Jeffrey Bergen

Born on January 14, 1953 along with his twin brother Jonathan to Pearl and Sidney L. Bergen in New York City, Jeffrey was raised on the Upper West Side and East Hampton. Jeffrey and his brother were a mischievous red-headed duo who at 12 years old began working Saturdays at their father's art gallery touching up frames and rewiring hanging hardware for 25 cents an hour and an egg cream. The pair were known for their hii-jinxs throughout the numerous high schools they attended and their rock n roll group, HeadBand, which won the NYC battle of the bands in 1975—a fact that always gave him a chuckle. Jeff was a fantastic singer whose voice could fill a room with surround sound as well as an accomplished musician and writer.

In 1976, Jeffrey received his BA in Art History and Environmental Studies from Antioch College. That year he started as the third generation of his family's art business as Vice President of ACA Galleries, and in 2001 he became Chairman. A member of the Art Dealers Association of America since 1963, ACA was founded in 1932 by Jeffrey's great uncle Herman Baron, and continues to be a pioneer in bringing progressive art to the attention of the public.

Jeffrey was a fierce advocate for the artists in the ACA roster, many of whom remained with the gallery for generations. He gave many now well-known artists their first gallery representation and nurtured the careers of numerous arts professionals who worked at the gallery over the years. Known for his laid back style and curious Southern drawl, he represented an era gone by: where a handshake and a promise was the only sales contract necessary. In his own unconventional way, Jeffrey had a keen eye which rediscovered long-lost artistic treasures and an intuitive sense for the business of running an art gallery. In 1982 he established the American Indian Arts Gallery on Madison Avenue and in 1992 opened a branch in Munich, Germany dedicated to introducing the highest level of American art to European audiences.

A lifelong learner, Jeff woke daily at dawn to quietly read without disturbance for hours about art history—most recently John Richardson's epic four-volume tome on the life of Picasso. A deep thinker and philosopher, he studied metaphysics throughout his life and served on the board of the New York Open Center in New York City which was the largest holistic health center in the United States. Jeffrey's interests spanned many areas including a deep commitment to philanthropy and continued the gallery's long standing tradition of promoting and financing socially responsible, humanitarian and ecological causes through art.

Jeffrey relished the summers in East Hampton where he could be close to nature, sleeping outdoors in a tent and welcoming all including the animals, especially the birds who stopped to visit. He was generous and inclusive and treated all with equanimity. Devoted husband and father, Jeffrey is survived by his wife Dorian; son Casey and his wife Polly-Anna Monckton; and son Vaughn and wife Kayla Rose.