• A Tribute to Scott Atthowe


    By Mark Wamaling, Chair of PACCIN


    Scott Atthowe was an innovator, leader, and supporter of everything PACCIN stands for and then some. We lost his mortal life, but his legacy will last for many years to come. He was one of the founders and longtime supporters of PACCIN and it was an honor to know him through this organization. One memory I have is a discussion we had on how he hires people. He told me he looks for people who take ownership of the job and that involves commitment, accountability, and collaboration as a team. I see it in the employees that now own Atthowe Fine Art Services. You can read the memoriam at the link here.




    Bryan Cain – Atthowe Fine Art Services
    In 1993 I interviewed with Scott for the Dispatcher position at Atthowe. I remember him looking at me and asking: “So, do you want to be a dispatcher the rest of your life?” After wondering if it was a trick question, I answered honestly “no.” He said “good” and I guess it’s still good after all these years.

    Bryan Cooke, Cookes Crating & Fine Arts Transportation
    I first met Scott Atthowe in 1976. I had just started Cookes Crating and was visiting Margo Leavin Gallery. As I was leaving, I encountered a big bearded guy struggling to off-load a large crate at the gallery's loading dock. I ran over to help and from then on we became good friends. I visited Scott often throughout the years in Oakland and we shared many adventures together. I learned a lot from Scott whose family was in the freight shipping business. I was honored to attend his wedding to Pat.

    Scott was an original Hippy, remaining a Hippy at heart all his life. He valued and was very close to his employees. His generous, gregarious nature led him to give his business to his employees. He was also an astute businessman, as well as a lover of art and promoter of artists and museums. He was a genius art handler who could solve any difficult installation, sculpture rigging or packing problem. He and I were members of the committee founding PACCIN, as well as financial supporters of PACCIN and Registrars Committees.

    The Scott Atthowes of this world are few and far between. I can hear his voice as I write this.




    Bryan Cooke and Scott Atthowe

    Brent Powell, former PACCIN Chair
    I first met worked with Scott Atthowe and a few of the other original members of PACIN in 1989. He was always supportive of the handlers in our profession and had a great and dedicated team within his company.

    He himself was an excellent rigger and installed and moved most everything of any challenge in the Bay Area of California and beyond.

    As Scott was on the PACCIN Board when I was Chairman of the young group, he always had a supportive comment. And when we did disagree, we worked together for the common good of the group.


    Scott was a legend in the world of fine art handling and an active member of ICEFAT and International Registrars groups as well. Scott’s presence will be missed!

    Steve Briscoe
    I was saddened to hear of Scott’s passing. He was a truly great art handler and business visionary. I just recently had been talking to a friend about an artists’ co- operative legacy project and thought he would be the guy to help think that out.

    I met him in the 1980s while working the galleries as an on-call prep in San Francisco. He directed a crane operation that put a large metal sculpture through the window of a fifth-floor gallery in a narrow alley off Grant Street. It would be the first of many encounters in which he took charge, barked instructions and made the difficult look effortless. He always seemed to either have thought ahead about the project or was able to think it up on the spot using an earlier gig as a template. “We moved a Richard Serra this way,” he’d say, recounting a trickier situation.

    Scott was a registrar whisperer, able to put them at ease while his guys did the careful work he expected of them. Maybe it was the beard stroking and the confidence with which he spoke. He hired well and the cast of characters changed little over the time I was using them for projects at the Oakland Museum. Bryan, Andrew, Esteban, Mark, and others I can’t remember all had specialties and were generous with their knowledge. They always worked hard until the job was done as would Scott.

    Last thing I will say about Scott was his ability to scavenge the best museum cast offs and/or find someone who would use them. False walls from a traveling show, single-use crates, scratched vitrines, even a metal structure for hanging a helicopter in the gallery found a home with him or someone he knew. He was green before it was a thing, making an effort to recycle packing materials.

    He was an admirable guy and as far as I am from the museum world in which I spent my career, I still think of him fondly and with respect.



    Scott presenting at the PACCIN Prep Con 2012


    Richard Hinson, Senior Preparator, retired; former Chair of PACCIN
    I am saddened to hear about the death of my friend and colleague Scott Atthowe. Many years ago, while working at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, I had the opportunity to work with Scott and his company. I was working with an artist in the bay area packing
    very large photographs without glazing and was apprehensive about how they would get crated and shipped to multiple venues.

    Scott’s crew was easy to work with, courteous, and very accommodating. The artist and I were happy with the result and everything arrived at all the venues in good condition. Scott was also very helpful to me working with the PACIN organization as it moved forward to became the organization it has grown to be.

    The art world is a better place for having Scott Atthowe in it. He will be missed. Rest in peace, brother.


    Kevin Marshall
    We have lost a good friend and colleague. Scott is fondly remembered by many. I met Scott in 1984, I was driving a truckload of Art from New York City to the Golden Bear (in the words of Terry Allen) My first encounter with Scott was delivering art to Atthowe Fine Arts. Scott was already well known in the profession, and I was a wanna be artist hauling art across the country. I remember he gave me a glimmer of hope. I would better get to know Scott over the years through (PACIN) PACCIN, meeting at conferences. I am honored to have jointly presented with Scott and learned from his wealth of knowledge and experience. Scott was very generous with information and his support of PACCIN from the beginning and its reinvention as an independent organization. Scott was a kindly, personable, and clever man.


    Mike Hascall, a founder at Artech Fine Art Services
    Scott was a longtime friend and advisor to Artech in Seattle. I cherished his experience and input and he served on Artech’s board during two different time periods. He successfully passed his company on to his employees and always made conventions more enjoyable. He will be missed.

    Thank you Scott.