Rebecca Potts of Teaching Artist Podcast

Rebecca Potts is the host of Teaching Artist Podcast, and co-coordinator of Play + Inspire Gallery and the Art Educators Lounge

As an artist, podcast host and curator, it seems you are quite dedicated to a life of creative expression. What are your first memories of feeling passionately towards the arts?

I spent my childhood lost in books and drawings. I read voraciously and wrote and drew stories of imaginary worlds. The dragons of Pern, wonders of Narnia, and a Wrinkle in Time filled my head. It was an escape. I remember saying I wanted to be an author/illustrator sometime in elementary school. Growing up in Montana in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, I didn’t often see art except in books (this was pre-internet!), so I think books were my only career idea related to the arts. Somewhere along the way, my interest in writing waned and I just kept making art. In high school, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a summer at Harvard studying photography and expanding my world in a much bigger city than I’d ever known. I came home eager to continue and my amazing high school art teacher loaned me an enlarger that I used to set up a darkroom in my basement bathroom.

When you did you first gain an interest in the relationship between one’s own creative expression and the teaching of arts to younger generations, and how did the idea to create a podcast on the subject come about?

My teaching career has been a bit of a winding road. I’ve taught off and on since college in settings ranging from 1-day workshops for adults to preschool classes. My family is full of teachers, so it always felt natural, but I pushed against it. As an idealistic 22-year-old, I worked as a community organizer through Americorps, focused on water quality issues. Then I joined the founding staff of a small school during the height of NYC’s “small school movement” in the early 2000’s. Being in NYC was incredible for the accessibility of contemporary art, but most of my time was devoted to working in an administrative role at the school, unrelated to art. I kept making art in my spare time and realized that I wanted to make art my full-time career.

I didn’t see being solely an artist as feasible financially, but kept avoiding the idea of becoming a K-12 art teacher. Instead, I got an MFA with the intention of becoming a professor. Even then, I saw the disparity in respect within the art world between professors and teachers. This disparity is one of the catalysts for starting Teaching Artist podcast… but I’ll come back to that.

During grad school, I was a teaching assistant and working alongside professors I began to realize how difficult it would be to juggle multiple part-time adjunct teaching gigs with art-making… or to even get a university-level teaching gig in a city like NYC or LA (my location options are limited based on my husband’s career).

After grad school, I managed art education programs for the Bronx River Art Center and then for the Brooklyn Arts Council, while teaching a few classes. I discovered that I actually really enjoyed being in the classroom with kids rather than always behind a desk. While I love working with teaching artists, helping develop curricula and professional development workshops, learning the ins and outs of program management, and nerding out over spreadsheets, I also love teaching.

In 2014, my husband got a job offer in Prague, so we moved across the Atlantic. I started teaching small group and private lessons, but a difficult pregnancy put a halt to my teaching. Motherhood was all-consuming. When we returned to the U.S. in 2017, my daughter was almost 2 and I eased my way back into teaching. I’ve been teaching at the elementary level since then while also restarting my studio practice. Juggling both of those along with motherhood, I found inspiration in podcasts like Artist/Mother Podcast, I Like Your Work, Everyday Art Room, and Blocks, Paper, Scissors. I listened to so many art podcasts and art education podcasts, but didn’t see the two coming together.

Teaching Artist podcast began with the idea of highlighting artists like me who are trying to maintain both careers (artist and teacher) with equal passion. Seeing a lack of space in the art world for artists who teach kids, I wanted to raise fellow teaching artists up, to say “you can be a professional artist and a dedicated teacher!” I wanted to make space for talking about our art practices and our teaching practices as interconnected yet sometimes competing pursuits.

Are there specific reasons in which you find youth arts education to be especially important in today’s world?

At the risk of sounding trite, the arts are essential to developing so many vital skills for living in this world. Art is an incredible connector and makes stories come alive. Through arts education, students practice thinking critically and solving creative problems. They experiment with forms of communication and find ways to express ideas, emotions, and experiences. They collaborate with peers and learn to accept and unpack criticism. They dig into media and imagery, learning to recognize bias and see the barrage of visual stimuli with a critical lens. There are just so many absolutely necessary skills that are best taught through the arts, regardless of whether a student plans or desires a career in the arts.

As we increasingly see racism rear its ugly head and step further out of the shadows here in the U.S., but also around the world, the importance of explicitly teaching tolerance* is clear. The arts are uniquely positioned to change deeply held beliefs and sway opinions through the emotional responses art can provoke. In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop coined the phrase, “Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors” in an essay about literature in education*. This idea that books can provide windows into unknown worlds, mirrors reflecting our own experiences back at us, and doors allowing us to step through and experience new worlds applies vividly to art. Several of the Teaching Artist podcast episodes touch on this, but I especially loved how Adjoa Burrowes talked about telling stories and allowing each person, each artist, each student to tell their own story. She said “It’s the stories that make people human… the whole thing about racism is that it dehumanizes. It makes you less than a person… you’re just this stereotype.” By thoughtfully teaching contemporary artworks and artists as individuals with their own unique stories to tell, we can break down stereotypes.

I also see the arts as a means of expression and release not found elsewhere in education. For me, art has always provided a sort of therapy, a way to let out difficult emotions or revel in joy. Our students need those experiences to be a part of their school days.

* “Tolerance is surely an imperfect term, yet the English language offers no single word that embraces the broad range of skills we need to live together peacefully.” https://www.tolerance.org/about

* Here’s a short video of Dr. Bishop talking about windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAu58SNSyc&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=ReadingRockets

And what I could find of her essay online: https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf

Do you find that working with other artists has opened up opportunities for your own creative expression?

Definitely! I am so inspired by other artists – whether they’re the young artists I teach, peers I work with, mentors, or anything in between. I have also learned so much from other artists about the curation process and the business side of art. I say it a lot, but in every podcast interview, I really am excited to hear about each artist’s journey. Talking about art, even when I’m not talking about my own art-making, feeds my brain and helps ideas percolate.

What do you find most rewarding about the curation process?

There are so many things I enjoy about curation! I love getting to discover artists I didn’t know through open calls or recommendations. I also learn so much in arranging a show and considering relationships between artworks. Stretching that semi-analytical creative muscle feels good and is helpful in my own art practice as well. The organizational aspects also scratch an itch for me – I’m all about the spreadsheets! I think the most rewarding aspect is getting to chat with artists and sharing work I love with the world. It’s so exciting to hear or see instances when my curation lifts up an artist and brings them additional opportunities.

What are some of the challenges that you face?

My biggest challenge right now is time. I’m teaching part time, working in my studio as an artist with deadlines for shows, hosting and running the podcast, managing the online gallery (with Maria Coit), co-facilitating the Art Educator’s Lounge as a supportive group for teaching artists (with Victoria Fry), and dreaming up additional programming. I used to freelance as a web designer, but have stopped that work aside from designing and coding for my own sites. I’m also a mom, helping my kindergartener with online school. I’m thankful for a supportive partner through this pandemic. I recently submitted a few grant proposals to hopefully allow me to hire more help with some of these projects.

Another challenge is funding and trying to find the balance of paid vs. free programming. I struggle with theoretically being opposed to charging fees for open calls, but also realizing that fees are a good way to support a project. As Victoria mentioned in her interview, there are a lot of costs to running an online platform, even though there are not the costs of maintaining a brick & mortar space. I do most things myself to keep costs low, but that model is unsustainable for the programs and for me personally. I’m now working on setting up systems to automate some tasks and help me delegate others. My dream would be to fund programs primarily through grants and sponsors in order to keep fees for artists as low as possible or even free. As an artist, I get frustrated with platforms that claim to support artists, yet derive the bulk of their funding from artists without seeking outside support, so a major goal is to secure support that helps me offer free or low-cost opportunities for artists.

Are there certain qualities that you look for in artists in deciding whether they will be pleasurable to work with? And on the contrary, any areas for improvement artists should be aware of?

Artists who show genuine interest in the content and programs I’ve been offering and who help amplify my work by sharing or submitting reviews get my attention. I also am so appreciative of timely and thorough responses to requests for info. As a parent and teacher juggling a lot right now, I am very understanding and flexible with timelines, but it does help me when I can gather all the info/photos/etc that I need ahead of time.

For the podcast, I’m interested in sharing the stories and experiences of a wide range of teaching artists in terms of careers – from teachers just carving out time for art to established artists with impressive CVs. I seek out teaching artists with inspiring stories, unique perspectives, and experiences that differ from my own. I try to make space to share the stories of everyone who expresses interest, but am needing to be more selective with interviews as this project grows.

For the gallery, I’m looking for artwork that speaks of current issues with a clear and compelling voice. We envision the gallery as a space for sharing work with teachers and young students and continue to create lesson plans and prompts for each exhibition, so often thematic connections and considerations are important.

Personally, I am drawn to work where the concept, materials, and processes all work hand in hand. I love abstraction and bright colors and texture!

Do you have any specific do’s and don’ts for artists looking to submit their work to you?

My number one tip is to follow all instructions. I know it can be frustrating to rename images, edit bio’s and statements for word count, and carefully read instructions for every different open call… but it is important! I shared a video of tips for submitting work, so there are more do’s and don’ts in there. A few more that stand out to me are:

· Submit as many images as the submission allows, while keeping them cohesive.

· Reach out via email if you’re having technical difficulties or have any questions. Be sure to do so with respect and kindness and have some patience as it may take a few days to reply (curators are real people, often juggling a lot of work!).

· Consider whether the theme of the open call is appropriate for your work. Look into the curator and consider how they might respond to your work. Do your research before submitting and select work that has the highest chance of success. Here’s a question I ask myself as an artist: “Which of my pieces would look best in this space and best fit this theme?” (whether the “space” is a publication, website, or physical gallery).

Do you have future plans for Teaching Artist Podcast, as well as other curated projects, beyond what you are doing today?

Yes! I’m continuing to run the podcast while seeking additional ways to make it sustainable – whether that is through sponsorships, grants, or listener support. I am also always thinking about additional ways to support artists who teach young people. Victoria and I are rolling out additional programming for the Art Educator’s Lounge and I can’t wait to share more about that! Play + Inspire Gallery is also continuing to evolve. We’re still very young with our first juried exhibition opening January 22nd. We have a few exciting ideas for utilizing our online space to expand the amount and type of work we can share, which are in the early stages so I can’t yet share more, but keep an eye out.

https://www.teachingartistpodcast.com/

https://www.visionaryartcollective.com/educationalresources/art-educators-lounge

https://exhibit.teachingartistpodcast.com/

https://www.rebeccapotts.com/

Victoria J. Fry of Visionary Art Collective

Victoria J. Fry is an artist, educator and founder of Visionary Art Collective, an online gallery and arts education platform.

You are an arts coordinator, artist, and arts educator. Has there ever been a time in which you felt doubtful about a stable career in the arts?

I knew from an early age that I was going to pursue a career in the arts. Perhaps it was the naivety that came with being young, but I actually never doubted having a stable career. I did, however, have moments of hesitation before graduating college as a Fine Arts major, and realized that it can be difficult to support yourself as a painter. I decided to delve into art education, which has provided me with stability in terms of income and job security. After teaching for almost 8 years, I began to dream of a platform that celebrated both art and education, which ultimately led me to create Visionary Art Collective.

Were there any specific events that led to your decision to support artists by opening Visionary Art Collective in 2020?

When COVID hit, like many other artists and educators, I felt really disconnected from my community. I had already been dreaming of an online platform that highlighted work by contemporary artists and educators, and finally put these ideas into action in 2020. At the end of the day, I was craving a sense of community, and my desire to connect with fellow artists and educators was the driving force behind this platform.

You run a virtual gallery rather than a physical one. How does this effect the way the exhibitions are received and how have your audience and artists responded to this type of platform?

When many galleries closed their doors due to the pandemic, I began to see online exhibition spaces popping up. I thought this was such a wonderful and creative way to continue to showcase work despite the current circumstances. I decided that each year Visionary Art Collective would present multiple exhibits on our platform, and in doing so, provide artists with the opportunity to share their work. We’ve received really positive responses and great support from our community.

How do you wish to create a shift in the way art education is being taught?

Traditional arts education has often excluded BIPOC artists, as well as women artists. I feel that as educators, we have a responsibility to teach about artists who have historically been overlooked. It’s vital that we teach about diverse artists while also introducing our students to artists they actually can relate to. There needs to be representation in the arts for our students. My goal is for my teenage girls to see a powerful woman painter and think, “I can be like her.” Its powerful and inspiring to teach students about contemporary artists - artists who are creating art in response to issues we collectively face today.

There seem to be mixed feelings expressed by artists about the rise of submission fees required by online galleries. What are your feelings on this and how do you feel this new format is effecting the art world?

When you run a business, whether its physical or online, there are a plethora of out-of-pocket expenses, including: paying guest curators to review work, taking care of legal fees to trademark and copyright material, hiring an SEO team to increase visibility, paying a third party to manage and organize submissions, investing in monthly advertising, and hiring graphic designers or web developers - just to name a few. It is also quite common to hire business coaches and advisors, especially when starting out, to assist with building new platforms. These are just a handful of the costs associated with running an online business. For most businesses, a good portion of the submissions fees assist with covering these costs. I feel that online art platforms are going to continue to rise, because although there are still monthly expenses, it is more cost effective than running brick and mortar store.

What do you find most rewarding about the curation process?

For me, it’s incredibly rewarding to showcase work by new and emerging artists. It’s deeply fulfilling to provide artists with opportunities that increase their visibility in the art world. I absolutely love viewing art - it is so inspiring to me. Every time I’m exposed to new work, it motivates me as an artist to get back into the studio and create. There’s also a magical feeling when an exhibit comes together and the work just flows organically.

What are some of the challenges that you face?

My biggest challenge has been balancing my work as an artist, educator, and now founder of Visionary Art Collective. It really comes down to time, and making sure I can manage my time well enough so that I have energy to pour into all three aspects of my life.

Are there certain qualities that you look for in artists in deciding whether they will be pleasurable to work with? And on the contrary, any areas for improvement artists should be aware of?

I always appreciate when an artist is easy to communicate with, follows the submission guidelines, and is respectful in their communication. When I have positive interactions with artists, it definitely makes me want to work them again in the future.

Do you have any specific do’s and don’ts for artists looking to submit their work to you?

The only do’s I have are: please follow the submission guidelines! It’s really important and makes the review process much easier for us. I also don’t want artists to feel discouraged if they don’t make it into an exhibit right away. We receive a lot of submissions and always encourage artists to continue applying if they don’t make it in the first time.

Do you have future plans for Visionary Art Collective beyond what it is today?

We do! We’re currently working behind the scenes on a few surprises which I can’t reveal quite yet. But what I can say is that we are continuing to build up the education branch of our website to provide art educators with more resources. We are also teaming up with handful of amazing curators this year in 2021 to present new exhibits, which we’re super excited about!

https://www.visionaryartcollective.com/

Avoid Common Artist Mistakes - 7 Tips from the Editor

Avoid Common Artist Mistakes

7 Tips from the Editor

Along with being a long time painter, I have also served as a nonprofit gallery director and curated exhibits at many diverse venues. I remember what it means to be an amateur artist, pursuing the ideal gallery while fumbling along the way. I also deal with artists directly in the coordination of art shows and publications, and am familiar with the frustrations that come from neglecting the details and guidelines, many issues mentioned in this article and in our interviews with other fellow gallerists. From both ends I’ve seen what a difference the small things can make in terms of developing great relationships with gallerists. May these simple tips help you do the same along your artistic pursuits.

This should go without saying –Be polite

In communicating with your gallerist, a pleasant attitude makes all the difference and may even determine whether they will want to work with you again in the future. Be both respectful and grateful for the time they are affording you amidst their busy schedule, whether you are given a show or not. Don’t ever be pushy or presumptuous. A humble attitude is more attractive than that of the diva artist- you are not the only talented artist in the room and no matter how good your art is, the gallerist would much rather continue doing business with those that are easy to work with. Wouldn’t you?

 

Always research a gallery thoroughly before making an inquiry

If it’s possible to see a gallery’s physical location in person that’s ideal; in either case taking the time to examine all the pages on their website is also a must.  Have a browse through their past, current and future exhibitions to see if your aesthetic is a good match. Check out the “about” and “contact” pages to learn about mission statements and other relevant details, and of utmost importance - their submission policy. It may be that they are not accepting submissions and this should be respected; in other cases there are instructions on how to submit and this must be properly adhered to. Which leads me to the important tip below.

 

This can’t emphasized enough: Follow instructions

Whether you’re submitting, or in the process of setting up a show with a gallerist, pay attention to every detail of the instructions. Such details may include the preferred word count of an artist statement, the resolution of an image file, hanging specifications, or how files or physical artworks should be sent. Read guidelines and emails two or three times over if you have to. There is a reason behind every request, following these makes the gallerist’s job a lot less difficult. They are often simultaneously dealing with numerous correspondences and keeping up with the business end, therefore having to go back and reiterate their needs to an artist can be frustrating.

If you are submitting to a gallery but have disregarded certain submission guidelines, chances are they will go ahead and disregard your submission, too, without a second glance.

 

Name your image and word files in an easily identifiable way

For example, rather than sending an image that is named “P1030458.jpg” by default, rename it with a title that includes the name of your image plus your last name; for example: “Artwork_Yourname.jpg”. This will make it easier for your gallerist to locate your file if they happen to have downloaded it into their sea of hundreds of other artist files. Sometimes you may find that the gallerist already has specific instructions on how they want submitted images to be named -a detail worth looking out for in submission policies- if not the above format serves as a good rule of thumb.

 

Make sure the photographs of the work you submit are of high quality

This means photos that have accurate lighting, are in focus and not blurry, not tilted at an angle and are cropped without extra wall space or views of your studio showing in the background. In this day and age you no longer need a fancy camera to capture and edit photos that are acceptable for submission purposes. In most cases you will want the image saved at a resolution of 300dpi (the standard), but check the submission policy in case other requirements are expressed.

 

Help with show promotion as much as you can

It is also important that you help promote your upcoming gallery show, rather than leaving it all up to the gallery. Share the show flyer online anywhere appropriate, post sneak peeks of the exhibit, even WIP photos of you in the studio to help spark enthusiasm. It may be that your audience reach is much smaller than that of the gallery, but doing your part still makes a difference and shows them that you take the show seriously and are willing to put an effort into drumming up art sales (which the gallery relies on to keep its doors open).

 

Choose the right time and place to self-promote

There are many contexts in which it’s just not a good idea to try and plug yourself, here’s a few of them:

-At art receptions: during these events the gallerist is mainly focused on speaking with potential buyers or the exhibiting artists about the current show.

-When a gallerist posts online about an artist they are showing: it’s pretty tacky to reply to the post with a link to your page, website or anything of that kind. The gallerist is only interested in feedback about the show and/or artist they are trying to promote.

-On their website feed: again, commenting on their blog with a link to your website is ineffective. Sometimes there are submission forms directly on the gallery website you can use for this purpose.

 

These points may seem obvious, but are often overlooked even by seasoned artists. Maintain a professional standard for both your art and communications and I’m sure that, with some patience, you will get to where you want to be as an artist.

-Zara Kand

Zara Kand is a painter, curator, and editor of The Gallerist Speaks.

http://zarakand.com

Steven Rand of apexart

Steven Rand is the executive director of apexart, a non-profit arts organization in Manhattan, New York City.

When did you first realize your passion for the arts?

I remember feeling like an artist early on. Always doing self-initiated creative stuff and even as a toddler, I “fought the power” by not listening or following directions. In retrospect I was embarrassingly self – involved so it was clear I was artist material.

Directing a non-profit arts organization requires a lot of time and dedication. Were there any specific events that led to your decision to support artists by opening apexart? 

I wish it was that altruistic. As a mid-career artist I started to feel that the luxury consumption model of contrived antagonism between artists, galleries and collectors put artists at a disadvantage, and wasn’t so interesting. It wasn’t about the things I found interesting. So I stopped making “gallery art” and working with galleries and found I enjoyed developing the alternative programs that constitute apexart and mentoring the people and process. I had the physical space available and wanted to see some interesting shows. This was in 1994 before all the independent curator programs opened except the Whiney. We’re really an educational organization and only incidentally a promotional one. Enough people seem to appreciate the values we emphasize that our reputation has grown in a good way.

Your exhibits seem to have a political focus. How do you wish to influence the art world with such works and what has the public response been so far?

We don’t select our exhibitions or influence their content. A large international jury of more than 400 people from more than 70 countries do this. It’s more fun and educational for everyone involved to displace the selection process to connect it to real life. Galleries and collectors aren’t exactly real life. It’s what many people want their art to be. Outside of the commercial gallery structure, we’re pretty confused about the role of art as well as it’s efficacy. Artists and curators are trying to be relevant, interesting and viable.

How do you find the time to oversee all of this?

I love what I do and the people I work with at apexart. The atmosphere is always collegial and about trying to do what we do better.

Do you ever personally get to curate these exhibits or are works only decided through guest jurors?

I curated our second exhibition in 1994 and included all my friends so I could get that over with. The way apexart is structured, making friends with staff to get opportunities doesn’t work, so while we get a lot of respect from the international community we’re lonely, but happy.

What are some of the challenges that you face running this organization?

Mainly doing things for the right reasons. For example, often a small org will enlist 5 people to be the jury for a prize or an exhibition. An artist or two, a curator, museum staff person, maybe a foundation person that supports the org. Everyone has the best of intentions but in the end, selections are often based on people they know, that they feel work hard and whose work they like. So, all the people from “other” places that don’t “know people” are at a disadvantage. Consider a curator or artist from Uganda that submits. The NYC jury, even if it appears to be diverse probably won’t relate to African work the way people familiar with it would and the artist/curator is at a double disadvantage. Our jury is composed of people from more than 70 countries, with the diversity that that brings. Some well-known, and others not at all. Each season with the two open calls, we have about 1000 people submitting and almost the same amount jurying. So that means nearly 2000 people involved in writing or evaluating ideas. As an educationally oriented organization that is being effective. Then the exhibitions are located all over the world, on every continent, in villages as well as large cities, that the jurors can follow.

What are some specific qualities of artists that deem them pleasurable to work with? 

We prefer well adjusted, smart, educated, self-funded attractive artists and curators with no attitude, but we’ll work with everyone. People who have worked with us would do so again.

How do you feel about social media and its impact on the way people experience art and life at large?

The ability to target users with specific information creates isolation within society. We are all siloed with a lack of common communication. Social media has created a sense of displaced reality. If we’re not getting the same information we can’t even have a discussion. If I live with you why is my Facebook so different? Do I even know you anymore?

What a weird substitution of an appearance of happiness and success for the real thing. IG locations set up for pictures to show what a good time you’re having in an effort to convince yourself and others what a good time is and that you are having one. Its projected vision and isn’t about the old being here now ethic. My happiness is based on creating an idealized visual image that you find attractive. External validation is the slippery slope of never feeling resolved. Lowering the happiness level in society by removing social mobility, hope and individualism while monetizing everything by subscription and relinquishing initiative. The new subscription model is even removing a sense of ownership in a subtle way. Turns out it’s not so hard to manipulate people and redirect their values. And that’s what social media does so well.

Do you have any specific do’s and don’ts for artists looking to submit their work to you? 

We don’t really look at artist’s work since we don’t do one person shows or artist projects. To submit to an Open Call you need a three artist minimum and the exhibition idea of no more than 500 words which you need to submit on time or close to it.

Do you have future plans for apexart beyond what it is today?

We’ve initiated some new student programs that include university and high school student jurying for our Open Calls accompanied by class syllabus guides, especially timely during COVID. Our current NYC Open Call includes some 22 university classes from around the world. Another new program sends educators into high schools for short sessions to speak with students about the real art world, realistic projections and expectations and unexplored related opportunities in the arts.

https://apexart.org/

Beatriz Esguerra of Beatriz Esguerra Art

Beatriz Esguerra is the director of Beatriz Esguerra Art, a contemporary gallery based in Bogota, Colombia. Hear her speak about her motivation, philosophy and business model behind running a gallery.

Video credit: Juan Diego Santos and Beatriz Esguerra

http://www.beatrizesguerra-art.com/

Marina Eliasi of Stone Sparrow NYC

Marina Eliasi is the owner and curator of Stone Sparrow Gallery in New York City, focusing on contemporary art.

When did you first realize your passion for the arts? 

My mother was an aspiring artist and I grew up with access to art books, antiques and other inspiring objects as well as frequent access to museums. Art was always a place to escape to - either by making it myself or daydreaming my way through the work of others. When I was in 5th grade I painted a landscape that won first place in the town art fair and really loved the attention. I have never thought I’d end up immersed in anything but some kind of art ever since. 

Were there any pivotal moments in life that made you decide to become a gallery director? 

Not a pivotal moment really. I think I have been on a winding path here my entire life. 

Where did the name Stone Sparrow come from? 

Stone Sparrow is the name I made my wearable art jewelry brand under and it became something synonymous with my name through it’s use on social media. When I was initially launching my jewelry company, I wanted my name to align with me and my brand - something that spoke to my personality as well as the jewelry I was making. My sister and I laughed our way through dozens of names before we came up with the one that fit. Because I had built a strong brand name and following on social media, when I opened the gallery I wanted to be recognizable as the same person in my new role, so I carried it with me here.

What are some of the themes that Stone Sparrow tends to focus on and what reactions do you hope to evoke in your audience? 

The artist roster at Stone Sparrow includes a mix of emerging and established artists working in realism and surrealism. I am strongly attracted to figurative work, so much of what I show is just that. For each group show, I try to fit the work / artists together under themed show prompts. Something catchy that can be openly interpreted by the artists participating. Our next show to open will be titled “Superhero” and it includes everything from a stunning portrait of an older woman who against all odds, still stands to more literal pop interpretations of costumed heroes. With each show I’m hoping for different kinds of feedback, but mostly, I want the shows to elicit emotional reactions from the viewer.

Can you recall any specific experiences you’ve had with an exhibit and/or artist that were especially fulfilling to you? 

Every day in the gallery is fulfilling to me. Being able to watch a visitor fall in love with a piece or have an emotional reaction to something is particularly fulfilling. Being the one who gets to distribute the good news of a sale to an artist is amazingly fulfilling. I love being able to be the catalyst for people to get visibility and watching them blossom with positive feedback from visitors and collectors. 

What do you find most rewarding about gallery directing and curating? 

There are a lot of things that are rewarding about my job. Every new show that goes up is fulfilling to pull off and to step back and admire. Finding someone extremely talented who has been consistently overlooked is rewarding. Receiving thank you notes from my artists for their inclusions in beautiful shows is rewarding. And obviously, helping a collector bring home a piece that they love is rewarding.

What are some of the challenges that you face? 

Well…right now is specifically challenging for a variety of reasons, but I suppose it’s challenging to every single person. Aside from the current, the most challenging thing for me is having to say no to artist’s submissions. I’d love to give everyone a stage, but it’s not possible. The face to face submissions that I have to reject are the hardest. 

Are there certain qualities that you look for in artists in deciding whether they will be pleasurable to work with? And on the contrary, any areas for improvement artists should be aware of? 

Yes, definitely. When deciding if an artist is a good fit for my roster, I’m not only looking at the quality and style of their work, but I’m also looking to see if the artist is someone I can work with long term. Things like manners, personability with their fans on social media (if they’re active on social media), the kind of cv they have, etc are great things to watch to find out what kind of person they are. If we can meet in person or talk rather than only email, it's ideal. I’m fortunate to have been able to meet all but a small minority of my artists in person and can say honestly that they are all wonderful people. 

Do you have any specific do’s and don’ts for artists looking to submit their work to you? 

We officially don’t accept submissions, so I think the biggest piece of advice I can give to an artist looking to submit their work to any gallery is to find out what their submission policies are rather than just blindly emailing, calling or mailing. Researching the kind of work a gallery shows is another big thing a lot of the submission inquiries I get have overlooked as well.

Do you have any plans for Stone Sparrow NYC beyond what it is today? 

We are still in our infancy and are really just hoping to be able to remain in place beyond this time of Covid, but I always have dreams of expanding to other locations. Right now, though, I’m thrilled to be able to open my little gallery in the Village everyday.

https://stonesparrownyc.com/

Om Navon Bleicher of bG Gallery

Om Navon Bleicher is the owner and director of bG Gallery in Santa Monica, CA, focusing on expressive-conceptual, insider-outsider, high-low and figurative-abstract

When did you first fall in love with the arts?

Art has always been something that is a part of me. I think it was seeing a poster of Salvador Dali’s Sleep in junior high, and art classes in high school, where it became a significant ‘other’ external objective for me, towards the end of a lifelong pursuit. 

Running a gallery takes a lot of commitment. How did you come to the decision to open one? 

I was managing a group of artists and dealing with the various ins and outs of showing them in other galleries. It was becoming clear that there was a distinct aspect to their work that would be suited to all being housed under one venue. 

Are there any specific ways in which you hope to influence the art scene?

Less focus on the institution, elitism, esoterism, and in-groupings, and more focus on the art. I’m constantly trying to bridge and dialogue previously disparate elements of the art world, to meld new forms and collaborations. 

Does bG Gallery align with, or differ from, what you originally envisioned it to be?

It’s different. At the start, I focused on my own art preferences, towards highly psychological expressionist work. I was very concerned about how the gallery would be seen as respectable by both critics and art world peers. I didn’t even consider business aspects, think of it in business terms, or more importantly the benefits to the community and the receivers of the art. It took experience and being exposed to other perspectives to switch focus and take into consideration what the vision provides to others. When I took on a new business partner with a keen interest in New Contemporary, they started to change the type of work we focused, and opened my mind to very unique crossovers. Engaging viewers is now a strong goal of the gallery, as well as opening them to work they might not have been open to, by providing an accessible bridge in. 

Can you tell me a little about your intentions with “Gestalt Projects”?

While bG’s represented artists tend to bridge domains within their practice, “Gestalt Projects” give us the opportunity to branch out to more varieties of work. We create an installation or a highly specific theme that allows us to present vastly different fields of art together in a unified show. For example, in our “Endless Horizon” show this August, we will be showing works of all styles that have a strong horizontal line (a horizon line in landscape works or just a line in abstract works). We are lining all these up, and hanging the works close to each other, so that there is a continuous horizon line through the gallery. A photo realistic picture might be hung next to an abstract work hung next to a photograph, for example. 

What do you find most rewarding about gallery directing and curating?

Bringing about a vision of your own art world, infiltrated into the others. 

What are some of the challenges that you face?

A constantly evolving market raising costs of doing business. Finding the right people to fit the artists you serve and vice-versa. COVID-19. 

Are there certain qualities that you look for in artists in deciding whether they will be pleasurable to work with? And on the contrary, any areas for improvement artists should be aware of?

Quality of work. Ease to work with. Potential for sales. These are possibly a triangle, where strength on one side can make up for weakness on the other. Conversely, if one side is missing it will not stand. 

Do you have any specific do’s and don’ts for artists looking to submit their work to you?

Email, then remind me two times so it's fresh on the email chain. Don’t approach to show your work on your phone at receptions or at art fairs. 

Do you have any plans for bG Gallery beyond what it is today?

We are expanding our Modern Masters program, and we are moving more into online modalities to keep the art community alive online during these COVID times. Our goal is to get more exposure for our artists and serve more collectors no matter what shape the frontier takes. 

https://santamonica.bgartdealings.com/