ALUMNI Q&A
After growing up in their family business and then venturing into their own careers, Joe Walker ’81 and Karen Walker Beecher ’83, recently returned to DuMouchelle Art Galleries to help lead the business into its next century. DuMouchelles, a Fine Art Auction house in downtown Detroit, was started by their grandfather in 1927 and specializes in being a trusted advisor to buyers and sellers of high quality and unique and distinctive fine and decorative art, antiques and jewelry.
JOE WALKER ’81 DuMouchelles | 3rd Generation, President
KAREN WALKER BEECHER ’83 DuMouchelles | 3rd Generation, Board Member & Advisor
what he felt would best prepare us for college. I remember one college professor was genuinely surprised when I was the only one in the class who had already read Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard . KWB: James Schmidt, geology teacher. I went on the out west trips with Mr. Schmidt. They were a blast and incredible experiences. Gene Overton was also an important influence. I struggled with chemistry, and he came to school early to help me. He was incredibly dedicated to the school and the students. What does the future look like for your industry? KWB: We’ve really become a tech-enabled art marketplace, with so much of the business shifting to buyers online, and that obviously accelerated more during the pandemic. Much of our business was already online, so it was easier for us to pivot. We still welcome everyone to our gallery to preview and participate in the auctions. It’s fun to interact with people and watch them enjoy viewing the art and the auctions in person. JW: The art market continually evolves and as times change so do tastes. While antiques continue to be an important part of the business, we are offering more and more high-end
What was your path from ULS to your current role at DuMouchelles?
In my position at DuMouchelles, I’m focused on technology, marketing, people operations, and finance. We’ve been investing a lot in our team and growing skills in connoisseurship, technology and marketing. How did ULS help prepare you for your career? JW: ULS taught me study habits and discipline that I have relied upon throughout my career. The job of a researcher in this industry is no joke, and the habits I learned at ULS served me well. KWB: I remember a 500-word theme class that was just brutal when I was taking it, but it really taught me how to write. Critical thinking was extremely important, and I learned that at ULS. If I hadn’t had those skills as a foundation, I think I would have probably stayed solely in accounting. My experiences at ULS helped me to be far more versatile in my career. Who are some of the faculty, staff and school leaders you looked up to while at ULS? JW: History teacher and basketball coach Antone Gallaher influenced me greatly. English teacher Vincent Trofi was also a huge influence. He pushed me to go beyond standard high school English. He taught college- level material. In his classes, we read
JW: I studied English and theater at Hillsdale. I started at DuMouchelles out of college as a researcher. I then moved to Japan, where I taught English with the Ministry of Education. For the last 28 years, I worked as North American General Manager for a European multinational that designed and manufactured application and inspection equipment for paints and coatings. Throughout my career, I’ve been an avid art collector. When the Covid pandemic hit, I started helping my mother, uncle, cousin, Bob, and sister, Karen, with the business on weekends and at night. Working with them allowed me to recall how much I loved it. While I was successful and enjoyed my other careers, coming back really rekindled my love for the industry and the company. I ended up taking over the role as president of DuMouchelles and I currently oversee operations, researchers, inventory management, and the catalog. KWB: We both grew up in the business. I studied accounting at Boston College, worked as a manager at the consulting firm EY and then held a variety of leadership roles at high-tech companies.
32 | PERSPECTIVE
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker