From art professor to Russian art specialist.
Bob Garren is the owner of Robert Garren Gallery. He earned an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and formerly served as a university professor and head of an art department.
In the early 1990s, Bob hosted two visiting Russian artists who had come to the United States to exhibit their work. They later invited him, through the Russian Artists’ Union, to travel to Russia, meet other artists, and learn about the Russian academic system.
Bob made his first trip to Russia in 1994. He was impressed not only by the breadth of art he encountered but also by its quality. He bought four paintings on that first trip, several more on the next, and continued building the collection with every return.
In 1997, Bob left teaching to work full-time in Russian art. For many years he traveled to Russia several times annually, buying paintings directly from artists in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Voronezh, and other cities. Through those journeys, he developed close personal relationships with artists and their families.