ARTISTS
Art Trends
GALLERY OWNERS ACROSS THE NATION SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS ON THE COMING YEAR`S ART SCENE MARK TARRANT MOUNTAIN TRAILS GALLERY JACKSON, WY WHAT`S
Norman Kolpas / Southwest Art
01 Jan, 2008
GALLERY OWNERS ACROSS THE NATION SHARE THEIR INSIGHTS ON THE COMING YEAR`S ART SCENE
MARK TARRANT
MOUNTAIN TRAILS GALLERY
JACKSON, WY
WHAT`S HAPPENING IN 2008 AT MOUNTAIN TRAILS? We`re going to work with fewer artists so that we can put more attention and energy into each one. Summer is our top season, and we`ll feature New West artists Duke Beardsley and Gordon McConnell, who portray traditional subject matter in engaging, contemporary styles, plus Amy Ringholz, a sensational local artist who depicts animals in a style somewhere between Van Gogh and that of contemporary western artist Carrie Fell. Speaking of whom, probably in August we`ll have our first Carrie Fell show in three years.
WHAT BIG PLANS DO YOUR ARTISTS HAVE FOR THE YEAR? Painter and installation artist Thorn Ross, who does contemporary works based on western historical themes, is planning a major summer outdoor installation in San Francisco: 120 life-size figures painted on cardboard, re-enacting the appearance of Buffalo Bill and his Indian show on Ocean Beach in 1902. We`ll have a show in conjunction with that, probably in July.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN YOUR MARKET? I don`t really look for trends. The best art always sells. That said, [Jackson] always has been and always will be a traditional western market. But in the last five years, we`ve seen nonrepresentational urban contemporary art being established here, like you would see in San Francisco or New York. We`re also doing well with contemporary western art, like the more expressionist works of John Nieto, Tom Gilleon, or Rocky Hawkins.
WHAT IMPACT IS THE INTERNET HAVING ON YOUR BUSINESS? We put a lot of time and energy into our website, and it`s a very important marketing tool. Maybe 10 or 15 percent of our business is direct contacts from the Internet.
DO YOU SEE ANY EFFECT ON YOUR BUSINESS FROM THE ECONOMY? I don`t worry about the economy. We`re up year-to-date from last year, and last year was a big year. We just keep putting up good art and it seems to take care of itself.
JUDY TAYLOR
GALLERY SHOAL CREEK, AUSTIN, TX
WHAT`S ON TAP IN 2008 FOR GALLERY SHOAL CREEK? We`ll be going back and forth between our emerging artists and our well-established ones. January starts out with contemporary abstract collages from Laurie Frick, who just finished her MFA at the New York Studio School. We follow her in February with nationally known figurative painter Milt Kobayashi, who`s been one of our major artists since 1984. On down the road will be shows from rising young Mexican-American expressionist Rene Alvarado and a tribute in early fall to landscape painter Carol Collier, who turns 85 this year and has been one of our mainstays since 1976.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN CENTRAL TEXAS? Austin is a youthful city with lots Of energy. Nothing stuffy is going to work here. I see collections leaning toward a transitional focus, ranging from representational impressionistic all the way to true abstract works, a wide range of subjects and styles that fit within the clean lines and open interiors of people`s homes.
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESS FROM THE INTERNET? For 2007, 25 percent of our sales were from out-of-state buyers, and the vast majority of those were people who had never been into our gallery before. They`re clients we have connected with via the Internet and built a rapport with over time. We`ll ship on approval to them, and it`s very rare that [an artwork] ever comes back.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? Like most galleries, we have our high times and our low times, but I have a hard time pinning them to what`s going on in the economy. It`s the unknown that affects our business, causing people to hold off making purchases. What will impact us this year is the presidential election. Once it`s over and people know whoever [the winner] is, they`ll go on about their business.
KIM GROSSMAN, KARIN NEWBY GALLERY, TUBAC, AZ
WHAT`S HAPPENING AT KARIN NEWBY GALLERY IN 2008? It`s our 20th anniversary, a year of really spectacular shows and events. During the Tubac Festival of the Arts, February 6th through 10th, we have four artists doing four shows in four days: palette-knife landscape painter Louisa McElwain; animal sculptor Rebecca Tobey; bronze sculptor Bill Worrell; and kinetic sculptor Mark White. And then sculptor Star Liana York will have a onewoman show here during the Tubac Art Walk on March 22nd and 23rd.
ANY MAJOR HAPPENINGS OUTSIDE THE GALLERY FOR YOUR ARTISTS? During her show here, Rebecca Tobey will sign the new coffee-table book that shows every bronze she and her late husband, Gene, created together. Both she and Louisa McElwain have works on view through April 13 at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA, in a show called 21st Century Regionalists.- Art of the New West
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE AMONG COLLECTORS IN YOUR MARKET? Outdoor sculpture is getting more and more popular. Maybe the walls of people`s homes are full! We`ve also seen a shift away from plein-air painting, maybe because the beautiful weather here means the market is saturated with pleinair painters. Landscapes are still popular, but with a twist, like McElwain`s expressionistic landscapes, or the serene tonalist works of Andrzej Skorut, a Polish artist now living in Utah.
WHAT IMPACT DOES THE INTERNET HAVE ON YOUR BUSINESS? The Web is like a 24-hour storefront. When we get a new piece from an artist, [an image of it] automatically uploads, and it`s removed when it`s sold. So you can look at our website and know exactly what`s in our gallery. Even though we don`t do online sales, we get a huge response.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? I think the price points in our gallery probably speak to a certain income level that isn`t affected by swings in the economy.
PAT & DAN HOWARD
HOWARD/MANDVILLE GALLERY
KIRKLAND, WA
WHAT ARE HOWARD/MANDVILLE`S PLANS FOR 2008? In January, we`ll showcase three new artists: abstract painters Robin Daniels and Don Quade, and Craig Kosak, who paints representational oils with a contemporary edge. February is our first show from two more new painters: figurative painter Karin Jurick and Fred Calleri, who paints humorously caricatured figurative oils. Our Anniversary Show in June will feature 50 artists. And approximately 100 artists will contribute to our annual Invitational Small Works Show in November.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST? Collectors seem to be going toward more colorful, playful works that bring beauty, joy, or humor into the home. Lately, they have responded very positively to many of our figurative painters. We have always been known more as a traditional gallery, but the Seattle market has always leaned toward contemporary. We feel the time is right for us to add several contemporary painters to our gallery to round out our selection.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE INTERNET HAD ON YOUR BUSINESS? We put all of our inventory on our website and keep it very up to date. We have had many compliments from customers who find it very helpful and easy to use. It also makes doing business much more efficient and can help cuts costs by eliminating the need to send photos by mail. One of the problems I see is with artists who compete with their galleries by selling directly from their own sites. As long as the artist and the gallery work in partnership to market the work, it is an asset to both.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? We`ve seen a downturn during the past few months, mostly due to the level of consumer confidence. Our last show was very successful, though, and hopefully that momentum will continue.
JACK MORRIS
MORRIS & WHITESIDE GALLERIES
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC
WHAT`S THE BIG NEWS IN 2008 FOR MORRIS & WHITESIDE? It`s all about consolidation. In 2002, we acquired The Red Piano Art Gallery in Hilton Head, the oldest continually functioning gallery in South Carolina, which we recently moved to the same building as Morris & Whiteside. It features nationally recognized artists who portray subject matter in tune with the Carolina Low Country. Then at our new Gallery at Palmetto Bluffs, an upscale planned community 25 miles from Hilton Head, we`re blending the works from our other two galleries.
WHAT`S HAPPENING WITH THE GALLERIES` ARTISTS? Impressionist Dan McCaw, who is constantly exploring and experimenting, will have a major show of his works in September. One of Stephen Scott Young`s dry-brush watercolors sold last May 23 at Sotheby`s for $348,000, an auction record for his work. In early spring we`ll begin receiving a new suite of his paintings set in Charleston, and we plan a major show in November or December.
WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING AMONG COLLECTORS IN YOUR REGION? In the past year, I`ve been noticing a shift from figurative paintings back to landscapes. During periods of stress in the world, I think collectors look for something that gives them a certain sense of peace.
WHAT IMPACT DOES THE INTERNET HAVE ON YOUR BUSINESS? It plays an increasing role. Last year, we held auctions in which people for the first time were actually able to bid in real time on the Internet. Also, it has expanded our client base, especially as the dollar has changed in value, with a dramatic increase in business from Canadian and English clients.
HOW IS THE CURRENT ECONOMIC INSTABILITY HELPING OR HURTING YOUR BUSINESS? When people have cash, they run to hard assets, especially during inflationary times or when they are on the stock market`s sidelines. People here tend to buy to keep, so I don`t see much speculation in purchases.
JENNIFER HOWELL
BRAZOS FINE ART, TAOS, NM
WHAT`S NEW FOR 2008 AT BRAZOS FINE ART? Two world-renowned artists have just come on board: Gregg Albracht, an award-winning black-and-white photographer of horses and landscapes, and painter Jonathan Sobol, whose abstract portrait series we`ll be carrying. In May, we`ll celebrate Spring Arts in Taos with a group show of 10 gallery artists. August will see an exhibition for award-winning landscape watercolorist David Drummond. In September and October, for Fall Arts in Taos, we`ll have a group exhibition of our 15 northern New Mexico artists. We`re also now carrying both the oils and bronzes of Jim Eppler, who`s known for his life-size raven sculptures, and in October we`ll have our second annual exhibition of his works.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE AMONG COLLECTORS? I`m seeing an increase in sales of sculptures that can be exhibited indoors or outdoors. In paintings, people are moving away from very detailed representational works towards impressionism and abstraction. I think they want some mystery, rather than having it all laid out for them. They`re also looking for bold, bright colors. People want to feel happy in uncertain economic times.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON YOUR BUSINESS? Our brand-new website went live in September. I think it is still a very untapped market. Over the past year, we`ve seen an increase in Internet sales of 10 to 15 percent. I`d say 90 percent of our Internet business consists of subsequent sales after collectors have made initial purchases in our brick-and-mortar gallery.
HOW IS THE CURRENT ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? Taos is the original southwestern art colony, and we have hundreds of years of tradition, history, and culture. Collectors know that they can find some of the best artwork in the country here. Fortunately, we have been able to navigate these difficult [economic] waters by having a stable of award-winning artists and a balance between two- and three-dimensional works.
MICHAEL HOLLIS
MICHAEL HOLLIS FINE ART
SOUTH PASADENA, CA
WHAT ARE THE BIG SHOWS AT MICHAEL HOLLIS IN 2008? Utah oil painter Russell case will have his second show at the gallery in February, featuring his wide-open southwestern desert landscapes. Impressionist Jesse Powell will have a one-man show of his oils of the Channel Islands in March.
ANY MAJOR HAPPENINGS FOR YOUR ARTISTS? Southern California artist Robert Townsend has been switching to oils from the watercolors for which he`s been known, and his little bit looser style in these new paintings marks a slight shift from his very tight watercolors. He captures American car culture, street scenes, roadside motels, old service signs. In September or October, we`ll be giving him his second show in the gallery.
WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOUR COLLECTORS SEEM MOST INTERESTED IN? The bulk of my business is traditional plein-air landscape paintings. But I find people, both artists and collectors, are moving a little more toward urbanscapes in which the hand of man is present in buildings or freeways. The craft of realism is being appreciated more and more, too, thanks to the growth of atelier-style training for artists, who are using traditional skills with a 21st-century take on their subjects.
WHAT IMPACT IS THE INTERNET HAVING ON YOUR BUSINESS? I don`t think you can sell really top-quality art from the Internet. You`re not just buying the image; you`re buying what you see when you`re standing in front of the artwork, the whole experience. For me, the Internet is a research and information tool that brings people into the gallery. You have to have an Internet presence.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? Everyone talks doom and gloom, but actually the economy is very strong. Quality is quality, and the people who can afford the price points I`m selling at still have got the money.
CONNIE AXTON, VENTANA FINE ART, SANTA FE, NM
WHAT`S HAPPENING AT VENTANA IN 2008? From May 2 through 22, we`ll celebrate 25 years in business with an all-artists show, 22 artists in all, and most will be here for the opening. During Indian Market in late August, we`ll have our cr锟絤e de la cr锟絤e show, featuring the bright, bold paintings of Texas-based John Nieto; the equally colorful abstracts of Native American Margarete Bagshaw, who recently moved to the Virgin Islands; and the Tobeys.
WHAT`S THE NEWS FROM YOUR GALLERY`S ARTISTS? Albert Handell recently had a retrospective of his traditional landscapes at the Butler Institute in Youngstown, OH, and we`ll feature that show here for 10 days starting February 1. John Axton, who painted minimalist representational oils, has moved to total abstracts. Landscape painters Barry McCuan and Lynne Windsor, who are married, are painting the whole year in Europe, and we`ll show their works from that trip starting October 3.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE AMONG COLLECTORS IN SANTA FE? I`m seeing a shift from realism to contemporary abstract works. Even some of my traditional painters have grown more abstract.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE INTERNET HAD ON YOUR BUSINESS? The Internet gives us credibility. You can see our entire inventory of available works. In 2007, we had major international buyers who maybe had been in the gallery and then went home and bought, or maybe never even set foot in our gallery.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? I`ve always seen a downturn during election years. We`re fine, though. We`ve got people who support us, we`ve got new artists, and we`re always trying to come up with new ideas for people to talk about.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION
Norman Kolpas is a Los Angeles-based freelancer who writes for Home, Mountain Living, and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles as well as Southwest Art.
COPYRIGHT: Copyright Active Interest Media Jan 2008. Provided by Proquest- CSA, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Only fair use as provided by the United States copyright law is permitted.
PROQUEST-CSA, LLC- MAKES NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR TIMELINESS OF THE LICENSED MATERIALS OR ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
MARK TARRANT
MOUNTAIN TRAILS GALLERY
JACKSON, WY
WHAT`S HAPPENING IN 2008 AT MOUNTAIN TRAILS? We`re going to work with fewer artists so that we can put more attention and energy into each one. Summer is our top season, and we`ll feature New West artists Duke Beardsley and Gordon McConnell, who portray traditional subject matter in engaging, contemporary styles, plus Amy Ringholz, a sensational local artist who depicts animals in a style somewhere between Van Gogh and that of contemporary western artist Carrie Fell. Speaking of whom, probably in August we`ll have our first Carrie Fell show in three years.
WHAT BIG PLANS DO YOUR ARTISTS HAVE FOR THE YEAR? Painter and installation artist Thorn Ross, who does contemporary works based on western historical themes, is planning a major summer outdoor installation in San Francisco: 120 life-size figures painted on cardboard, re-enacting the appearance of Buffalo Bill and his Indian show on Ocean Beach in 1902. We`ll have a show in conjunction with that, probably in July.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN YOUR MARKET? I don`t really look for trends. The best art always sells. That said, [Jackson] always has been and always will be a traditional western market. But in the last five years, we`ve seen nonrepresentational urban contemporary art being established here, like you would see in San Francisco or New York. We`re also doing well with contemporary western art, like the more expressionist works of John Nieto, Tom Gilleon, or Rocky Hawkins.
WHAT IMPACT IS THE INTERNET HAVING ON YOUR BUSINESS? We put a lot of time and energy into our website, and it`s a very important marketing tool. Maybe 10 or 15 percent of our business is direct contacts from the Internet.
DO YOU SEE ANY EFFECT ON YOUR BUSINESS FROM THE ECONOMY? I don`t worry about the economy. We`re up year-to-date from last year, and last year was a big year. We just keep putting up good art and it seems to take care of itself.
JUDY TAYLOR
GALLERY SHOAL CREEK, AUSTIN, TX
WHAT`S ON TAP IN 2008 FOR GALLERY SHOAL CREEK? We`ll be going back and forth between our emerging artists and our well-established ones. January starts out with contemporary abstract collages from Laurie Frick, who just finished her MFA at the New York Studio School. We follow her in February with nationally known figurative painter Milt Kobayashi, who`s been one of our major artists since 1984. On down the road will be shows from rising young Mexican-American expressionist Rene Alvarado and a tribute in early fall to landscape painter Carol Collier, who turns 85 this year and has been one of our mainstays since 1976.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN CENTRAL TEXAS? Austin is a youthful city with lots Of energy. Nothing stuffy is going to work here. I see collections leaning toward a transitional focus, ranging from representational impressionistic all the way to true abstract works, a wide range of subjects and styles that fit within the clean lines and open interiors of people`s homes.
HAVE YOU SEEN ANY IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESS FROM THE INTERNET? For 2007, 25 percent of our sales were from out-of-state buyers, and the vast majority of those were people who had never been into our gallery before. They`re clients we have connected with via the Internet and built a rapport with over time. We`ll ship on approval to them, and it`s very rare that [an artwork] ever comes back.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? Like most galleries, we have our high times and our low times, but I have a hard time pinning them to what`s going on in the economy. It`s the unknown that affects our business, causing people to hold off making purchases. What will impact us this year is the presidential election. Once it`s over and people know whoever [the winner] is, they`ll go on about their business.
KIM GROSSMAN, KARIN NEWBY GALLERY, TUBAC, AZ
WHAT`S HAPPENING AT KARIN NEWBY GALLERY IN 2008? It`s our 20th anniversary, a year of really spectacular shows and events. During the Tubac Festival of the Arts, February 6th through 10th, we have four artists doing four shows in four days: palette-knife landscape painter Louisa McElwain; animal sculptor Rebecca Tobey; bronze sculptor Bill Worrell; and kinetic sculptor Mark White. And then sculptor Star Liana York will have a onewoman show here during the Tubac Art Walk on March 22nd and 23rd.
ANY MAJOR HAPPENINGS OUTSIDE THE GALLERY FOR YOUR ARTISTS? During her show here, Rebecca Tobey will sign the new coffee-table book that shows every bronze she and her late husband, Gene, created together. Both she and Louisa McElwain have works on view through April 13 at the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, GA, in a show called 21st Century Regionalists.- Art of the New West
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE AMONG COLLECTORS IN YOUR MARKET? Outdoor sculpture is getting more and more popular. Maybe the walls of people`s homes are full! We`ve also seen a shift away from plein-air painting, maybe because the beautiful weather here means the market is saturated with pleinair painters. Landscapes are still popular, but with a twist, like McElwain`s expressionistic landscapes, or the serene tonalist works of Andrzej Skorut, a Polish artist now living in Utah.
WHAT IMPACT DOES THE INTERNET HAVE ON YOUR BUSINESS? The Web is like a 24-hour storefront. When we get a new piece from an artist, [an image of it] automatically uploads, and it`s removed when it`s sold. So you can look at our website and know exactly what`s in our gallery. Even though we don`t do online sales, we get a huge response.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? I think the price points in our gallery probably speak to a certain income level that isn`t affected by swings in the economy.
PAT & DAN HOWARD
HOWARD/MANDVILLE GALLERY
KIRKLAND, WA
WHAT ARE HOWARD/MANDVILLE`S PLANS FOR 2008? In January, we`ll showcase three new artists: abstract painters Robin Daniels and Don Quade, and Craig Kosak, who paints representational oils with a contemporary edge. February is our first show from two more new painters: figurative painter Karin Jurick and Fred Calleri, who paints humorously caricatured figurative oils. Our Anniversary Show in June will feature 50 artists. And approximately 100 artists will contribute to our annual Invitational Small Works Show in November.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST? Collectors seem to be going toward more colorful, playful works that bring beauty, joy, or humor into the home. Lately, they have responded very positively to many of our figurative painters. We have always been known more as a traditional gallery, but the Seattle market has always leaned toward contemporary. We feel the time is right for us to add several contemporary painters to our gallery to round out our selection.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE INTERNET HAD ON YOUR BUSINESS? We put all of our inventory on our website and keep it very up to date. We have had many compliments from customers who find it very helpful and easy to use. It also makes doing business much more efficient and can help cuts costs by eliminating the need to send photos by mail. One of the problems I see is with artists who compete with their galleries by selling directly from their own sites. As long as the artist and the gallery work in partnership to market the work, it is an asset to both.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? We`ve seen a downturn during the past few months, mostly due to the level of consumer confidence. Our last show was very successful, though, and hopefully that momentum will continue.
JACK MORRIS
MORRIS & WHITESIDE GALLERIES
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC
WHAT`S THE BIG NEWS IN 2008 FOR MORRIS & WHITESIDE? It`s all about consolidation. In 2002, we acquired The Red Piano Art Gallery in Hilton Head, the oldest continually functioning gallery in South Carolina, which we recently moved to the same building as Morris & Whiteside. It features nationally recognized artists who portray subject matter in tune with the Carolina Low Country. Then at our new Gallery at Palmetto Bluffs, an upscale planned community 25 miles from Hilton Head, we`re blending the works from our other two galleries.
WHAT`S HAPPENING WITH THE GALLERIES` ARTISTS? Impressionist Dan McCaw, who is constantly exploring and experimenting, will have a major show of his works in September. One of Stephen Scott Young`s dry-brush watercolors sold last May 23 at Sotheby`s for $348,000, an auction record for his work. In early spring we`ll begin receiving a new suite of his paintings set in Charleston, and we plan a major show in November or December.
WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING AMONG COLLECTORS IN YOUR REGION? In the past year, I`ve been noticing a shift from figurative paintings back to landscapes. During periods of stress in the world, I think collectors look for something that gives them a certain sense of peace.
WHAT IMPACT DOES THE INTERNET HAVE ON YOUR BUSINESS? It plays an increasing role. Last year, we held auctions in which people for the first time were actually able to bid in real time on the Internet. Also, it has expanded our client base, especially as the dollar has changed in value, with a dramatic increase in business from Canadian and English clients.
HOW IS THE CURRENT ECONOMIC INSTABILITY HELPING OR HURTING YOUR BUSINESS? When people have cash, they run to hard assets, especially during inflationary times or when they are on the stock market`s sidelines. People here tend to buy to keep, so I don`t see much speculation in purchases.
JENNIFER HOWELL
BRAZOS FINE ART, TAOS, NM
WHAT`S NEW FOR 2008 AT BRAZOS FINE ART? Two world-renowned artists have just come on board: Gregg Albracht, an award-winning black-and-white photographer of horses and landscapes, and painter Jonathan Sobol, whose abstract portrait series we`ll be carrying. In May, we`ll celebrate Spring Arts in Taos with a group show of 10 gallery artists. August will see an exhibition for award-winning landscape watercolorist David Drummond. In September and October, for Fall Arts in Taos, we`ll have a group exhibition of our 15 northern New Mexico artists. We`re also now carrying both the oils and bronzes of Jim Eppler, who`s known for his life-size raven sculptures, and in October we`ll have our second annual exhibition of his works.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE AMONG COLLECTORS? I`m seeing an increase in sales of sculptures that can be exhibited indoors or outdoors. In paintings, people are moving away from very detailed representational works towards impressionism and abstraction. I think they want some mystery, rather than having it all laid out for them. They`re also looking for bold, bright colors. People want to feel happy in uncertain economic times.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON YOUR BUSINESS? Our brand-new website went live in September. I think it is still a very untapped market. Over the past year, we`ve seen an increase in Internet sales of 10 to 15 percent. I`d say 90 percent of our Internet business consists of subsequent sales after collectors have made initial purchases in our brick-and-mortar gallery.
HOW IS THE CURRENT ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? Taos is the original southwestern art colony, and we have hundreds of years of tradition, history, and culture. Collectors know that they can find some of the best artwork in the country here. Fortunately, we have been able to navigate these difficult [economic] waters by having a stable of award-winning artists and a balance between two- and three-dimensional works.
MICHAEL HOLLIS
MICHAEL HOLLIS FINE ART
SOUTH PASADENA, CA
WHAT ARE THE BIG SHOWS AT MICHAEL HOLLIS IN 2008? Utah oil painter Russell case will have his second show at the gallery in February, featuring his wide-open southwestern desert landscapes. Impressionist Jesse Powell will have a one-man show of his oils of the Channel Islands in March.
ANY MAJOR HAPPENINGS FOR YOUR ARTISTS? Southern California artist Robert Townsend has been switching to oils from the watercolors for which he`s been known, and his little bit looser style in these new paintings marks a slight shift from his very tight watercolors. He captures American car culture, street scenes, roadside motels, old service signs. In September or October, we`ll be giving him his second show in the gallery.
WHAT SUBJECTS DO YOUR COLLECTORS SEEM MOST INTERESTED IN? The bulk of my business is traditional plein-air landscape paintings. But I find people, both artists and collectors, are moving a little more toward urbanscapes in which the hand of man is present in buildings or freeways. The craft of realism is being appreciated more and more, too, thanks to the growth of atelier-style training for artists, who are using traditional skills with a 21st-century take on their subjects.
WHAT IMPACT IS THE INTERNET HAVING ON YOUR BUSINESS? I don`t think you can sell really top-quality art from the Internet. You`re not just buying the image; you`re buying what you see when you`re standing in front of the artwork, the whole experience. For me, the Internet is a research and information tool that brings people into the gallery. You have to have an Internet presence.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? Everyone talks doom and gloom, but actually the economy is very strong. Quality is quality, and the people who can afford the price points I`m selling at still have got the money.
CONNIE AXTON, VENTANA FINE ART, SANTA FE, NM
WHAT`S HAPPENING AT VENTANA IN 2008? From May 2 through 22, we`ll celebrate 25 years in business with an all-artists show, 22 artists in all, and most will be here for the opening. During Indian Market in late August, we`ll have our cr锟絤e de la cr锟絤e show, featuring the bright, bold paintings of Texas-based John Nieto; the equally colorful abstracts of Native American Margarete Bagshaw, who recently moved to the Virgin Islands; and the Tobeys.
WHAT`S THE NEWS FROM YOUR GALLERY`S ARTISTS? Albert Handell recently had a retrospective of his traditional landscapes at the Butler Institute in Youngstown, OH, and we`ll feature that show here for 10 days starting February 1. John Axton, who painted minimalist representational oils, has moved to total abstracts. Landscape painters Barry McCuan and Lynne Windsor, who are married, are painting the whole year in Europe, and we`ll show their works from that trip starting October 3.
WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE AMONG COLLECTORS IN SANTA FE? I`m seeing a shift from realism to contemporary abstract works. Even some of my traditional painters have grown more abstract.
WHAT IMPACT HAS THE INTERNET HAD ON YOUR BUSINESS? The Internet gives us credibility. You can see our entire inventory of available works. In 2007, we had major international buyers who maybe had been in the gallery and then went home and bought, or maybe never even set foot in our gallery.
HOW IS THE ECONOMY INFLUENCING YOUR BUSINESS? I`ve always seen a downturn during election years. We`re fine, though. We`ve got people who support us, we`ve got new artists, and we`re always trying to come up with new ideas for people to talk about.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION
Norman Kolpas is a Los Angeles-based freelancer who writes for Home, Mountain Living, and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles as well as Southwest Art.
COPYRIGHT: Copyright Active Interest Media Jan 2008. Provided by Proquest- CSA, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Only fair use as provided by the United States copyright law is permitted.
PROQUEST-CSA, LLC- MAKES NO WARRANTY REGARDING THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR TIMELINESS OF THE LICENSED MATERIALS OR ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.
