GRIM DUTY: Cops on Madison Avenue yesterday work the case of Marijana Bego, of Ezair Gallery, who leaped to her death from the five-story building. (William Farrington)
GRIM DUTY: Cops on Madison Avenue yesterday work the case of Marijana Bego, of Ezair Gallery, who leaped to her death from the five-story building. (
)
The co-owner of a high-end Manhattan art gallery — who was described by pals as “eccentric” and “kooky” — jumped to her death yesterday on the Upper East Side, police sources told The Post.
Marijana Bego, 54, was found lying in the middle of Madison Avenue after plunging from the roof of the five-story building that houses her Bego-Ezair Gallery.
Bego, who had operated the posh art house since 1997, had so badly injured her legs that police who first responded to the scene at about 6:20 a.m. thought she was the victim of a hit-and-run accident, sources said.
Bego, originally from Switzerland, was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the sources said.
Cops believe Bego committed suicide, though they found no note, sources said.
The sudden death of the Manhattan gallery owner, who also operated galleries in Southampton and Greenport, LI, shocked art-world friends and associates, who had no idea that anything was wrong.
“I just can’t believe she would jump,” said a close friend, shortly after police told her of Bego’s death. “Maybe its just the stress of the season.”
The friend, who did not want her name revealed, said Bego had an outsized personality that was a perfect fit for the art world.
“She was very outgoing and edgy,” said the pal. “She was edgy because that’s the nature of this business. She dresses very edgy, presenting herself to be younger than she really is.”
Jenna Lash, an artist whose work has been featured in Bego’s gallery, said Bego was friendly, but there seemed to be something off about her.
“Sometimes her behavior was rather erratic,” said Lash, 62. “She was dramatic, and sometimes she was a little ‘out there.’But I just figured she was a character — a little over the top, someone who liked to enjoy herself.”
R. Couri Hay, whose public-relations firm represented Bego’s gallery and knew Bego for 10 years, said she was “always extremely high-strung and eccentric, and kind of kooky.
“But I never took her to be depressed, or took it as someone who might take her own life.”
But Sandra Gottlieb, a photographer, said Bego had recently lost her spark.
“She really just seemed kind of tired and a little nervous. She seemed very overwhelmed, and had a lot on her plate,” Gottlieb said.
Bego’s trio of galleries usually featured up-and-coming talent and attracted members of high society to her openings — such as members of the Hearst family and descendants of Winston Churchill.
On July 14, Bego celebrated her 300th art opening, with a collection of oil works by Lash called “Imagined Memories — A Family Album” at her location in Southampton, according to Dan’s Papers.
Bego’s business partner was Khedoury Ezair, a real-estate executive who also has his hand in the restaurant world as landlord for eateries owned by Nello Balan.
The Greenport Ezair gallery was actually first suggested by Bego, who discovered the unused building.
Artist Wanda Murphy said Bego sold one of her paintings for $30,000.
“Her focus in life was art,” Murphy said.“That’s all she ever lived for.”
The friend who spoke to police said she last saw Bego at a gallery showing in October, and that she appeared to be in good spirits.
The friend hadn’t seen her since then, but Bego unexpectedly called her this past week.
“She was exposing a bunch of new art to me. She was very outgoing and fun during the event.”
They had set up a date later that month, but their plans were canceled because of Hurricane Sandy.
“I don’t know if that was a final goodbye. We figured we’d get together after Christmas.”
Additional reporting by Daniel Prendergast and Larry Celona