writes the New York Times. “The Massachusetts Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, who was chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, praised her ‘strong record of public service.’ She won confirmation by a vote of 94-0.”
In a statement, the gallery said it would continue: “Through our incredible team, exceptional artists, and in honor of Ann’s legacy, Ann Korologos Gallery will continue onwards, as she would have wanted. We will strive to carry on her legacy of excellence, her support of the arts and her desire for every interaction with the gallery to bring joy, beauty, connection and knowledge to each person, with every visit.” —
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