Opening Your Own Gallery

Here are a few passages from an article on artinfo.com by Robert Ayers.

“He’s a businessman, and a businessman will understand a great deal. He must have a business plan and a budget. And that budget has to include every cruel little element that people love to ignore but really can’t—down to garbage collection, city taxes, sales taxes, bookkeeping, advertising, shipping costs, insurance—the list goes on and on. And he must have enough resources to withstand some ‘quiet times’.”

“A lot of people come into the gallery business for the wrong reasons or without the sort of art experience that will really help. There are a lot of young dealers who don’t have a firm grasp of the fundamentals. Anyone who’s going to open a gallery shouldn’t only be a businessman; he or she should be well-versed in the history of art—and not only of the last 15 years, or even the last century, either, but art’s entire history.”

“History informs the present,” he replied, “and it allows you to work with artists, and it helps in comprehending their work. I’m not preachy about it. I just feel this is what separates many contemporary dealers from the others. If I know about Mondrian, I can speak about Warren Isensee [a gallery artist] a little more convincingly.”

And why does that matter?

“The best dealers are not salesmen in the classic sense of the word,” he said. “Their passion and their connoisseurship and their knowledge have to combine to convince someone to acquire something that has no ostensible function in life, and that’s not always an easy thing to do. It is distinct from the normal business world because of that.”

This is really alot for me to think about. The more information I can gather at this point the better.

SOLD

I sold my first painting post Taylor. It was actually hard to see it go. After I spent so much time, thought, and work on something it was hard to let it go, no matter how much I made. I can still see it in my head... hopefully this selling thing will get easier or I will probably be a really poor person!

David and I finished our home makeover and I am really excited about my new studio space. It is a small room but it has a really large secret room/closet I can put all my pieces in. You can see the picture of the right. I painted those checks on the floor by hand! It took a really long time, but I think it was worth it. I need to find a drawing table that will fit in the room nicely. Having my own space, is really encouraging I can't wait to start using it. You can also see the picture of my painting stash below...


Last night David and I had a big discussion about my future and what the heck I am going to be doing. I told him I would really like to start up some sort of gallery. Our town has never had anything of the sorts, and I am really trying to get some sort of art vibe going. I found a building that would be perfect, but getting the funding would be hard. Grants? I have no clue. But anyways, I could run and manage the gallery having shows and also doing summer art camps for kids, and maybe adult lessons at nights. I'm not sure, it is all up in the air right now but it gives me something to think about.

All Good Things Come to an End...

Today was my last day of classes at Taylor University. It's very bittersweet. I will especially miss my paiting classes with Bruce. I learned more in advanced painting in one semester than I did in my 5 years of studio classes. I have so much to learn from other's especially people that have already made a name for themselves in the art world. I am excited to move on to a new stage of life. A new house, a new place, a new job...

The painting to the left is one I made for a show. It is a 4ft by 4ft painting. I hope to continue making art and hopefully making a name for myself. It is going to be hard living in a small town that lacks an art scene, but that will give me an exscuse to travel and meet new people.

Robert Rauschenberg, American Artist, Dies at 82

I wasn't quite sure what to write about in my first post... but when I heard about the death of Robert Rauschenberg I couldn't help but share a few thoughts... "A painter, photographer, printmaker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and, in later years, even a composer, Mr. Rauschenberg defied the traditional idea that an artist stick to one medium or style. He pushed, prodded and sometimes reconceived all the mediums in which he worked." I always get sad when interesting/influential people pass away. They all seem to have lived such wonderful lives, full of traveling and doing whatever pleases them. I wish I could be more carefree.