GETTING THE BUSINESS, KEEPING THE TRUST
A Day in the Life of an Art Dealer
This post is a day in the life of an art gallery owner. We are in a position with clients and artists where we have to earn and maintain high levels of trust. Not everyday is as lively as this one, but a lot of them are!
Our story begins in my front yard...
I had met clients that were visiting from out of town, and they liked a piece but weren't sure about it. One of the good things about working with a gallery is that they can let you try pieces on approval. What that means is we take some information and then you get to see the piece in your own home, with your furnishings for a limited time. Overnight, both had become telecommuters and the need for art on the walls had become critical! This particular couple felt like they really needed a 48"H X 48"W painting for their dining room. The painting they liked was a bit smaller at 40"H X 40"W. I reached out to them after they were home in Apex and said I would deliver the piece to them if they wanted to try it out.
I loved the way this piece looked in their home. I was thrilled that in the lovely neutral home the only color was inky blue velvet pillows that had just been purchased. The entire composition of this painting depends on the tension created by the blue running through it. I think this piece is the perfect size; any larger and you have to hang it near the ceiling to keep people from brushing it with their heads. But I left them to their decision, and I promised to touch base after the weekend. If you are going to help people in their homes and help them make choices for their art collections, you have to establish trust. I was so happy this couple let me come to their home; but it was on to the next task!
So this is "Understated Elegance" by Kimberlee Maselli in the client's space. I think this is a really strong piece from Kimberlee, and I feel like it is the exact composition the clients want. My direction had been an abstract with blues and greens with energy. We just have to let the clients sit with it and see if they feel the same.
Apex, NC is so lovely-here is a little clip showing this really great neighborhood where we dropped off the Kimberlee Maselli.
"Understated Elegance" by Kimberlee Maselli in the client's dining room.
I also had to visit Bob Rankin's studio to pick up some pieces that a client in my town wanted to see, so two reasons for one trip. I love going to Bob's studio; it is beautiful and in a lovely part of Raleigh--check it out in this video--
Bob's driveway sign. He is funny.
Bob's studio is amazing; he is prolific and his work goes from small to very large! I did make this video but I didn't linger; I needed to get back to Wilmington. Also I wanted to be respectful. One of the big cornerstone's of a relationship between an artist and an art dealer is trust. It took a lot of trust on Bob's part to allow me to come in to his space while he wasn't there, but he also has to trust my business sense, and that I will hold up my financial end of the relationship.
This is my day in the life post; I thought it might be fun to see what a day is like in the world of art. I know people wonder sometimes when they walk by the store and we are standing in the gallery talking. I wanted to show the commitment to our clients and our artists, and how trust is integral to both of those relationships!
Until next time, buy some art, for art's sake!
Just in case you thought it was all glamour all the time-my Five Guys burger in all its glory eaten in the parking lot. My 14 year old son would be so proud.