Sotheby's Announces the Appointment of Ronald J. Gard, the Esteemed American Decoy Today Sotheby’s announced the appointment of Ronald J. Gard, the esteemed American decoy and Americana expert, as Senior Consulting Specialist of Sotheby’s American Folk Art department
weathervane at auction in 2006 when a Rare and Important Molded Copper Indian Chief Weathervane sold for $5.8 million (est. $100/150,000), for an American textile in 1996 when Chimneypiece, 1853, Hannah Otis of Boston, sold for $1.2 million (est. $600/800,000) and for a Folk Art carving in 1986 when Dapper Dan sold for $258,000 (est. $60/80,000).
Ronald J. Gard
Ronald J. Gard, esteemed American decoy and Americana expert, spent thirty years in management at Smith Barney as an officer, including divisional officer and member on the Board of Directors for its predecessor Shearson Lehman/American Express. He is the author/co-author of three books on American Folk Art and antique decoys. He is an avid collector of American Folk Art. He has lectured on Folk Art for museums and outdoor organizations throughout the country and has appeared on CBS, NBC and the BBC.
He is a past member of the Board of Trustees and serves on the Advisory Board of the Ward Foundation and Museum and is a past member of the Corporate Committee of the Dallas Museum of Art and Past Chairman of the American Express Philanthropic Committee for the Southwest. He served on the Advisory Board of the American Museum of Folk Art, previously the Museum of American Folk Art, in New York for several years. He is on the Board of Trustees and past President of the Dallas Antiques and Fine Arts Society; on the Governing Board of the Dallas Museum of Nature & Science; Chairman of the Exhibits Committee and was the museum’s philanthropy honoree. He is on the Board of Directors of North Texas Business For Culture and the Arts and has served on its Executive Committee as Chairman of the Nominating Committee and he is a member of the Board of Trustees of The American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester, Vermont. He is a member of Amon Carter Museum’s Stieglitz Circle.
He is a Diamond Sponsor in Perpetuity of Ducks Unlimited and was Dallas Sponsor of the Year for 1993 and was the Dallas Ducks Unlimited Sportsman of the year for 2002. He was voted the Texas Wildlife Conservationist of the Year for 1996 by the Sportsman’s Conservationists of Texas. He is the Founder and past President of the Texas Decoy Collector’s Association and Texas Wildfowl Festival. He served on the Conservation Council of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. He is a Life Member of Delta Waterfowl & the Grand National Waterfowl Association, and is a life member of the Dallas Woods & Waters Club, has served as a Director and has been a member since 1968.
He is an active conservationist and has held leadership positions with many national conservation and outdoor organizations.
