Sam Francis Estate

Sam Francis, a celebrated California color field artist, died November 4, 1994, and left a myriad of legal entanglements that lasted almost 5 years.

Francis’ original attorney was removed by the Superior Court and Nicholas was named Administrator With Will Annexed of the Estate in 1996.

Nicholas negotiated for 2 years with family members and their attorneys before a Global Settlement was reached in 1998 and the claims of all parties were settled.

The assets of the estate were divided equally among his heirs and the balance of his art inventory along with an initial endowment was transferred to the Sam Francis Foundation, dedicated to the preservation of the artwork and legacy of Sam Francis.

During his tenure as administrator of Sam Francis’ Estate, Nicholas arranged a comprehensive one-man show of Francis’ art at MOCA. The show traveled to the Reina Sofia in Madrid; Museum of Modern Art in Rome; and the Contemporary Museum of Stockholm. He placed Francis’ work in numerous gallery shows throughout the United States, including Ace Gallery, Beverly Hills; Gagosian Gallery, New York; Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam; Art in Embassies Program, US State Department; Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York; Manny Silverman Gallery, Los Angeles; André Emmerich Gallery, New York; Gemini Gel, Los Angeles; Baukust Galerie, Cologne; Thomas Segal Gallery, Baltimore; Alan Christea Gallery, London; Gallerie Jean Fournier, Paris; Galerie Pro Arta, Zurich; Galerie Kornfeld, Bern; Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago; Jonathan Novak Gallery, Los Angeles; Bobbie Greenfield Gallery, Los Angeles; Leslie Sacks Fine Arts, Los Angeles; Long Fine Arts, New York; Gallery Maurice, Massachusetts.