War is Good for (Art) Business
"Business was better during the Iraq war," according to Harvey Martin, owner of a Thomas Kinkade gallery in Santa Rosa, CA. "People were looking for homespun values and the comfort they get from Kinkade's work."
Mr. Martin, quoted in David Lazurus's August 1 column in the San Francisco Chronicle, presumably was not talking about people in Iraq. The column recounts the current state -- and previous financial difficulties -- of the Kincade empire, which is doing better since it had to lay off a number of people, close several galleries and lower the price of its Kincade-"inspired" houses by $100,000 in order to "move product," as the sales director of the housing development put it.