Frank’s began his career in the import/art business in 1974 after losing a job at the US Post Office and doing a favor for his friend Bill Bollendorf. The favor was allowing Bill to store a shipment of goods that he brought back from Haiti in Frank’s West Philadelphia apartment. After reviewing the products with friends and brainstorming on how to best market the goods in particular hats, as they were able to be gotten in quantity for future sales, a company was formed among Bill, Frank, and another friend Michael McGowan to wholesale the hats. After a successful season of wholesale business, it was decided to open a retail business in Germantown. They procured a property that had a retail store on the first floor and 3 apartments above allowing each of the partners to have their own living space and share responsibilities for running the business they named Macondo after a fictional town described in Gabriel García Márquez’s novel One Hundred Years of Solitude. The retail store, in addition to hats, had imported jewelry, home goods and art from Haiti, Mexico and Guatemala.
After a few years the trio decided to dissolve the partnership and go their separate ways as far as business while remaining friends throughout their lifetime. Frank’s next step led him to rent a space at 105 N. 22nd Street in Philadelphia that was offered to him by a previous client Larry Roseman (Grundy) who owned the building. In this space Frank featured imported gift items and art from Haiti. He grew the business to include framing and prints.
After opening Gallery 22 Larry and Frank travelled to Guatemala, Dominican Republic and finally Haiti. Larry had secured funds from Michael Karp, a Philadelphia real estate investor with an interest in the arts, to purchase goods. They scoured Port-au-Prince for paintings, sculptures, baskets, and other handmade goods. Once they returned with a shipping container of goods, they held an art show and auction at the Main Line Center for the Arts. Speaking at the exhibition would be Selden Rodman, who was at the time the leading proponent of Haitian Art, having authored the “Art of Joy” and other books on Haitian art. One of the attendees was Winslow Anderson a leading collector of Haitian art. We became lifelong friends.
In 1982 Frank opened 20th Century Gallery at 259 South 20th Street. At this location Frank started selling limited edition prints and taking framing orders. Michael Shanoski came into the gallery asking if he could exhibit his drawings. The exhibit entitled “Waiting” was inspired by his time waiting tables at the Garden Restaurant around the corner in an old brownstone on Spruce Street. He suggested to the restaurant patrons to visit his show and as a result they did, the show was successful, and the gallery was on the radar. This led Frank to finding other young Philadelphia artists to exhibit in subsequent shows. Ed Sozanski and Victoria Donahue both Philadelphia Inquirer art critics took notice and published reviews of the exhibitions. This attention led to continued success. After 3 years at this location, Frank was told by his landlord that he needed to vacate the space.
Frank started a search for a new location and came across a building with the 1st floor space being renovated to house an Encore books store. Frank rented the 2nd floor and began renovations on the main gallery space and moved the framing operation from 22nd street to the 4th floor. Giannetta Gallery opened in a newly renovated space at 1712 Walnut Street in 1986. Clients followed and the business was doing well. Monthly exhibits, openings and positive reviews continued.
December 27, 1989, Frank’s business was destroyed by fire. In the early morning hours, a fire started in the Encore books on the 1st floor, spread to all floors, the building was deemed uninhabitable, and torn down. To deal with the trauma, his friend Bill and I travel to Haiti. It is during this trip that Frank first met Frantz. Because Frank could not rely on the artists’ he represented I purchased many Haitian artists work with the plan of acquiring a space to host a show. I was fortunate enough to have friends and patrons who through their support allowed me to host exhibitions at various locations. Regardless of having insurance coverage, the next 4 years were filled with legal battles to have the insurance company settle my claim. The result of a very persistent lawyer.
During the following years Frank sold oil drum sculptures at art fairs throughout the country. He continued his trips to Haiti and friendship with Frantz and exhibiting his art. After the Covid pandemic in 2021 Frantz traveled to Philadelphia on his way to NY. It was there they caught up ;Frantz opened a gallery in Santa Domingo and invited Frank to visit in February of 2022. They decided to form a partnership; which would free time for Frantz and his work. They met again in Venice where Frantz had two pieces at the biennale and they furthered along the idea of opening a space in the US.They mutually agreed of the current 38 West Lancaster Avenue Ardmore PA location. Zephirin/Giannetta Gallery opened September 23rd, 2023.