What should a podcast about selling art be in a moment where so little of that is happening?

Do we carry on as normal? Or maybe even attempt to answer the questions about how to survive in the present and adapt to the coming future?

These are the questions I’ve asked for months. And then it hit me. Do what art dealers do when we stuck in the corner and there are no moves left— TELL SOME DAMN STORIES.

No one can advise us on how to tread these strange waters. Much less set a course for the uncertain future. So, while the world waits to see what comes next, we can huddle for a bit around the electric candlelight in our little corner booth here at the ol’ art dealer bar to share our stories.

Because when we find ourselves asking “what are we going to become?” it’s best to remind ourselves what we love about who we’ve been. And there is no better way I know to do that than this. Or at least not as much fun.

Going forward I’m counting on hearing your best tales that we can share on the show. Seriously — email, call, Instagram, tweet, I wanna hear from you. But for now, I’ll get this ball of yarns rolling with one of my personal favorites.

Tonight I have a story that goes miles beyond the “you never know who will buy” parables. It’s a story about an unexpected collector who taught me a lifetime of lessons on how to be a better art dealer as well as a happier person.

And if that is not enough to get you to quickly smash down on that play button (and subscribe to the podcast) – you’re also going to meet him in this new episode of the Art Dealer Show.

Cheers, my art dealers!

Danny

We are finally back with the second half of our conversation with San Diego gallerist Ruth Ann Thorn (Exclusive Collections). And maybe being a year and a half later you have concluded that the reason for the wait is because the second half was just more of the same. And if that’s you, prepare to be surprised.

I’ve heard lots of art dealers go on about how they need to find artists who are not just talented but are doing things their collectors have truly not seen before. And then wait for them to walk in the door, or hope to find them at the next art fair. But Ruth Anne does much more than keep her eyes open. She goes on the hunt.

Junkies, Schizoids, and Ex-Cons – oh my.

Listen to this new episode of the Art Dealer Show and find out what happens when a gallery owner makes a practice of placing ads on Craig’s list that start with “Looking for weird people creating weird things”. Follow her journey into Hollywood flops and other corners of the world no other art dealer I know is willing to brave, just to find their next artist.

But before we get into all that, a year and a half is a long time, particularly in today’s art world. So from our corner booth in the back of the ol’ art dealer bar, I gave Ruth Ann a call to check in and see what has been going on since we first spoke with her. And I’ll say this, it’s not a lot of same old – same old.

Ruth Anne has seen the changes coming come and like anyone who will survive to thrive, she’s adapting with the changing climate.

So slide on in, order yourself up the perfect tonic to carry you through the hour and join us.

Cheers.

Danny

Sponsors:
Art World News
Relavent Communications
Art Santa Fe – a Redwood Media Group show

Guest:
Ruth-Ann Thorn, CEO and owner of Exclusive Collections:
San Diego • Beverly Hills • Las Vegas • Laguna Beach
(619) 238-0320
www.ecgallery.com
https://www.facebook.com/ecgalleries

Us:
www.artdealer.show
hey@artdealer.show
@artdealershow
facebook.com/artdealershow

This is not your typical episode of the Art Dealer Show.

If you have not heard the news, the often controversial comedic actor and social commentator Sacha Baron Cohen is back with a brand new show. And what does that have to do with the art business? Well, right out of the gate in his first episode he’s pointed his sardonic lens at one of our own—art consultant Cristy Cones. And we’ve got her on the show.

Try to imagine that you have agreed to allow a UK-based reality TV crew film a sit down with you and an ex-con who has dreams of turning the art he started to make in prison during his recently completed twenty-one year stint. And then, when the time comes, in walks a hulking figure with a shaved head and a prison tattoo under his eye nervelessly clutching a folio.

Over the course of a “getting to know each other” conversation, he reveals that after a cell protest when he smeared his own excrement on the wall, he became inspired to create works of art with the same medium. He then hands you a primitive portrait of his cellmates. Next you are informed that their shirts are made with another fluid that was involuntarily provided by one of his subjects. I’m not going to go any further but this insanity does.

If you are asking “how would I react?” or just “what the hell?” then you definitely don’t want to miss this interview with the art dealer who got to live it.

Be forewarned: this is the first episode that I’ve had to put a content warning on. It’s also the first one that I’m suggesting you have no less than two drinks to properly prepare yourself.

Cheers my art dealer.

Danny

Guest:
Christi Cones
@ChristyCones

Us:
www.artdealer.show
hey@artdealer.show
@artdealershow
facebook.com/artdealershow

YES, we’ve returned to our corner booth at the ol’ art dealer bar and we have a new episode of the Art Dealer Show show for you.

Even though the break went much longer than I expected, it did not go to waste — during that time I gave the show many new tweaks. All with the goal of being able to get more of them out to you. If you’re a regular listener, I’m sure you’ll notice them along the way. And I’d very much like to hear what you think?

I’m about as excited as I am nervous about this new episode. I’ve decided to finally take on one of the sacred cows in the art gallery business: pricing art based on Keystone (double net) as a firm rule.

Ironically rigid rules of this kind, which are intended to secure fiscal safety, can literally cause the opposite result. And over the years I’ve watched galleries undermine their own success, and even place their business in direct danger, by hanging onto hard and fast rules of this kind. For many people in the art business even suggesting that this type of guiding rule should be thrown away is heresy. But that’s exactly the case I’m going to make.

…Annnnd there’s a lot of funny and interesting stories in there too — along with a time machine, a duck and an old joke about ham.

Hope you take a listen.

Danny

If you listened to Part One of our conversation with San Francisco Art Exchange’s co-owner Jim Hartley, I’m sure you have been eagerly waiting this episode. It’s not going to be easy to top an art dealer origin story that involves coming under fire during the Iranian revolution but I think we’ve met the challenge.

In Part Two, Jim and I go over the amazing story about how a gallery that was started to be an active brokerage for blue chip art ended up bringing Alberto Vargas, one of the most noted American illustrators, to the market for the first time. How a chance encounter with a music agent led them to representing the art of one of The Rolling Stones and that led to creating its own market of celebrity artists. And how that later became the beginnings of…well, you’re just going to have to listen to the show. Because Jim is going to tell this story, and many more, much better than I can.

But before we head off to talk with Jim, I’m going to buy you all a drink over at the ol’ Art Dealer Bar. Because this time I have a story from the front line that just happened to me.

I have a tail about a top-flight show that we (Limelight Agency) just put on with one of our partner galleries (Mouche in Beverly Hills) and the walk-in that became a “coconut” the size of an “elephant.” And how it was brought to a halt by Asian inches.

And if you’re asking “what does that mean?” — you’re not alone.

Cheers.

Danny

Sponsors:
Art World News
Relavent Communications

Guest:
Jim Hartley
San Francisco Art Exchange
@sfae
facebook.com/san.francisco.art.exchange/

Us:
www.artdealer.show
hey@artdealer.show
@artdealershow
facebook.com/artdealershow

It’s been a while but I’m back and comfortably settled in my usual corner booth at the ol’ art dealer bar. Having been away for a bit, there’s a lot bouncing around in my head. First up is something most of us can relate to: It’s a story about an art gallery which I sell to, and my less-than-impressive attempt to help them convince a client that a big ticket painting was really worth the price. It’s a part of the job that I’ve never liked but which somehow calls to me like the siren’s song in the fog…to wreck myself onto its jagged shore. So this time, instead of pontificating on my own, we’re calling in an old friend of the show, Jeff Jaffe, to help shed some light on this age-old obstacle.

We’re also going to return to the second half of our conversation with San Diego gallerist and art dealer Alex Salazar. The first half is not a prerequisite to enjoy this episode but I highly suggest checking it out as well. This time we’ll get a lot deeper into how a young Alex with multiple masters degrees in art and religion found his way into the world of art sales. And moreover, the lessons he learned along the way that make him the successful and more importantly, happy art dealer he is today.

Not all episodes of the “Art Dealer Show” have moral to them. Typically, they probably raise more questions than answers. But after relistening to the conversations with Alex and Jeff while I edited this week’s show, I kept noticing that the parts that made the most sense had almost the same basic points. While talking to Jeff for several minutes about how best to deal with a client that is not easily convinced of the value of a painting, he finally said “just be the person they’d trust buying from.” With Alex there was a point when he explained that the qualities of a good art dealer are much the same as being a “good human.” And that may be the secret to it all—that the key to selling art, and being happy in life doing it, are the same lessons that our parents, kindergarten teacher, friends, every religion and the occasional fortune cookie has told us. Be a good person (for all that means) and the rest will start to fall into place from there.

Seems I’m two glasses ahead of you so please hit play and catch up with me.

Cheers

Danny

Sponsors:
Art World News
Relavent Communications
Art Santa Fe – a Redwood Media Group show

Guest:
Alexander Salazar, owner of Alexander Salazar Fine Art:
225 WEST MARKET STREET – San Diego, CA 92101
Downtown San Diego
(619) 531 8996
www.alexandersalazarfineart.com
https://www.facebook.com/alexartdealer

Guest call:
Jeff Jaffe, owner of Pop International Galleries:
195 Bowery (at Spring Street), New York, NY 10002
T: 212 533 4262 F: 212 533 6553
art@popinternational.com
www.popinternational.com
Facebook
Twitter

Us:
www.artdealer.show
hey@artdealer.show
@artdealershow
facebook.com/artdealershow