Heave Ho

A client popped in the other day to see some of Andrea Rosenberg's large works on paper. I was running solo, so I had to lift them out of the stacks by myself. These suckers are heavy. Typically a client will offer a little assistance when they see that something is awkward or heavy, but this time I was on my own. I think I pulled a bicep. Anyway, I always love it when people pop in off the street and we get to start dragging things out. It's so nice to revisit works that have been shelved for awhile.

Gallery talk

Artist Darryl Lauster recently gave a talk before his amazing show, Americana, closed last Saturday. It was a thin crowd, but an important one with well respected critics and curators in attendance. Darryl, who teaches 3-d design and art history (whoot whoot!) at UTA, said that speaking before a small crowd was actually more difficult than speaking for a large group. When there's a crowd, he just slips into lecture mode and rolls. No nerves were apparent, however, as Darryl gave an incredibly thought provoking lecture about truth, fiction, history, and memory.

Hello, Operator?

We had a lovely home improvement recently at the gallery. Both Barry and I got new phones! They are ergonomically better suited to actually stay on your shoulder, and they effectively rest on the receiver when you try to hang up. Added bonus: there's a contrast button on the caller i.d. Now that it's as bright as ever I can make informed decisions on which calls to answer. Truthfully, I answer all of them, but sometimes I use funny voices.

Wrapped and Wready

I've been wrapping lots of art for shipping lately. This used to be one of my least favorite things to do because I was so slow and scattered. I've gotten pretty good at it over the years, and I now take pride in my tightly taped edges and neat bubble corners. Barry has taught me that every little detail is important, and I certainly raise an eyebrow when artwork arrives looking like it was wrapped by a family of squirrels.

High School

On Friday, I had a group of about 45 Plano ISD students come view the show. Usually when high schoolers visit in large groups they just tromp around and chat with each other. This time the students were really looking at the work. I watched them circle Darryl Lauster's sculptures and even... gasp... read the info! I did, however, make 50 copies of the checklist and not a single kid picked one up. Good thing we recycle!

It's the Little Things

The installation for our current show was especially fun not just because we painted the space to mimic a museum aesthetic and further flesh out the artist's vision for the exhibition, but because we got new spackle too! This stuff goes on pink, dries white, and weighs about 29 pounds in 6 fluid ounces. Maybe not quite that, but it is pretty thick. We are also showcasing our newest artist, Terrell James, in the back room with a small installation of her newest work.
Her paintings have already generated a lot of interest, so we're awfully excited.

One Is the Loneliest Number

After much hustling earlier this week to get Barry on his way to Marfa, I find myself here once again all by myself. Allison V. Smith is having a solo exhibition at the Thunderbird Hotel tonight, so we had to send out invitations, put together a list of works and labels, create an info book on the artist, and figure out what else Barry needed to bring with him. In the meantime, I'm trying to work out packages for consultants, organize an art delivery to New York, send out invitations for our upcoming exhibition and take down our current show. I'm glad it's busy because I'm terribly sad that I had to stay behind for midterms instead of work/play in Marfa with the gang.

New New

It's never the same scenario when we take a new artist into the stable, and this is certainly no exception. Often the artist we acquire is young or hasn't been represented in awhile, but this time Terrell James is a well established artist. Adding to the unconventionality is the previous-gallery-is-closing factor. Since Gerald Peters is shutting its doors in Dallas at the end of the month, we have to snatch as much art from them as we can. So we now hold inventory that we don't know much about. Someone called today inquiring about a painting and we had no image of the work, not even an official price to offer! We'll figure it out, but for now it feels like we're building Ikea furniture without all the screws.

Welcome to the Family

We have a new artist! After the sudden and unexpected folding of Gerald Peters Gallery recently, Houston artist Terrell James became a free agent. Barry has known her for years and showed some of her work ages ago. They met over coffee this weekend and shook hands on it, so now she's working with us and we're thrilled. She will have a small showing of her new work in the back room during our upcoming exhibition on March 7th. In the meantime, I'm trying to get her added to our website and am busy rounding up images, a resume, statements, anything I can get really. Barry is familiar with her work, but I'm not so I need to start studying.

Dallas Art Fair

Dallas is hosting the first Dallas Art Fair this weekend at the Fashion Industry Gallery on Ross Ave. I am hoping to swing by on Sunday and check out the scene. So far I've heard there has been a great turnout, but I have yet to hear about sales. Barry has been hanging out there all weekend shaking hands and making the rounds. Meanwhile back at the ranch, we have had a ton of traffic at the gallery as a result. You can always tell who's from New York and who isn't. I like the people that smile back at me best.

Disappointment is part of the game...

The last few weeks, we have been working our tails off on a big project for a law firm. Originally, these guys were interested in a ton of stuff and everyone was super excited about it. Then, as the dust began to settle, the ultra-conservative nature of the firm shone through and started picking off approved works, one by one. Sadly, the firm has many opinions coming in from every angle, so nothing gets finalized until everyone is happy. When is everyone ever happy?

Workin

Our opening on Saturday was a huge success. We haven't had a group show in well over a year, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised to have a packed house. Many works from the show sold and a few more are on hold, but the real proof of success - we ran out of booze at 7:30! Mark Williams snagged an image of me showing someone a sweet older piece of his.

All better

Robert Wilhite, Davy Crockett, 2008

Bob's bomb is fixed and installed. The shadows it creates are wonderful, I can't wait for the installation shots. We're still waiting on the Lawrence Lee drawing to arrive tomorrow afternoon, which is a nail biter but the puckering painting seems to be behaving itself. In the meantime, I just received a phone call from Channel 33 News who think our entire exhibition is about the inauguration and they want to send in a film crew. Dallasnews.com posted a deceptive blog entry that makes our show look like the Obama's are front and center. Whoops! I set the record straight, so we'll see if the cameras roll.

It always works out...

Robert Wilhite, Davy Crockett Bomb, 2009

We are in the process of installing a new show that opens this Saturday, January 24. A wrench or two have been thrown in our spokes, but we will prevail. Robert Wilhite's bomb arrived with a large bite taken out of the side during shipping despite his sincere plea to the FedEx throwers. Fortunately, he made two works and the other arrived just fine. Artist Lawrence Lee, in Baltimore, is still hard at work on his piece which he's hoping will arrive by the morning of the show. Yikes! And Kirsten Macy's new painting is misbehaving so we have to keep it flat for the next few days. It will all come together in the end, it always does.

Secretary of the Arts petition

Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President Obama (!!!) to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never created such a position. We in the arts need this and the country needs the arts now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.

http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html