Pa. Attorney General reaches agreement with art show promoter who reneged on exhibit space

The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General announced late last week that it has reached an agreement with a Southeastern Pennsylvania man who allegedly promoted art exhibit space for various art shows throughout the United States and Canada, but later failed to provide the space to those promised customers.

The office’s Bureau of Consumer Protection reached the settlement with Christopher Gervasi, a Delaware County man who promoted art shows  and promised to sell booth space to exhibitors in specific locations on specific dates, and then allegedly changed the venues of the shows, or cancelled them all together, after a contract was signed between himself and the potential customers.

Attorney General Linda Kelly said in her office’s announcement that Gervasi did not offer customers refunds and cut off communication with them entirely in some instances.

Some customers, upon learning the exhibit space would not be available or a venue was changed, withdrew from the shows within the timeframe and manner dictated by Gervasi’s contracts, but the promoter still failed to issue the refunds.

The news release announcing the agreement stated that Gervasi has agreed to pay restitution to consumers who filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. Gervasi also agreed to pay civil penalties and fines, although specific figures weren’t mentioned in the press release.

The filing in Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court, however, where the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance between the AG’s Office and Gervasi was filed by Deputy Attorney General Julia Nastasi, showed judgment to be in the amount of $24,338.75.