DARRYL KELLY - Harry Shunk Art Collection

DARRYL KELLY, Harry Shunk Art Collection.

Darryl Kelly cared for an eclectic collection of artwork and curiosities ever since he recovered them from Harry Shunk's Westbeth apartment, which Darryl was hired to clean out after Shunk's death in 2006.

Darryl's story -- and quite a story it is -- has been documented in the film, Harry's Gift, a collaboration of Hrbek Law featured clients Alexandra Isles, Justin Schein and Peggy Stern.

Inspired by PBS' Antiques Roadshow, Darryl learned that he had a number of gems in his closet. Darryl's rags-to-riches story was featured in The Sunday Times twice. The Shunk photographs in this collection acquired by The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation to complete its archive of this important American photographer who documented the process of the performance art of Yves Klein, the installations of Christo and Jean-Claude, as well as the iconic work of Roy Lichtenstein and other iconic 20th century's greatest fine artists.

In 2014 The Roy Lichtenstein Foundation gifted its Shunk-Kender archive, including almost 2,000 pieces of Shunk-Kender photographs acquired from Darryl Kelly, to a number of art institutions. The collection was featured in a special exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) from May - October, 2015.

Some of the gems from the Darryl Kelly Collection, formerly property of Harry Shunk, were auctioned at Doyle New York in November 2012. Darryl used the proceeds from the sale of other items in the collection -- including works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Niki de St. Phalle -- for the purchase and installation of a stone at the grave site of Harry Shunk. He hopes to raise funds from the sale of the rest of the work to finance the DK Urban Youth Multi-Media Project, an art education project for urban youth.

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