Send email Jayne with any questions, ideas, and your calender of events to Jayne Behman.
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A professional artist for over 42 years, Jayne earned her BFA at UCLA and is completing her MFA at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her artwork is represented by galleries in the United States, including three locations along California's Central Coast.
A lecturer and educator, she is active in the local art community and writes for various publications. Her published book, " Art Matters," is a visual art education tool being used in public and private elementary schools throughout the United States as well as by many Children's Art Museums.
Dear Readers: You are cordially invited to attend my showcase of new works at Dezart One Gallery located at 2688 Cherokee Way in Palm Springs, California through the month of March. The Reception is March 20th, 7-9pm.
Entitled "RAW" I have developed layers of marks on unstretched canvas using mixed media. Hanging elements enhance my concept to transcend the working space and the work's portability. I hope to meet and greet you there! Click here for more information.
Lucien Freud's Self_Portrait
With a Black Eye
"Emerging Force" is 30X40 inches, acrylic on canvas by Rena Doud
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Shrinking Venues:
(Oh Alice, what shall we artists do?)
by Jayne Behman
In spite of recent art auction prices surpassing estimates at Sotheby's, one result of our current global financial struggle is the closure of fine art galleries. Over the past five years Peter Steynberg, owner of the Steynberg Gallery and Coffee House located at 1531 Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo, has witnessed the closure of 30 art galleries.
By tradition, the fine art gallery is defined as a sparsely appointed large retail space where one or several genres of work are displayed for sale, single hung. The atmosphere within can feel threatening. Are we American's afraid to enter a fine art gallery?
The Heather James Fine Art Gallery in Palm Desert, California is an excellent example of this conventional definition, but updated in its feel. There (what used to house a bank branch office), under high ceilings, very large white walls, and highly polished dark concrete floors, paintings in all media and sizes and sculptures, are sparsely displayed for sale. Amongst the new-to-me artists are works by masters. Art by Frank Stella hangs hand-in-hand with Tony de los Reyes' paintings; $65,000 next to $6,500. For me, the highlights of the passed Perrier and wine, and catered hors d'oeuvre reception were (1) the impeccably coiffed well-dressed attendees who looked interested as well as financially able to purchase any of the pieces hanging on these walls and (2) the Picasso ceramics collection.
Without a doubt, asking prices for art reflect the gallery's customer base. Prices are not set by formula. They are determined by mutual agreement between the artist and his/her representative. What you pay sets today's value. Value is unpredictable and can change. It correlates to the current financial market combined with consumer demand for the artist's work. A self-portrait of Lucian Freud nursing a black eye after a punch-up with a taxi driver recently sold for more than £2.8 million when it sold under the Sotheby hammer. This sales price disappointed the auctioneer.
The common commission split arrangement is 50% to the gallery and 50% to the artist. Marketing expenses are high and ongoing. For the gallery in a location that is not highly trafficked, advertising expenses are even greater to insure exposure. The responsibility of the gallery is to pay to market itself and its artists. An art gallery's cost of business also includes rent, utilities, personnel expenses, business machines and supplies, reception costs, and a good stereo system. I certainly do not beget the gallery its share of the sales proceeds. Can the traditional art gallery stay in business today?
Peter began it as a purified art gallery. Steynberg broadened his art-reach by including a cafe. This opened the door to the space becoming an entertainment center offering an array of regularly scheduled performances such as music, play-write and poetry readings, and Pecha Kuchas. Meetings and mini-lectures also take place here.
"It's a soft approach to expose the public to art," says Peter. "If you can get someone to sit with art long enough then maybe they will purchase it. Even museums have coffee shops and cafeterias." Kudos to Peter's savvy business sense.
The entertainment and events are not all for free. Whether musicians or visual artists, his standard is high. Peter handpicks artists by audition or by invitation if personally known. The Peter Steynberg Gallery has become a central coast cultural center that prides itself with promoting local arts.
Steynberg's gallery March visual art showcase honors and features the cubist still life images by Nico Van Den Heuvel (82) and the organic non-objective work by 87-year-old Rena Doud. Both artists have created new works for this show. Why them? Peter likes their work, knows them both, their work sells, and the showcase proves to be exciting and cohesive. These artists are aging treasures that we may meet at the reception that is part of Art After Dark, 6-9 pm, on March 5th.
The Network Gallery (Dotty Hawthorne, Julie Dunn, and Rosanne Seitz, proprietors and artists) is another showcase source for local artists. "We are always looking for high quality work from established and emerging artists whose three-dimensional work will fit on a glass shelf approximately four square feet. Artists can contact us via phone (805) 788-0886. We jury work once a month."
Artists are compelled to make art. Our personal collections are growing more rapidly than our showcase sources. There is a rise in shared/co-operative gallery space. Once known as "vanity art galleries," today these venues are more cooperative in their operation. Artists must be willing to financially participate in many gallery spaces for the privilege of representation.
Art associations have dedicated exhibition space that serves their paying members. Here, participation fees are affordable. Space is limited and members must meet hanging restrictions.
Co-operative galleries, such as Studios on the Park in Paso Robles and Gallery Los Olivos in Los Olivos, jury their artists. Exhibition space is costly. The artists pay wall space fees as well as commission on sales. At Gallery, Los Olivos the artists are further requested to work one day a week.
At Studios on the Park, the participating artists must work their space four days a week because part of the marketing and public draw is to see artists at work. The space is in a great location, radiates energy, and offers quality art for sale. Original works of art are selling here.
There is also an expansion going on in art galleries. New venues are sprouting up because rents are lowering. The Marina Square Gallery in Morro Bay recently expanded and a new artists' venue is slated in this same building to open within the next few months.
Of note, original works of art are selling more than prints or posters. Through the efforts of our gallery owners, the public is becoming aware that today is the time buy.
Regardless of how the gallery venue business operates, its merchandising attracts or dissuades a buyer.
I'm a firm believer that at during less optimum times, such as these, we need beautiful things surrounding us to feed our souls. Art feeds the soul.
Want to know what's going on in your arts community? View these event calendars:
Cal Poly Arts Cuesta College Arts
The Cayucos Art Association The Morro Bay Art Association
The Art Center, San Luis Obispo SLO Arts Council, San Luis Obispo
Studios on the Park Paso Robles Art Association
Oil, Pastel, Acrylic, Encaustic Group, San Luis Obispo
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