I feel like I might have found my people! I'm working with young artists via online art expos and auctions. My second one is this Saturday and features 13 refugees and 3 slum residents. The art is diverse and gorgeous! I believe artist cooperatives and collectives can indeed work together to expo and elevate their own work together. Totally up for a gallery idea here on Substack. I've played around with how to show art on my own Substack. The gallery image option available in pages and posts is really awesome.
I'm in a course through a rather well-known photographic institution and I'v been asked as homework to start working to identify which gallery I'd like to get my work into. I don't think it was clear that this course would be so gallery-focused but I'll role with it as I'm so new, I'm bound to learn something from the work.
I have to tell you, I can literally see how the system is not set up for the artist. What a fiasco it is to try to put any semblance of cohesive information together about what gallery offers what and which ones do I want to approach, if at all. More emphasis on that last statement. Most sites only speak of how long they've been around, how big their collection is, the names of the artists they represent, and what's currently on exhibit and what's coming up.
I've only found a couple that transparently mention how to approach them.
I did have one paid portfolio review hosted by an NYC gallery but the process was so aimless that I did not really learn anything from it.
It's strange because you would think galleries would realize that artists are their life-blood and that they serve a "middle-man" role that the could find more artists figuring out how to circumnavigate their historical role in the world of art. I guess we can sort of sense by the response you mention that artists are looking to move beyond the traditional model.
So yes, I'd lean toward being involved in a more artist-focused community.
Yeah, I forgot to add that one to my list: Galleries do not welcome direct approaches from artists. Makes no sense does it? I was told very early on in my 'career': "The gallery finds you, you don't find the gallery." The myth is we're meant to get our work 'out there' and then galleries might stumble across it. In reality this doesn't happen. Usually gallerists look to prestigious art schools or they have artists recommended to them by other artists or collectors. I have to admit I've had a couple of smaller galleries approach me via Instagram but a blue chip gallery would never do that. The non-transparency about how a gallery operates is extremely frustrating.
As a total aside, my mother-in-law's maiden name is Callender. It's an unusual name so I wonder if you are distantly related. Any Irish connections in your family?
The best gallery experiences I have had in my limited experience were artist-run spaces where there was some alignment between the artists in terms of how they worked individually and also as a group. This meant that the artists involved primarily did their own thing and the methods, styles, mediums across the artists could vary wildly. There would be solo shows from members on a schedule but the highlights were often the group shows that were either just “new work” or loosely themed so that some kind of line ran between the divergent work.
I personally love the themed approach and have participated in a few of those over the years. I tried to start up a themed “online group show” years ago and a first show with some amazing work submitted. But things kind of fizzled for a variety of reasons and I gave up on it too soon.
Absolutely agree that artist-led spaces are the best. I’ve been involved in a few and tried to open more, but many artists are scared to sign on the dotted line—we’ve been told too many times we can’t run a business.
Some of my group initiatives just faded away too, mainly because I just ran out of energy. That’s why I’m gauging interest from my little community here first before I start anything. Thanks for being part of the conversation.
Super interesting, and so true. In Bisbee, Arizona, there is a gallery that only takes a tiny portion from the artists because the owner sells her own work there and teaches classes to keep the doors open. In the back she runs a free vocational rehab center for homeless women with the profits, and many of the artists and community members donate pieces to support those efforts. We and several of our friends have bought (ahem…I mean “collected”) several pieces from there, and each time she’s offered to put us in touch with the artist directly so we can purchase straight from them in the future. Can you imagine? It’s so refreshing. And it shows how different the gallery experience can be. plus she sells everything from twenty dollar trinkets to large artworks in the multiple tens of thousands, most of which are from local artists. It’s a wonderful model. She even helped one artist pay for her cancer treatments a few years ago. Again, can you imagine? This kind of thing shouldn’t be left to the imagination, yet I wonder if there are any other galleries like that anywhere in our whole region.
In regard to the idea of other forms of art exhibits, a couple years ago the Crystal Bridges Museum had an incredible display reinventing the idea of the salon. They had artworks from floor to ceiling, but instead of just showing them, they chose pieces that communicated with each other, and some of the pieces were commissioned to directly respond to another historic piece. In one case they had an early colonial American portrait — the first known portrait to be painted in the American colonies. It was of a wealthy Jewish family, which was already a challenge to the average museumgoer in rural Arkansas, where the museum is located. But then they had a modern piece in glass by an African American artist, which documented how that early family’s wealth had been made in the slave trade. It was both beautiful and confrontational, and the exposition by the museum was fearless in tackling these topics with the viewer.
In another exhibit I visited several years ago in Washington, DC, the museum commissioned an artist to reimagine Whistler’s famous Peacock Room, complete with a life-size walk-in installation of that room as reimagined by the artist. It was incredible. The room itself was a piece of art, as was every other little item in it. The title was Filthy Lucre, and it engages this very complicated idea of artist and patron. It was fascinating. Oh! I just found a link with some great information about it: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/filthy-lucre
Sounds like I need to visit Arizona! That's what's so great about artist-led spaces, they always put people first. I know some gallerists would consider that Bisbee gallery to be cutesy, naive, too 'small town' but honestly if we're not helping out our local community, what's the point? I love hearing about non-traditional galleries.
The Whistler story is fascinating. In many ways that's the eternal artists' conundrum (even here on Substack): if we make art without being commissioned to do so, do we "deserve" to be paid? Also wondering how much Darren Waterston was paid to create that installation!
Museums often do a much better job of exhibiting art than galleries because they're not focused on selling the work. This means they can play around with interesting juxtapositions of pieces, as you mention. In reality, few of us have huge white gallery walls at home, so any art we buy is sitting next to all the other objects we own, so the white cube gallery presentation is quite misleading.
Very interesting thoughts here! I’ve never even considered applying to a gallery for many reasons listed here.
I’ve thought it could be fun to have an exhibition or miniature prints of art in the dollhouse! There could be a video presentation or something. Just an idea! Not fully sure how that would work as an abstract concept but I’d love to contribute to this vision in some way :)
I absolutely love this, it’s rare to read something on Substack that both informs with history, context and background I didn’t know and makes me think about things I either don’t ordinarily think about or don’t think about enough. Plus a book I was unaware of! Great piece, glad to see the initial question hit a chord!
I feel like I might have found my people! I'm working with young artists via online art expos and auctions. My second one is this Saturday and features 13 refugees and 3 slum residents. The art is diverse and gorgeous! I believe artist cooperatives and collectives can indeed work together to expo and elevate their own work together. Totally up for a gallery idea here on Substack. I've played around with how to show art on my own Substack. The gallery image option available in pages and posts is really awesome.
Serendipitous.
I'm in a course through a rather well-known photographic institution and I'v been asked as homework to start working to identify which gallery I'd like to get my work into. I don't think it was clear that this course would be so gallery-focused but I'll role with it as I'm so new, I'm bound to learn something from the work.
I have to tell you, I can literally see how the system is not set up for the artist. What a fiasco it is to try to put any semblance of cohesive information together about what gallery offers what and which ones do I want to approach, if at all. More emphasis on that last statement. Most sites only speak of how long they've been around, how big their collection is, the names of the artists they represent, and what's currently on exhibit and what's coming up.
I've only found a couple that transparently mention how to approach them.
I did have one paid portfolio review hosted by an NYC gallery but the process was so aimless that I did not really learn anything from it.
It's strange because you would think galleries would realize that artists are their life-blood and that they serve a "middle-man" role that the could find more artists figuring out how to circumnavigate their historical role in the world of art. I guess we can sort of sense by the response you mention that artists are looking to move beyond the traditional model.
So yes, I'd lean toward being involved in a more artist-focused community.
Looking forward to what develops.
Yeah, I forgot to add that one to my list: Galleries do not welcome direct approaches from artists. Makes no sense does it? I was told very early on in my 'career': "The gallery finds you, you don't find the gallery." The myth is we're meant to get our work 'out there' and then galleries might stumble across it. In reality this doesn't happen. Usually gallerists look to prestigious art schools or they have artists recommended to them by other artists or collectors. I have to admit I've had a couple of smaller galleries approach me via Instagram but a blue chip gallery would never do that. The non-transparency about how a gallery operates is extremely frustrating.
As a total aside, my mother-in-law's maiden name is Callender. It's an unusual name so I wonder if you are distantly related. Any Irish connections in your family?
Scotch-Irish from what I understand but have not researched it very deeply.
There’s a town in Scotland named Callander.
I did visit there and went to the geneology center in town.
It is not its own clan but they suggested it’s either part of the MacFarlane and MacGregor clan.
I know nothing about art; this was so interesting!!!
The best gallery experiences I have had in my limited experience were artist-run spaces where there was some alignment between the artists in terms of how they worked individually and also as a group. This meant that the artists involved primarily did their own thing and the methods, styles, mediums across the artists could vary wildly. There would be solo shows from members on a schedule but the highlights were often the group shows that were either just “new work” or loosely themed so that some kind of line ran between the divergent work.
I personally love the themed approach and have participated in a few of those over the years. I tried to start up a themed “online group show” years ago and a first show with some amazing work submitted. But things kind of fizzled for a variety of reasons and I gave up on it too soon.
Absolutely agree that artist-led spaces are the best. I’ve been involved in a few and tried to open more, but many artists are scared to sign on the dotted line—we’ve been told too many times we can’t run a business.
Some of my group initiatives just faded away too, mainly because I just ran out of energy. That’s why I’m gauging interest from my little community here first before I start anything. Thanks for being part of the conversation.
Super interesting, and so true. In Bisbee, Arizona, there is a gallery that only takes a tiny portion from the artists because the owner sells her own work there and teaches classes to keep the doors open. In the back she runs a free vocational rehab center for homeless women with the profits, and many of the artists and community members donate pieces to support those efforts. We and several of our friends have bought (ahem…I mean “collected”) several pieces from there, and each time she’s offered to put us in touch with the artist directly so we can purchase straight from them in the future. Can you imagine? It’s so refreshing. And it shows how different the gallery experience can be. plus she sells everything from twenty dollar trinkets to large artworks in the multiple tens of thousands, most of which are from local artists. It’s a wonderful model. She even helped one artist pay for her cancer treatments a few years ago. Again, can you imagine? This kind of thing shouldn’t be left to the imagination, yet I wonder if there are any other galleries like that anywhere in our whole region.
In regard to the idea of other forms of art exhibits, a couple years ago the Crystal Bridges Museum had an incredible display reinventing the idea of the salon. They had artworks from floor to ceiling, but instead of just showing them, they chose pieces that communicated with each other, and some of the pieces were commissioned to directly respond to another historic piece. In one case they had an early colonial American portrait — the first known portrait to be painted in the American colonies. It was of a wealthy Jewish family, which was already a challenge to the average museumgoer in rural Arkansas, where the museum is located. But then they had a modern piece in glass by an African American artist, which documented how that early family’s wealth had been made in the slave trade. It was both beautiful and confrontational, and the exposition by the museum was fearless in tackling these topics with the viewer.
In another exhibit I visited several years ago in Washington, DC, the museum commissioned an artist to reimagine Whistler’s famous Peacock Room, complete with a life-size walk-in installation of that room as reimagined by the artist. It was incredible. The room itself was a piece of art, as was every other little item in it. The title was Filthy Lucre, and it engages this very complicated idea of artist and patron. It was fascinating. Oh! I just found a link with some great information about it: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/filthy-lucre
Sounds like I need to visit Arizona! That's what's so great about artist-led spaces, they always put people first. I know some gallerists would consider that Bisbee gallery to be cutesy, naive, too 'small town' but honestly if we're not helping out our local community, what's the point? I love hearing about non-traditional galleries.
The Whistler story is fascinating. In many ways that's the eternal artists' conundrum (even here on Substack): if we make art without being commissioned to do so, do we "deserve" to be paid? Also wondering how much Darren Waterston was paid to create that installation!
Museums often do a much better job of exhibiting art than galleries because they're not focused on selling the work. This means they can play around with interesting juxtapositions of pieces, as you mention. In reality, few of us have huge white gallery walls at home, so any art we buy is sitting next to all the other objects we own, so the white cube gallery presentation is quite misleading.
I love our interactions here, thank you Eric.
Very interesting thoughts here! I’ve never even considered applying to a gallery for many reasons listed here.
I’ve thought it could be fun to have an exhibition or miniature prints of art in the dollhouse! There could be a video presentation or something. Just an idea! Not fully sure how that would work as an abstract concept but I’d love to contribute to this vision in some way :)
I absolutely love this, it’s rare to read something on Substack that both informs with history, context and background I didn’t know and makes me think about things I either don’t ordinarily think about or don’t think about enough. Plus a book I was unaware of! Great piece, glad to see the initial question hit a chord!