Yes, it's been 3 years since I've done a post here or even updated my website. I finally got to the site earlier this month, did a few things, and now it's time to fill you in on the gallery.
CC Fine Arts is the reason I've been quiet here. Cheryl and I went from being the painters to being the gallerists. It takes a huge amount of work to run a gallery. We had 34 artists represented and all that goes along with it. From keeping track of artists and inventory, arranging and hanging the work, gallery website, social media, advertising, bookkeeping, taxes, event planning, artist submissions, cleaning, etc.... The list just goes on and on.
Yep, tons of work involved. But also, tons of fun! We loved working with our artists and having such beautiful art to surround ourselves with. The atmosphere that Cheryl and I created was one of peaceful beauty. We wanted a space where you could not only shop but come and immerse yourself in art, have a cup of tea, share a story, and be inspired. We feel we accomplished that. It was definitely our happy place.
We carried the work of 2D and 3D artists. We had wonderful paintings, fine jewelry, fused glass sculptures, woodworking, pottery, photography, and fine gourd sculptures.
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Jonathan Truss and Magic
We had fabulous events! We even had a horse come visit the gallery when we did an artist talk/fundraiser. Wildlife artist Jonathan Truss came all the way from London for his opening reception. He not only came to visit, but he painted a portrait of Magic that he then donated to a silent auction for Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses.
The gang with Mayor Ben Marciano.
My husband Mark chatting with guests at a reception for Mike Knapp.
Mike Knapp delivering his gorgeous work.
One of the best features of having our gallery in Chelsea Square was having a breezeway right outside our doors. On nice temperature days, we even set up tables and painted outside with friends. I think we were just as excited about that breezeway as we were about the gallery itself.
We originally thought we would keep this area private but once we started collecting so much art, we realized we couldn't let walls go to waste so we opened it up and made more gallery space.
Everyone loved the coffee bar! That was our station for all the fixings for tea and coffee. It also served as great storage for reception supplies.
What a phenomenal experience this was. I've spent decades being on the other side of the gallery desk. This was a chance to see the art world from the gallerist side. There was a lot to learn but I think being professional artists for years helped us to navigate the ups and downs of this work. I know one thing for sure... neither one of us could've done this alone. We made a great team because we balanced each other with our strengths and weaknesses.
Why did we close our doors? Several reasons. Although we gave each other long weekends every month so we could have time to do our own work, it often didn't work out that way. Too many other responsibilities got in the way. Life happens. Add to that a tough economy with political upheaval and uncertainty. If you're an artist, you know that selling art isn't easy.
The time was coming to renew our lease in Chelsea so we decided to assess the situation. Could we weather through a few more years until we were firmly established? We decided that the pull of going back to our own work was too strong and the stress level we were dealing with was too high. Do we regret opening the gallery? Absolutely NOT!! The friendship that Cheryl and I have has grown deeper. We've made some wonderful new friends and renewed old acquaintances. It was a fabulous experience, and we feel a real accomplishment. We're proud of what we did, and we won't have to wonder later on - what if?
CC Fine Arts may be no more but now I get to go back in the studio and play!
