You have been working in the arts industry for over 10 years. Can you share with us some pivotal moments in life that got you started on this career path?
Yes, of course! I was certainly very artistically inclined growing up. For every birthday and Christmas I’d receive the big box sets of crayons or combined kits of watercolors, pastels, and colored pencils - and I loved it! Perhaps the first turning point, though, was when I entered high school and I used my one free elective to study art for all four years. I had an incredible teacher whose guidance made a major impact on my life at that time. For example, when I decided I was going to apply to college for fine art, he helped me photograph all of my work and prepare my portfolio.
At the same time at home, I was being raised by a single mother, and I have to give her a lot of credit too. She was always very supportive of my decision to pursue a career in the arts.
Then in college, I became a bit obsessed with doing internships - I believe I completed around eight in total, but one of the most formative in terms of my future career was with a Delaware gallery owned by two women dealers. I’m forever grateful that they took a chance on me and introduced me to what it was like to work in the art world.
How did the idea to launch PxP Contemporary come about?
After my many internships and completing graduate school for a Master’s in Art History, I got my first full-time job working in a gallery. I learned as much as I could about sales and marketing, doing a lot of additional research and workshops on my own. Eventually people started asking me if I was considering opening my own gallery someday. Initially, I said no for various reasons but then fast forward a few years when I was living in Amsterdam and I ended up working for two different galleries that were the inspiration that I needed to realize that I could own my own company and run it exactly how I wanted to. This, coupled with my business partner (Ekaterina Popova) finally convincing me that I was ready, was the final push that led to the launch of PxP in May of 2019.
From working in the arts for ten years, I saw firsthand that it was hard for emerging artists to ‘get a foot in the door.’ I also noticed that the lack of transparency around pricing and how to buy art made it confusing and intimidating for those new to collecting. PxP Contemporary is a platform meant to cater specifically to these two audiences and to connect them. We focus on showing emerging artists to help them gain visibility and build their audience, and make the process of buying art an easy, digital-friendly experience so that new collectors feel comfortable making their first purchase.
Your career covers a wide range of activities, from being the curator and co-founder of PxP Contemporary, director of business operations for Create! Magazine, an arts writer, co-author of the book The Complete Smartist Guide, and a regular guest host of The Create! Podcast. How do you find the time for all of this?
First and foremost, I have a rolling to-do list that I update and look at every day of the week. That helps quite a bit with keeping my tasks and deadlines on track. I also schedule all meetings, calls, etc (with time zone!!!) on my Google calendar. Not to mention, I find I’m most productive when I have more to do. I guess it’s because I know I have no time to waste. I’m not a procrastinator either - my husband makes fun of me but I even love to pack for a trip a week in advance.
But more generally speaking, there’s definitely a lot of balance with rest and recharging to avoid burnout. I take regular vacations with my family or friends and at least one full day off each weekend. The past few years of working for myself has given me a lot more flexibility in my daily schedule too. Sometimes I don’t start working until later in the day so I can get errands done in the morning, for example. Ultimately, I make it work because I really enjoy what I do.
Are there certain challenges involved with pursuing traditional gallery representation that you feel differ from what artists might experience with your online gallery platform, and vice versa?
As I mentioned before, I really wanted a space that was both welcoming to and supportive of emerging artists, which is not always the case in most traditional galleries. That said, I simply don’t have the capacity to represent everyone. It would be a disservice to the artists I already do work with if I took on each new artist that approached me. I try to work with as many new artists that I think I can handle as the gallery grows and so far, it’s been going smoothly. Perhaps a bigger gallery would have the resources to exhibit more artists than I do, but there are always trade offs. Either way, I always recommend artists do as much research as possible before applying to any gallery - or decide if they really need one at all. Representation necessitates building a relationship with someone based on trust. You should always know who you’re getting into business with.
How do you foresee the rise of online arts platforms affecting our relationship with arts and culture at large?
I’m biased, of course, but I’m a fan of the move toward more online platforms and programming. Now being based internationally, it’s helped me stay connected with other artists, curators, galleries, writers, and more around the world. Creating community in this way is one of the truly exciting things about working in this industry and I hope it continues to seep into our culture beyond the art world as well. I don’t think virtual will ever replace in-person experiences with art, but when done right they can work together to enhance each other.
What do you find most rewarding about the curation process?
Seeing the final exhibition come together is satisfying after all of the work that goes into it, but making connections between an artist and a collector who falls in love with their work or an artist who becomes inspired by seeing another artist's work is something I love to hear happening as a result of one of my shows.
What is your method for determining the artists that you showcase? Are there specific kinds of qualities that you look for in artists?
At this point, I’ve really learned to trust my ‘voice’ as a curator and to pay attention to what catches my eye or stays in my mind long after I initially saw it. I look for craftsmanship and a cohesive body of work that I think would fit well with the other artists in my gallery or in a show, but I’d say I care more about professionalism overall and if the artist seems like they would be a great person to work with.
Are there any areas of improvement artists should be aware of in terms of the submission process?
Yes, I see the same issues again and again. Many of the submissions don’t quite follow the directions properly, don’t include quality images of the artist’s work, share too few artworks (it’s very hard to get a complete picture of the kind of work you do from just one piece), or try to showcase two different series in the same application (which is often confusing for jurors).
Do you have future plans for PxP Contemporary beyond what it is today?
Absolutely, so follow along to find out what they are ;)
Yes, of course! I was certainly very artistically inclined growing up. For every birthday and Christmas I’d receive the big box sets of crayons or combined kits of watercolors, pastels, and colored pencils - and I loved it! Perhaps the first turning point, though, was when I entered high school and I used my one free elective to study art for all four years. I had an incredible teacher whose guidance made a major impact on my life at that time. For example, when I decided I was going to apply to college for fine art, he helped me photograph all of my work and prepare my portfolio.
At the same time at home, I was being raised by a single mother, and I have to give her a lot of credit too. She was always very supportive of my decision to pursue a career in the arts.
Then in college, I became a bit obsessed with doing internships - I believe I completed around eight in total, but one of the most formative in terms of my future career was with a Delaware gallery owned by two women dealers. I’m forever grateful that they took a chance on me and introduced me to what it was like to work in the art world.
How did the idea to launch PxP Contemporary come about?
After my many internships and completing graduate school for a Master’s in Art History, I got my first full-time job working in a gallery. I learned as much as I could about sales and marketing, doing a lot of additional research and workshops on my own. Eventually people started asking me if I was considering opening my own gallery someday. Initially, I said no for various reasons but then fast forward a few years when I was living in Amsterdam and I ended up working for two different galleries that were the inspiration that I needed to realize that I could own my own company and run it exactly how I wanted to. This, coupled with my business partner (Ekaterina Popova) finally convincing me that I was ready, was the final push that led to the launch of PxP in May of 2019.
From working in the arts for ten years, I saw firsthand that it was hard for emerging artists to ‘get a foot in the door.’ I also noticed that the lack of transparency around pricing and how to buy art made it confusing and intimidating for those new to collecting. PxP Contemporary is a platform meant to cater specifically to these two audiences and to connect them. We focus on showing emerging artists to help them gain visibility and build their audience, and make the process of buying art an easy, digital-friendly experience so that new collectors feel comfortable making their first purchase.
Your career covers a wide range of activities, from being the curator and co-founder of PxP Contemporary, director of business operations for Create! Magazine, an arts writer, co-author of the book The Complete Smartist Guide, and a regular guest host of The Create! Podcast. How do you find the time for all of this?
First and foremost, I have a rolling to-do list that I update and look at every day of the week. That helps quite a bit with keeping my tasks and deadlines on track. I also schedule all meetings, calls, etc (with time zone!!!) on my Google calendar. Not to mention, I find I’m most productive when I have more to do. I guess it’s because I know I have no time to waste. I’m not a procrastinator either - my husband makes fun of me but I even love to pack for a trip a week in advance.
But more generally speaking, there’s definitely a lot of balance with rest and recharging to avoid burnout. I take regular vacations with my family or friends and at least one full day off each weekend. The past few years of working for myself has given me a lot more flexibility in my daily schedule too. Sometimes I don’t start working until later in the day so I can get errands done in the morning, for example. Ultimately, I make it work because I really enjoy what I do.
Are there certain challenges involved with pursuing traditional gallery representation that you feel differ from what artists might experience with your online gallery platform, and vice versa?
As I mentioned before, I really wanted a space that was both welcoming to and supportive of emerging artists, which is not always the case in most traditional galleries. That said, I simply don’t have the capacity to represent everyone. It would be a disservice to the artists I already do work with if I took on each new artist that approached me. I try to work with as many new artists that I think I can handle as the gallery grows and so far, it’s been going smoothly. Perhaps a bigger gallery would have the resources to exhibit more artists than I do, but there are always trade offs. Either way, I always recommend artists do as much research as possible before applying to any gallery - or decide if they really need one at all. Representation necessitates building a relationship with someone based on trust. You should always know who you’re getting into business with.
How do you foresee the rise of online arts platforms affecting our relationship with arts and culture at large?
I’m biased, of course, but I’m a fan of the move toward more online platforms and programming. Now being based internationally, it’s helped me stay connected with other artists, curators, galleries, writers, and more around the world. Creating community in this way is one of the truly exciting things about working in this industry and I hope it continues to seep into our culture beyond the art world as well. I don’t think virtual will ever replace in-person experiences with art, but when done right they can work together to enhance each other.
What do you find most rewarding about the curation process?
Seeing the final exhibition come together is satisfying after all of the work that goes into it, but making connections between an artist and a collector who falls in love with their work or an artist who becomes inspired by seeing another artist's work is something I love to hear happening as a result of one of my shows.
What is your method for determining the artists that you showcase? Are there specific kinds of qualities that you look for in artists?
At this point, I’ve really learned to trust my ‘voice’ as a curator and to pay attention to what catches my eye or stays in my mind long after I initially saw it. I look for craftsmanship and a cohesive body of work that I think would fit well with the other artists in my gallery or in a show, but I’d say I care more about professionalism overall and if the artist seems like they would be a great person to work with.
Are there any areas of improvement artists should be aware of in terms of the submission process?
Yes, I see the same issues again and again. Many of the submissions don’t quite follow the directions properly, don’t include quality images of the artist’s work, share too few artworks (it’s very hard to get a complete picture of the kind of work you do from just one piece), or try to showcase two different series in the same application (which is often confusing for jurors).
Do you have future plans for PxP Contemporary beyond what it is today?
Absolutely, so follow along to find out what they are ;)
https://www.pxpcontemporary.com/
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