Renaissance Art buys Fine Art Limited

Renaissance Art Associates has purchased Fine Art Limited.

In the agreement, Houston-based RAA, a wholesaler of high-quality oil paintings and museum-quality frames, assumes control of the inventory, sales force, customer base, equipment and showrooms previously owned by Fine Art Limited, the 43-year-old, Norcross, Ga.-based company.

“RAA has earned its reputation as an aggressive, energetic company in the art world,” said CEO Ian Cruickshank. “This deal gives us the service capabilities, respected salespeople and the infrastructure to stay light-years ahead of anyone else in the wholesale art business. It's a boon to our business and our customers throughout the country. We'll now be able to offer our clients much greater selection and the tools to offer their customers more options and to increase their sales in this valuable category.”

Fine Art Limited owner Emile Valhuerdi will assume the title of vice president, merchandising and development for RAA.

“The dynamics of this merger between RAA and FAL have completely re-energized me,” Valhuerdi said. “The new entity created by RAA's marketing prowess and my extensive design capabilities will have a powerful impact on our industry. I'm so excited and motivated to focus on what I do best, which is the creation of new, wonderful images to heighten our inventory. We plan to give our customers things they've never seen before.”

The immediate impact of the deal will be seen in Fine Art's permanent showrooms, including High Point, Dallas, Atlanta and New York as RAA has already started rejuvenating inventory, offering customers more options and a new look.