Feature Articles

September Issue 2002

Friends Remember SC Art Collector

by Monique Angle, staff writer at The State newspaper in Columbia, SC. (9/9/02)

Art collector Mark Coplan's heart was too big for this world. And that is why it suddenly stopped Saturday, his friends said. Coplan, 56, collapsed Saturday of an apparent heart attack while attending services at Temple Beth El in Camden. Coplan, a Columbia native, collected hundreds of pieces of art throughout his life and encouraged countless artists along the way. His house, some suggest, might hold the largest private collection of South Carolina art in the state.

"His collection is an integral part of what he was to us," said longtime friend John Emerson. "He had this truly unparalleled collection of South Carolina art that is so important. It is the fervent hope of the arts community that his collection stay together. It is his memorial."

On Sunday, about 200 people -- an eclectic mix of lawyers, politicians, artists and others, informally gathered at Coplan's antebellum home near Five Points to hold a party in his honor. Coplan was known for his love of fine wine, food, art and cigars, and friends thought it fitting to throw a fete in the garden where he loved to entertain. "Everyone here felt that they were special to Mark," State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum said. "He made you feel so unique and special. When I decided to run, he was so supportive." Nationally known Manning artist Tarleton Blackwell said Coplan inspired him to start his own art collection. "He didn't just encourage young artists, but those who have been out here awhile," said Blackwell.

Coplan's day jobs didn't define the person he was, Emerson said. Coplan had a long string of careers -- he was a naval officer, then a lawyer. Later, he embarked on a career in commercial real estate, restoring 30 buildings in the Columbia area. When his father retired from the insurance business, he took over Coplan Insurance Agency in Sumter. At night, Coplan would peruse galleries, looking for the piece that he just couldn't live without. "He was one of the best known arts professionals in the state but that wasn't his profession," said Harriett Green, program director for visual arts for the S.C. Arts Commission.

Friends said he only bought a piece, if, and only if, he believed he could not go one day without it. He stayed true to what he liked, friends said, which made his home somewhat of a living museum -- a collection of new artists and well-established ones. "Every time I heard about some new artist, he wanted to see their work," said artist Bill Davis. Davis and Coplan were part of a group of friends who would travel to Italy and rent a villa every few years. Besides art, Coplan loved to travel. And laugh exuberantly. He'd been all over the world, and loved to share his stories over a good bottle of wine.

Friends said Coplan's memory lives on through his collection, and they hope his art stays together and is placed in a museum in his honor. "He methodically collected this art," said Wendyth Wells, owner of City Art. "Artists are proud to be a part of his collection."

Up until his death, friends said Coplan lived life to the fullest. Over wine and cheese with Coplan's favorite Cuban music piping from a boombox in the garden, friends, many of whom met for the first time, shared their favorite stories.
Many shared the last time they spoke to Coplan. A few days earlier, he had hosted a party after an opening at his house with some take-out Chinese food. Friend and artist Edward Rice saw him a couple of nights before his death.

Reprinted with permission from The State newspaper in Columbia, SC.

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