Musings on the Gallery World: Connections

September 9th, 2023

Matt Flint’s studio door — with a decades-old door knocker we gifted our artists

As I wrote my artists’ show confirmation letters today, I was reminded of a chat I had with Matt Flint in the gallery last week. It was one of those moments when neither of us had to be anywhere else, and could focus on what the other way saying. Matt is a considerate and thoughtful conversationalist, and connecting with him was the highlight of my day. We talked about the area gallery scene, what our children are up to, and what his 2024 exhibition might bring.

That conversation, and the ones that I have with collectors and gallery friends, are the “why,” they are the reason we do what we do at Gallery MAR. Connecting people with fine art has been our goal from day one, and it is through our true and sincere connections with both our artists and collectors that we see success.

Veronica Vale with her work “Charlotte Sunflower Moonrise”

Our employees over the years have been the strongest link in this connection chain, and one that I am always hesitant to fully unlink with the great ones. One of those wonderful links is Veronica Vale, who after working for us in Park City for a few years moved back to be with her family in North Carolina. Now a successful artist on the art fair circuit, she still works with Gallery MAR as a writer and content creator. You see her blogs written in this space often! This year when we celebrated fifteen years at Gallery MAR, she put together a custom book with quotes and remembrances from my artists and staff.

Another incredible link is my partner in our Carmel gallery, Thomas Cushman. Next week I am able to visit the gallery there an be a part of our exhibition for Joseph Alleman and Matthew Sievers. Working with Thomas has been one of the great joys of my life, and he is running that gallery at the beach to precision!

When we host shows at the gallery, that opportunity to connect our artists with our collectors is amplified, and the gallery hums with the energy of having an artist in our space, speaking about their work and sharing their life’s story. Artists already put every part of themselves into their artwork, so also joining us and being vulnerable in our gallery is an additional gift of their time and spirit — and we do not take that for granted. It allows for that one-on-one connection… with you!

As we look forward to our winter season and all of the connections that we will be able to make, we want to honor our artists for everything that they give to make these moment possible. Below, take a peek at our winter exhibition to come, and mark your calendars to meet the artists.