A Tribute to Tony Vanderploeg and the Gallerie Amsterdam

The Gallerie Amsterdam in Carmel is no more.  Sadly, the owner Tony Vanderploeg passed away in April of 2023 at the amazing age of 94. At the end of June, all the inventory (mostly belonging to Tony) was sold off at auction, and the gallery closed
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I showed my paintings at Gallerie Amsterdam for twelve years, having multiple themed shows: European landscapes, Lavender Fields, White Poppies, Butterflies with flowers, etc. There were many times when I interacted with Tony and with Shari, his dazzling gallerist, delivering paintings, and sometimes painting in the gallery.

Tony was such a delightful person! While I painted, he would sit at the desk and talk with me, telling stories about his youth in Amsterdam during World War II, and his first years in America. He lived in Los Angeles working on high end automobiles such as Rolls Royces and Bentleys. 

​Ultimately, he owned a dealership in Hollywood, selling and repairing cars for the stars! He moved to Carmel and started a very successful gallery, and it is after that when I first met him. I was looking for a gallery where the owner would be honest and forthright. Gallerie Amsterdam was such a place!

​Tony was an intelligent and charming, warm and welcoming man with a wonderful sense of humor. He loved being at the gallery and interacting with the people who came in to see his paintings. He was there nearly every single day during the twelve years that I knew him. He befriended a blue jay, “Charlie”, who came every day to the gallery to receive peanuts from Tony’s hand. Several years ago I painted a portrait of Charlie for him.

Tony’s friendship was a blessing, and I miss him and the Gallerie Amsterdam very much!