Saturday, November 14, 2009

Get the ball rolling

Our blog is obviously following the trend of the season (gallery folks tend to hibernate kind of like bears) - a slowdown in openings, events, and general creative juices. I would like to attend more events in the coming weeks, so stay tuned. And I'd love to have Sara talk about her recent work (nudge, nudge :)).

I've also been a bit preoccupied with school stuff lately. I'm working on a research project for my Visual Culture seminar (the hidden semiotics of Pueblo worldview in the Matachines Dance) that's sucking up most of my time and putting my friends and coworkers to sleep when I talk about it. My sales director asked me to give a presentation on it here at the gallery (ideally without causing eyeballs to glaze over), so I am looking for ways to tie it into broader ideas about southwest material culture. The idea is still, after all, to sell more art. I also think we should all take a fieldtrip out to Jemez to watch the dance in December, but I don't know if I can talk the powers that be into it.

This project has totally sucked me in. I keep finding new ways to integrate the information, which is such an intellectual rush. It has me thinking more seriously about formally entering the MA program at UNM...so I started the application process in earnest this week. I've lined up two letters of recommendation and drafted my statement of purpose. Wish me luck!

P.S. Check out the cool image at the bottom of the screen! Sara rocks.

~Heather

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Canyon Avenue

As part of a spate of rather vapid and self-congratulatory 400th anniversary articles about the City Different, the Summer 2009 issue of Art & Antiques called Canyon Road “Santa Fe’s equivalent of Madison Avenue.” In the context of the article, this means Canyon Road is still THE destination for art.

The other point this article makes is that Santa Fe is a unique art destination because of its ability to blend periods and cultures, the old and the new, the traditional and the exploratory. Different cultures bounce off each other and spread in unexpected directions. According to art dealer William Siegal, “the whole premise [of Santa Fe’s success as an art market] is that great art, whether new or old, informs the other.” I read in this a broader idea, that artistic influence in Santa Fe is atemporal as well as cross-cultural. Contemporary painters are still influenced by the motifs on early Pueblo pottery. Pottery and jewelry design takes cues from the land and ancient architecture. That, to me, more than the quaint allure, is what makes this a unique art destination. That is why certain artists (and those of us who work with and collect the art) are drawn here over New York or L.A.
~Heather

if you could bottle success, what would it smell like?

my apologies for not posting this sooner. this time of year wreeks havoc on my sinuses and i have been sick for over two weeks. i'm still a little foggy...but i think i might finally make sense.

i always thought that being a successful artist meant that you showed in museums in big cities. these gods of art actually make money from their work and travel the world! they are in magazines like Art in America and ArtNews. they have elaborate websites and if are too busy to show up to their own openings. galleries come crawling to them hoping to show even the smallest morsel of their work...all for the name, all because they are so great! but are they really that great? or did they tell us they were?

now i realize....it's all self-made. it's the image you project and it takes a lot of work. YOU make your own website. YOU seek out your own galleries. YOU pay for advertising in magazines. YOU figure out what will be popular and marketable and how you will fill a void in the art world. it's all about marketing and being a good business person. yes, some people do it the 'natural' way and are 'discovered'...but they are usually discovered by someone who is a good marketer or business person. georgio o'keefe being a great example. would she have been THE georgia o'keefe had alfred stieglitz not pimped her out. (i believe 'pimpin' is now a verb)

in short, being a successful artist takes work. you have to make yourself be seen, advertise your own work, enter into competitions, research where you have the best chance to be accepted and considered. i look at the other successful artists my age and am jealous, they started early and they made smart decisions. but after talking to a majority of the artists in santa fe, it takes time, patience and determination.

~sara

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Other Side of the Tracks

After reading an article in the July/August issue of art ltd. magazine, I started thinking more about the locus of artistic influence right now in Santa Fe. The article, titled “Santa Fe: The Good, the Bad, and the Undefined” brings up a lot of the same issues we’ve been thinking about in starting this blog. Along with cutting-edge local projects such as SITE Santa Fe and ART Santa Fe, the author talks about the Railyard District itself as a prime location for emerging artistic trends and galleries with refreshing new approaches and an inviting atmosphere for emerging artists. She points out that “Santa Fe is flourishing as Mecca for the arts, and—despite the ups and downs—is coming into its own as an internationally recognized destination for contemporary art.”

So with these hot new galleries across town has Canyon Road been relegated to a provincial backwater? There was not a single mention of Canyon Road in the entire 5-page article. That’s interesting.

~Heather

Friday, October 2, 2009

Cult of Personality

I recently wrote a couple of book reviews for Moonshine Arts that got me thinking about this topic – one a look at the bizarre character of Salvador Dali called Dali and I: The Surreal Story by Stan Lauryssens and the other a modern take on the Vasari biographical standby The Lives of the Artists by Calvin Tompkins.

So much of the success one finds in any field is the ability to exude a gestalt persona that radiates beyond actual characteristics. This is perhaps more true in the commodified and fetishized arena of art. Tompkins spent a good deal of time with several of the artists that most squarely fall within this category (i.e. more rock star than artist) – Julian Schnabel, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, etc. I must admit that Jeff Koons is one of my least favorite artists, and he has built his career on the cult of personality. His work strikes me as derivative, mechanically-produced, and fetishized to a ridiculous degree. The value of his creative vision is in no way reflected in the inflated monetary value of his work. And he comes off as a total jerk, seemingly on purpose, as a way to enhance his holier-than-thou kitsch value.

My thoughts on this subject meandered over to “success” in general (in this sense defined as oneself as societally valued commodity), professionally, academically, and socially. Schmoozing seems more effective than the genuine expression of abilities. The golden attributes of humility and sincerity are devalued in a media/Hollywood-engorged society that inflates the worth of commodities – including the commodity of personality – to an unnatural degree based on how they momentarily sparkle in the light.

Nowhere is this more apparent than at a private (i.e. invitations only sent out to our clients who buy thousands of dollars of inventory) gallery opening. This phenomenon plays out again and again in the conversations that are thinly veiled exhibitions of wealth and power, in the symbolic jewels and baubles. I’m not a great schmoozer, and I’m not convinced that it’s a skill I wish to develop. There are only so many cheeks I can kiss (face cheeks and otherwise…) and hands I can shake before my mind shuts down. I prefer meaningful and thoughtful conversations to vapid gloating and ego-stroking. And when they all drink the Kool-Aid in the cult of personality, I’ll still be around to tell the tale.



~ Heather

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Long and Winding Road

Thinking lately about the distinctions between working in galleries vs. working in museums, my future career path has been very much on my mind. I like the work I do, but something keeps me scanning the job announcements. Partly it’s the frightening economy, but I guess I also have this instinct to keep moving, onward and upward. Is that just another one of my hopelessly romantic notions? From the job descriptions for museum registrar positions, it often seems like I have a more satisfying and varied workload. It’s relatively flexible. I have a lot of freedom and personal discretion, time that I can designate for my own research. That’s so important to me. I may not get that as a museum registrar. Entry level registrars seem to do a lot of condition reports and shipping arrangements and not a whole lot of collection management.

I’m doing everything I can possibly do in terms of career development – publishing, blogging, education, research, trying to network (something I can admittedly improve upon…I’m working on it). The idea of going back to grad school is to develop the academic credentials to be a professional who does more in-depth collection work, ideally curatorship, although now I’m also feeling a little ambivalent about that option. The discussion in my class this week brought up some issues related to professional museum work. My classmates who have worked in museums had rather cynical perspectives on the politics, bureaucracy, and corporatization involved in the larger institutions. The name recognition and résumé prestige also makes these positions extremely competitive. Supply and demand being what it is (and museum studies/art history programs continuing to churn out a glut of overeducated and under-experienced graduates for a dwindling number of jobs), they can afford to be demanding.

The irony is that the jobs that want all this experience and expertise often pay less than what I’m making now. That’s true of both libraries and museums. Even adjunct professors make peanuts. Honestly, that’s another reason why I’m pretty happy where I am right now. I’m paid to catalog art and do research. Three years ago, stuck in the quagmire that was Nebraska, I would have sold all my possessions to be in such a position and living in New Mexico (which I basically ended up doing anyway, but more because I decided to simplify my life…and UHauls are such a pain). I’m not going to retire rich, but I’m well-compensated for the work that I do. Unfortunately, that’s more than many of my friends in the art world can say.

~Heather

who's on canyon?

i'm not an expert by any means, i've only worked at a gallery for a year and a half, but i've seen my fair share of people. upon entering the gallery, and sometimes even before that, i can usually guess at the nature of the visit. canyon road walkers are usually one of four types of people: a buyer, a looky-loo, an artist, and on rare occassions, an art student.

the looky-loo is the most common. they are here because their kids are in college or maybe they're retired. this is their big vacation and they were told to look at art in Santa Fe because that's what it's known for. a big clue would be the massive camera around their necks. they fancy themselves arists and will probably never buy, because they can take pictures. the buyers are no nonsense. they came with a plan. they know where, what, how, and when. i like the buyers.

then there are the artists. they don't spend a lot of time looking at the art, they appear to be casing the joint the minute they walk in. with leather bound portfolio in hand, they always ask for the owner, who is rarely there in my case. some are polite but some are rather high and mighty. i'm a lowly sales associate, why would they want to talk to me?! (note to aspiring artists trying to get your work into a gallery, be nice to the person at the desk. they have the ability to drop that pretty portfolio in the trash the minute you walk out the door!) being an artist myself, i always feel bad saying thanks but no thanks, we're full.

finally, and this is very rare, we get art students or people really intersted in learning about the art and artists because it is their passion. these are the people that usually end up spending 30-40 minutes with me chatting about the nature of art, art theory, business, etc. they know art, but they want to know more. eventually they'll be the artists sizing me up from behind their portfolio, but at this point they are still wide-eyed and awe struck and very interesting to learn from.

~sara

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Turn, Turn, Turn

The low pressure systems of fall have started moving in. I always feel sorry for the visitors wandering about on these rainy days in sodden bewilderment, never even considering an umbrella on their vacation to this place of mythologically blue skies. In the same way, the high pressure months of the summer art season are turning to the quiet and reflective months of fall.

Like many things in Santa Fe, weather is a mixed blessing. We’re grateful for any moisture we can get, but it detracts from our tourism cache as the city with perpetual sunshine. In a market dependent on the tourist dollar, we need happy campers (ok, more like happy patrons of our luxury hotels). The same is true of the art scene. Santa Fe, though an abundant art market, is not particularly cutting edge (our tourists trend towards the Elderhostel set). It’s really no wonder that Canyon Road rolls out the same routine every summer Friday. We rely on tourism, and that’s what the tourists want. As any observer of Santa Fe art patrons will attest, it’s not uncommon to hear comments along the lines of “Well, but that one would match the wallpaper in the dining room…” The unfortunate effect is a kind of artistic Disneyfication. It’s easy to get disillusioned in this environment, and I think that’s why many locals so adamantly avoid Canyon Road as an artificial experience – a float down “It’s a Small Art World After All.” In a way it’s a relief to watch the crowds thin as September arrives. Part of the legitimate Canyon Road experience is revived in the sense of art for art’s sake. Of course profit matters year round, but in this season it’s more about aesthetic experience than tourism.

I wish galleries would push the boundaries of creativity in really innovative approaches and cutting-edge artists. It will be interesting to see what exhibits emerge during the next few months. Just as fall is the best movie season for the turn from summer blockbusters to more edgy independent films, so too might Canyon Road try to take some chances not considered in the profit-fanatical summer months. We’ll see. ~ Heather

Friday, September 11, 2009

Make It or Break It

This first post is going to ramble a bit, so bear with me…

I stopped by the opening reception for yet another new gallery on Canyon Road last week. I was initially struck by the redundancy of the neo-impressionist inventory and the uninspired stylings of their artists. In other words, yawn. Is it any wonder we don’t have a vibrant youth art culture in mainstream Santa Fe? There may be young blood flowing through our city’s veins, but it seems largely isolated to the Railyard and places like Warehouse 21. The question is why can’t we have a commingling of the old and the young, the lucrative tourist market and the spark of creativity inherent in young art? Santa Fe is one place where it is possible to be an artist and not starve. Unfortunately, our young artists are still undernourished.

Santa Fe is by all counts a unique art market. As Sara pointed out, with a population just over 70,000 we are the second largest art market in the country. That means (particularly for those of us employed in the industry) the citizens of The City Different live, breathe, and eat art. Whether they want to or not.

A brief synopsis of my personal journey – with degrees in art history and library science I came to Santa Fe with the idea that I would work in a museum. Instead I was swayed by the gallery siren song and the idea of working hands-on with a dynamic inventory of art. While the work is essentially identical to the kinds of collection management I have always dreamed of in a museum context, the difference is MONEY, both as a concept and as a manifestation of power and influence. People come into our gallery interested in purchasing the paintings on our walls. Our inventory is a privately-owned profit commodity rather than a publically-funded social commodity. Yet we still have the awe-struck art lovers wandering through just as they would in a museum. There’s nothing I find more personally gratifying than hearing someone say “this is one of the best art collections in Santa Fe!” (completely true, in my totally subjective opinion).

Recently I returned to academia with the intent of getting my MA in art history. In the university environment, as well as the museum community where I did my internships and volunteering, there is a distinct (thought generally unspoken) bias towards gallery work. Despite the pride and joy I feel talking about my job to family and friends, I still feel somewhat abashed to admit my place of employment to academic colleagues, fearing assumptions of my lesser academic credentials and professional motivations. The idealistic and selfless museum-centric view is that our missions are intrinsically different. However, I’ve come to realize that it’s an artificial idealism to look at museums as purely selfless charitable institutions. As the recent economic collapse has elucidated, a bottom line is a bottom line. These are businesses with endowments and share-holders who bow down to the almighty dollar just like any corporation.

Mission statements are a major component of museum ideology and branding. Some samples: MOMA“The Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world.” The Getty “The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks to further knowledge of the visual arts and to nurture critical seeing by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting works of art of the highest quality.” This is language chosen to exude altruism. Galleries don’t really have mission statements because if they did they would probably read something like “We hope to make enough in profit to continue to collect the kind of art we enjoy while still paying the electric bill and hopefully becoming rich and influential members of the community so we get invited to the really fancy parties.” However, the truth is that the art world is not a stream with a current in one direction. It is an intricately woven tapestry of transcultural influences. Galleries are part of a complex system of trend-making that combines talent, networking, media exposure, timing, cultural context, and, yes, money. Museums do not exist in a vacuum but are rather an intrinsic component of this system. Museum collections are determined by the art popularized by the commodified and fetishized world of private dealers and exhibitions. Physical inventories are bought and sold between the two. Galleries and museums are two sides of the same coin, and for art lovers it’s the experience, not the raison d’etre, that matters.

~Heather

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Look ma, I'm a star!

As a blossoming art student in the hills of West Virginia, one of my dreams was to own a gallery. I imagined myself surrounded by new and exciting art in a crisp, clean gallery...on a beach in Maine. I've never really even been to Maine except for a random trip to Canada in which we drove through as fast as possible but ne'er stepped foot on a rocky shore. I didn't imagine my gallery in DC or the Big Apple and I especially didn't imagine it in Santa Fe. Mostly because I had never heard of Santa Fe. I wonder now if my high school social studies class ever even touched on the fact that New Mexico was part of the USA. To be fair...not all westerners have heard of West Virginia either.

Wherever I ended up, I had never seen myself in a museum setting. While I enjoy art history now, I prefer to be amongst art made by living people. Where we've been doesn't interest me so much as where we're going. The idea of a big, sterile, no touching, memorial to art just seemed so depressing. Not to mention, without an art history degree, museums wouldn't care much for me either. A gallery was the place to be...so bohemian, so alive!

When I tell classmates and old teachers back east where I am now and that I work in a gallery, they are ecstatic that I'm still involved in art. An MFA will only get you so far if you're not going to teach. So far, seven years of schooling aren't all for naught. Most people just facebook me (yes, that is a verb in my world) about how exotic it is to live so far from Steeler country. And to be honest, it's still pretty exotic to me, too. I've never lived somewhere so inundated with the arts. Surprise of all surprises, West Virginia is not an art mecca.

Here I work in a gallery. I am surrounded by art and artists every day and I am quickly learning the business of the artworld. If I ever go back to teaching, my first change in curriculum will be to add a class on marketability. How to sell, what to sell, where to sell, etc. In school, we were taught to be conceptual and to create instead of sleep. Buy paint instead of food. You'll never get paid, but maybe you'll end up in New York City! For now, I'll sell art in my little gallery on Canyon Road in the 2nd biggest art market in the US.

~sara