Grossman & Jack Talent — for the first time in its 17 years of business — will represent talent and services other than voiceover and on-camera, with the new addition of two talent agency veterans.
Marie Anderson, former co-owner of Aria Models & Management, leads the Agency Galatea Models & Management department, and Katherine Tenerowicz, recently with Ford Models, brings her expertise to G&J Models.
This is the first time that the agency will formally represent print models — and the first Chicago talent agency to have an On-Camera Beauty Division to facilitate a model’s transition to acting.
The two new boutique agencies now pits Grossman & Jack against Ford Models and Elite Models by representing actors and models across-the-board.
Anderson’s Agency Galatea specializes in booking fashion models and hair and makeup stylists — with 25 signed up so far and 35 having been drawn from the talent agency. Tenerowicz’ G&J Models, meanwhile, has 200 exclusive actors who are booked for commercial print lifestyle.
Said Tenerowicz: “We take actors and teach them to model for commercial print, and take pretty people and guide them through the transition from modeling to acting and advertising.
“Our goal is to give clients a better informed talent who can take that next step to guarantee the success of the job.”
After having been persuaded by friends to return to Chicago after a nearly five year absence, Anderson approached partners Linda Jack and Mickey Grossman about setting up the boutique divisions within their company.
“We bought the concept, based on Marie’s flawless reputation and years of experience,” said Grossman. So far, he and Jack are very pleased with the expansion, which ad agencies and casting directors have enthusiastically received.
Anderson had been living in Scottsdale, Arizona where she owned a modeling business called Studio Galatea. Earlier, she spent a year in L.A. working for a large talent management company following the sale of Aria to Ford Models, and a year serving as Ford’s general manager.
Anderson invited Katherine Tenerowicz to head up the print model division. Tenerowicz had recently left Ford Models as director of Lifestyle Midwest. Earlier, she had been a founder of A-Plus, Chicago ‘s most successful and enduring talent agency that had been merged out of existence.
Linda Jack and her late husband founded their agency in 1992, with Grossman as their first and only employee. Jack invited Grossman to become her partner in March, 2006 following the death of her husband. The agency currently employs 11 full-time and one part-time.
Agency Galatea and G&J Models are actively scouting for new talent. “I’m looking for looking for teens-into-their twenties models,” Anderson said, “and Katherine is scouting for mid-twenties to grandparents, with or without experience.”
Open calls are held each Monday at 4 p.m. at Grossman & Jack.
Grossman & Jack is located at 230 E. Ohio; phone, 312/587-1155.
