The FBI searched a Haverford Township art gallery
The bureau confirmed it conducted “court authorized law enforcement activity” at Dane Fine Art on Wednesday.
A Haverford Township art gallery reopened Thursday after the FBI searched the business on Wednesday.
The FBI conducted “court-authorized law enforcement activity” on Wednesday morning at Dane Fine Art, a gallery at 2320 Haverford Rd., Sofia Kettler, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Philadelphia field office, confirmed Thursday.
Dane Fine Art is a “premier dealer of limited edition and unique works of art” that buys, sells, and auctions prints and original works from artists like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring, according to its website.
According to reports from Philadelphia Magazine, Dane Fine Art’s windows and doors were covered with brown paper on Wednesday morning as FBI agents entered and exited the building and handled art. Two agents said they were executing a search warrant, the magazine reported.
Kettler declined to share details about the operation.
Dane Fine Art was open for business on Thursday morning, and there were no visible signs that federal law enforcement had been there a day earlier. A gallery employee said the FBI left around 7 p.m. on Wednesday and had not returned. Another employee said that the gallery was represented by lawyers and that they had “no comment.” Both employees declined to identify themselves, with the second employee explaining they were not authorized to speak about the matter.
Dane Fine Art owns more than 95% of the pieces it sells or auctions, which differentiates it from many galleries that act as an intermediary between collectors and buyers, according to its website. The business has been open for more than 45 years, its website says.
The business is registered to a residential address associated with Nathan “Nicky” Isen, a prominent Philadelphia art dealer who pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2015.
The website of Isen’s gallery, I. Brewster & Co., now redirects users to Dane Fine Art.
A message left for a phone number affiliated with Isen was not immediately returned.
Staff writer Chris Palmer contributed to this article.
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