art251 appeared on Home and Lifestyle TV recently, in a segment featuring some of the unique retailers in Arthouse. The show aired on channel 8 (WFAA) in the Dallas / Ft.Worth area on March 15. If you missed this great segment, and our entry into the video age, checkout the scene below.

Also, if you’re interested in learning more about Home and Lifestyle TV, run by Keller resident Christian Sly, follow this link to their great website.

My business travels have brought me to the island of Manhattan again, and my free time has led me to the vibrant arts district of Chelsea. This area probably has more art galleries per square yard than there are Starbucks in the entire United States. Roughly bounded by 10th and 11th Avenues and 23rd to 28th Streets, Chelsea is a must for any serious (or silly) aficionado of contemporary art.

Since there are so many art galleries in Chelsea ? probably in the neighborhood of 250 ? I thought it would be interesting to take a detailed, but informal, survey. So, here is my first annual art gallery vibe survey. It’s comprised of visits to 34 art galleries, so while not entirely statistically significant, it’s certainly a good sampling. The survey focuses on the galleries rather than their contents, the art.

But first, I have to interject a quick word about the art itself. I must say that the quality of the art in Chelsea is astounding. Of course, there is no shortage of the big names on display; Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, Warhol, Basquiat, Picasso. And, then there’s a vast array of less expensive and great art by still-living artists. Generally, the work is bolder, more vibrant, more edgy, though sometimes more subtle, than its counterpart in the land of art251?? suburban Dallas / Ft.Worth. That’s not to say that our art is of poorer quality or our artists are less talented. Rather, there is just so much more art in the Big Apple! There is a greater variation of themes, more experimentation, richer media; the art is usually on a grander scale, not just in size, but in ideas, and often has political or social undercurrents. I challenge you to find a gallery in Chelsea that deals in purely “decorative” works. Without a doubt, the art gets a resounding 10 out of 10.

So, now on to the main focus of this article, the galleries. My first annual art gallery vibe survey takes a good look at the overall gallery design, dress code of the gallery staff, ambiance of the gallery, information about the art on display, and general approachability of employees.

1. Gallery design.? All of the galleries visited were immaculate. Bright white walls. Dull, but buffed, gray concrete floors, and crisp lighting. About 50 percent had a gallerist seated behind a computer screen behind a desk at the front of the gallery; 25 percent had a gallerist seated behind a computer screen behind a desk at the rear of the gallery. Curiously, the remaining 25 percent had gallery staff seated behind a computer screen, behind a desk, behind a white wall partition separating them from the rest of the space, except for a narrow opening at about waist to forehead height, usually 6-8ft long. Hiding gallery staff behind a tall partition or a large desk sends a distinct message, “leave all gallery staff alone, they’re too busy”. This seems to cause unnecessary detachment and aloofness, and I know many (not all) galleries are not striving for this type of atmosphere. And, the oh-so minimalist walls are just rather too bare. After visiting about 6 galleries, they all started to look the same. So, overall gallery design gets a 4 out of ten.

2. Dress code.? I don’t mean clothing worn by customers (though this could be the subject of another colorful blog article), but the clothing worn by the gallery staff themselves. A resounding 80 percent of gallery staff wore mostly black. Both male and female. Black shoes, black heels, black suites, black jeans, black shirts, black leggings, black shirts, black skirts. A sea of blackness in silhouette against the pristine white walls. Now, bear in mind that this is New York City, and it’s late winter, and most who live here, are also dressed in black. But, black in this context seems to project a message of detachment. I’m not sure why so much wonderful art and vibrant color causes gallery employees to dress so darkly. Wouldn’t you expect the opposite? So, general gallery dress code gets a 3.

3. General ambiance.? 75 percent of the galleries in Chelsea, have steel framed doors with frosted glass. Around 50 percent have opaque windows. One has to make an effort to go inside. Not exactly inviting. Inside, many look the same. They are not just neutral, but somewhat austere and barren; shrines to somber minimalism. The art hangs on these walls reluctantly; it doesn’t seem to wish to live there. The rarefied atmosphere in these galleries seems to drain the visual vitality from the work. One gallery, so steeped in its own fame, posted more security guards per square foot than I’ve seen at the National Gallery. Another, cavernous space of around 5,000 square feet had three small paintings on its walls. I believe that most people who love art, and most people who buy art live in spaces that look nothing like these art galleries. Many potential art buyers simply cannot identify with this type of presentation. Yet, this seems to confound many gallery owners. So, general gallery ambiance gets a score of 2.

4. Information about the art.? 89 percent of the galleries visited provided no information about the art on display anywhere near the art itself. So, no wall tags, no title, no artist bio. Only one gallery displayed price information next to the works. When galleries hide their prices they send two very clear messages. First, the art is too expensive for you. Second, prices are negotiable based on who you are. Now, to be fair, most galleries did display a catalog of works by the gallerists’ desk, and most displayed the name of the featured artist(s) on an entrance wall. But, overall, for limited availability of information, especially prices, I award a measly score of 1 out of ten.

5. Staff approachability.? This is a the most sobering statistic. Of the 34 galleries visited, not one gallery employee in any of the galleries offered a simple greeting. Not one even acknowledged my presence in their gallery. Not one provided a thank you or a goodbye as I left. In 30 of these galleries the employees were not interacting with anyone else in the space; of the remaining four: in three of the galleries the employees were chatting amongst themselves; and in only one was a gallerist talking to a visitor. Now, I do like to look at art without the commentary of an art dealer breathing over my shoulder. However, I believe a simple, “hello” or “thank you for visiting our gallery” or “please let me know if you have any questions” or “goodbye”, would be in order. Thus, staff approachability gets a score of zero.

So, as a gallery owner, I’ve learned some lessons from my survey: greet and thank all visitors, not just customers with checkbooks; don’t always dress in black?? customers can distinguish between gallery employees and the art on the walls; give the gallery space a personality that complements the art ? neutral need not mean barren; provide information about the artist and his or her art, and display it prominently; provide clear and consistent pricing for all, and don’t negotiate (sales are allowed). Above all it’s clear that most galleries need to do a better job of making art more approachable so people can find their own meaning, and not the converse, which usually seems to involve wrapping an art object in a manufactured mystique that conveys status. Well, enough! It’s time for me to see some more fabulous original art… in Chelsea of course!

Some gallery owners will answer this without hesitating. A successful art show? Of course, they’ll point to sales before, during and after the show, or the show’s immediate return on investment. Others might count checks, credit card swipes or the number of times the cash drawer opens (yes, some people still buy art with cash). Some might measure the square footage of new art for the show in relation to the overall space of the gallery. Some gallery directors even try to assess the economic status imparted from the clothing and jewelry worn by their victims customers to determine potential prospects and projected sales. Others will compare sales of new works to long-term collectors versus sales to “one-off” newbies. And, still others might examine some type of exotic accounting measurement pitting gross actual revenues against the projected lost opportunity cost of doing something, well, more financially financial (such as running a hedge fund). Hmm.

Well art251 likes to do things just slightly differently. Yes, we do look at sales and we manage our show expenses, but that’s sort of a necessary evil and dull. It’s a process not a goal!

So, here’s how we measure success at art251. We measure the local “art health index” (AHI). The AHI is a quantitative measure of the following: smiles on the faces of our customers; periods of quiet contemplation looking at new art; sighs of satisfaction from the artist whose work we are featuring for the first time; simultaneous conversations about art; art teachers within the space; average time visitors spend looking at artwork; ratio of small shoe size (kids) to large shoe size (adults); and of course, empty wine glasses and Italian soda bottles.

Given some time I’ll invent some trend charts that show our measures in relation to the overall art health of our community. However, I do know that the AHI for our suburban oasis in Keller was rather positive during our Opening Reception on March 6 for Temple of Flora, featuring Bryan Wetz’s new works, and it is generally on the increase.

Our March Exhibit – Temple of Flora – signaling the imminent arrival of spring kicks off today, March 6. The Opening Reception is today, March 6, from 6-9pm.

It’s free, there’s food and wine and soda, and best of all there’s some gorgeous new art from Dallas artist Bryan Wetz. He’ll be with us as well.

Bryan’s work for this show features panels and canvases of single flowers, each detailed in a subtle and unique way. You’ll see colorful irises, daffodils, roses, lilies and more (notice my limited botanical vocabulary!)

We encourage you to come and see these bright and bold new paintings in the art251 gallery that has now become a spring garden, and to meet Bryan Wetz in person. In addition to being a talented artist, he is also an interior and retail designer (he designed our space), a custom furniture maker and an ex-Keller resident. Bryan is a product of the Oklahoma Arts Institute at Quartz Mountain and an alumni of Oklahoma State University where he earned a degree in Interior Design.