About Us

tom pergola
Tom Pergola

In 1978 Tom Pergola joined the then small art publishing company, Martin Lawrence Limited Editions. Now a student of the fine art world, his knowledge grew, as the company became one of the largest fine art publishers and gallery chains in the country during his eight year stay. They’re now known as Martin Lawrence Galleries and are located in major cities across the U.S. and Hawaii. Later, Pergola went on to produce videos of many major artists for fine art publishers and galleries.

While managing a number of successful artists in 1994, Tom teamed up with fifteen year veteran Alan Fleishman to form DATZ ART!, a company dedicated to promoting his innovative art form. Their inaugural series of assemblage plastiques was entitled “Emotional Baggage”. These are original wall and table sculptures that serve as metaphors for who we are not only as individuals, but as a society.

The first dealer who was shown this exciting and bold new artistic concept immediately offered him a one-man show. Tom’s opening in 1995 at the Gallery Galgano in West Los Angeles benefited The West Los Angeles Homeless Organizations and was a huge success. His artwork has demonstrated the ability to attract a cross-section of collectors at all levels of the art market and has been seen in the most prestigious galleries in the U.S. including galleries on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas and many more. His work has also been widely accepted in Japan and Europe. Jay Leno, Donald Trump and Carol Burnett are among his celebrity collectors just to name a few. Tom has done major projects for such companies as Kellogg’s, Titleist, Corona Beer and others, and has had associations with The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Make A Wish Foundation and more.

Tom recently created an ongoing outdoor art festival, “The Tom Pergola Art Festival”, featuring painters, sculptors, assemblage artists and more. This unique concept allowed the viewer to watch each artist create their work. Adelphia Communications sponsored the events and ran hundreds of TV commercials on 33 major channels weeks before each show.

Tom has also developed a TV show based on celebrity and undiscovered artists. He has produced a pilot and is in the process of shopping it to the networks. His artwork has been featured as an exclusive episode on HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and has been seen on such shows as The Drew Carey Show, The Gilmore Girls, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Half & Half and more.

Tom's artist management company is now working with a select group of extremely talented artists. He provides guidance, direction and introduction to the fine art world for his “Platinum Artists”.

jon ellman
Jon Ellman
Jonathan M. Ellman is a partner and co-founder of MindMelt Productions and Project L.O.O.K.TM, an exciting multimedia venture currently under development. Ellman attended the University of California, at Santa Barbara, studying Computer Science and Engineering his freshman and sophomore year. Discovering an interest in life sciences, he later changed his major to Biology and in 1995 graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology. In his final year at the university, Ellman was able to combine the two disciplines of computer and life science by studying with 3D molecular modeling software applications.

From 1997 to 2005 Ellman was employed full time as a computer graphic artist with a marketing/advertising company in the LA area whose clients include Warner Bros., Universal, Paramount, Fox, and Virgin Records among others. His experience includes web page design, digital video applications, motion graphics, interactive content, as well as standard desktop publishing and pre-press work. Ellman continues to further his education taking classes at UCLA from multimedia to animation in the highly accredited Film, Entertainment, and New Media Department.

Not only creative, Ellman effectively took on the job challenges of information and computing becoming the IT Director for his company, solely administrating the computers and system network. Moreover, Ellman continued to expand his knowledge and prowess of information technology by taking on a multitude of projects and working with different departments, such as: install computerized time clock and software for payroll, manage company email and websites, supervise the accounting system and help develop, install, and administer job order system. In addition he currently manages an online store for a major client selling promotional items and music from their catalog worldwide.

Within the last 5 years Ellman has successfully gone on to do freelance and consulting work with a variety of clients specializing in web design, internet marketing, and corporate identity. Jonathan Ellman’s knowledge of computers and his dedication to keeping up with technology has proven to be a credit to his clientele, having worked on everything from e-commerce, network security, to VPN solutions.

With an eye for aesthetics and a mind for information, Ellman saw GreatArtisans as an ideal opportunity to fully utilize his expertise, applying innovative technology to mass appeal.

pat schraier

Patricia Schraier

Pat has been working as a website developer for the last few years helping small business create and maintain their internet sites.

Her previous twenty years were spent as a restauranteur in Oregon and Washington state.