By Priscilla Tallman

Kris Gebhardt is a piece of work—literally and figuratively. His art reflects the winding road that led him to the canvas; his body reflects the daily dedication to training that led him to physical health and mental stamina.

“I don’t consider myself an artist but more of a reporter. All my art is tied to my unique life experiences,” says Gebhardt.

Those unique experiences have taken him all over the world and through several phases of his life. Even with setbacks and injuries, his passion for physical fitness and health has never wavered.

A member of the Ball State University football team in the early ’80s, Gebhardt was living the student athlete life until he endured a career-ending knee injury in 1984. Without the structure and discipline collegiate sports offered, his physical and mental game suffered along with his health.

“I ballooned up to 250 pounds,” he says. “I was a washed-up jock.”

But he didn’t wallow for long. Instead, he quickly found himself a job as a member of the personal security team for Tom Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza Corp., and worked himself back into shape. He stayed fit, running five or six miles a day and, at the urging of his boss, started training to become a pizza-franchise owner.

With franchisee training nearing completion, however, he realized he was more into fitness than he was into selling pizza. In 1989, he moved to Indianapolis to begin life as a fitness-equipment sales rep. Again, Gebhardt got restless; he believed it was more important to show people how to use and be successful with the equipment, rather than just sell it.

In 1990, he settled on personal training. “Nobody took fitness seriously back then. It was personal training before there was personal training,” says Gebhardt. However, he took it seriously—so seriously that he put pen to paper and published his first fitness book, Body Mastery, in 1992. Gebhardt is now the author of four books about fitness and health. In 1996, he began training high-profile rock ’n’ roll legend John Mellencamp, who had suffered a heart attack several years earlier. Mellencamp needed a fitness program that would get his heart healthy and his body ready to begin touring. For six years, Gebhardt traveled all over the world on three rock tours with Mellencamp.

As the years of touring came to a close, Gebhardt developed a passion for art and began experimenting with photography and mixed media. But instead of booking shows in the United States, he quietly started showing his work online and overseas under the name “Kristian” in an effort to gain confidence.

In 2005, Gebhardt booked his first stateside show in Louisville, Kentucky, and then booked several in Miami, New York, and at various private exhibits that could hold his 80-by-84-inch pieces. One of these shows, Art Basel Miami, featured two things with which he was intimately familiar: fitness and rock ’n’ roll.

“All art is physically demanding; if you are physically clear, it stirs creativity. If someone comes in to buy a piece of art, they are buying you,” says Gebhardt. It’s no surprise, then, that Gebhardt combined his varied life experiences and made the natural connection between physical and mental fitness and selling art at art shows. Selling creativity, Gebhardt believes, takes stamina. Artists’ financial investments in their booths, their creativity, their travel, and their work should also reflect their investment in their health.

A neglect of one’s physical self, Gebhardt says, reflects in the artist’s presentation of his or her work. But the converse is true, as well: Being fit and having the mental and physical stamina to work big art shows gives the artist an edge. An edge, Gebhardt believes, that is available to anyone who chooses it.

“Our outer shell is a reflection of our inner being, how you are feeling, and the painting you give to the world,” says Gebhardt.

As an artist and a businessman, Gebhardt believes that a daily training regimen is vital for producing and selling his best work. With art shows and gallery openings around the nation, Gebhardt says the following things can affect how you sell art and your overall experience at any art show.

Nutrition: “Don’t leave your food up to someone else. Take your nutrition into your own hands,” says Gebhardt. As soon as he and his wife, Angela, arrive in the city where they will be showing art for the week, they hit the deli. The couple brings a small cooler with snacks, snack bars, sandwiches, and waters for the day and restocks each morning. Gebhardt’s hard rule is “no fast food.” If you plan your meals beforehand, eliminating fast food is easy. Remember that the best food at a venue is usually gone by noon, so having a plan for nutrition is paramount.

Hydration: Pack water to bring along and drink plenty of it throughout the day. The venue may sell juice drinks, but they are full of sugar and will leave you depleted of energy in the long run. If you are well-hydrated, you will likely need to take some bathroom breaks. Use these breaks to stretch your legs, take a quick walk around the venue, and get your blood flowing.

Exercise: A full day of travel can be rough on your body. “On the day you arrive, go right to the gym. It’s critical that you exercise every day; it helps with jet lag, revives [you], and gets blood going to move out toxins,” says Gebhardt. Most hotels offer enough equipment for you to get daily exercise, and, if not, you can always take a brisk walk to get your heart pumping. Daily movement and exercise are also good for your posture. Good posture communicates confidence, and confidence helps sell art. Poor posture and visible exhaustion may cause you to miss an opportunity.

Weight Training: “Moving blood brings oxygen and nutrients to parts of the body. Blood is life,” says Gebhardt. Weight training creates demand on the body to move blood to your muscles, and your muscles in turn move the blood throughout your body. Weight training releases endorphins and oxygenates the body and mind. In essence, it clears out the cobwebs and helps you focus your mind and body.

Mental Stamina: “Mental stamina is a byproduct of [your] focus on the whole body,” says Gebhardt. When you combine nutrition, hydration, exercise, and weight training, you will have a clearer mind and more confidence to deal with the emotions inherent in exhibiting and selling art. When you go up against the biggest and best artists in your space, people will judge you on what you create. If your mental game is off, it may show up in your posture or energy levels. Having a fitness and nutrition regimen will help your body recover from physically and emotionally draining days and keep you energized longer.

Gebhardt admits that it’s emotionally demanding and mentally taxing to put your career on the line at a big art show and expose your creativity. But throughout his life, he’s seen the ability of health and fitness to counterbalance the intense and varied feelings that come with the territory of selling art.

Though he no longer trains rock stars and billionaire business moguls, Gebhardt is still passionate about getting his message to those who are willing to make a change. You may experience several career paths or experiences, but you have only one body. “Keep going for it; you have to celebrate these things. [My art] looks like my life. Our scars are so important; my career is full of them,” says Gebhardt.

The post Piece of Work appeared first on Art Business News.

By Laura Zabel 

Making a living as an artist is an expansive, ever-evolving challenge. However, artists have found ways to make it work for centuries, pooling income from sales, patronage, teaching, grants, fellowships, and day jobs. New opportunities for artists have recently opened up through digital platforms, social media, and licensing, and knowing which business opportunities to take on can be overwhelming.

But, just as the practice of fundamental creative techniques can make artists’ work better, artists can practice fundamental business techniques that will make their professional work stronger. Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists, a free digital toolkit from Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, guides artists through those business practices. It covers career planning, marketing, legal considerations, business plans, and more. The toolkit is based on a series of professional-development workshops that have been delivered to more than 5,000 artists in 80 communities.

The toolkit includes 12 units with activities and templates to use in planning your career goals and strategies, as well as a series of videos of artists sharing their experiences and best business practices. Here are five tips to get you started from the Work of Art toolkit; think of them as the business equivalent of stretching your canvases and sharpening your pencils before you get ready to start your masterpiece.

Make time to make art

You can’t make a living as an artist if you’re not making art. But life can be complicated, and distractions are everywhere, so making time for your work requires setting goals. Use the S.M.A.R.T. (simple, measurable, action, relevant, and time-bound) framework to clearly articulate your goals and get your art going.

Get your portfolio in order

Getting your work out into the world is a key part of making a living and a life as an artist. But what work should you be introducing? And how do you make sure that the work is right? Use the “Portfolio” module in the toolkit to clean up your artist statement, résumé, and work samples. The pieces you exhibit to the world should be your best work and representation of you now and historically.

Price your work right

Selling work can be a daunting challenge for any artist, and setting the price can seem like a high hurdle. Depending on your arts practice, you may have material or studio costs, labor costs for your working time, overhead costs for getting your work to market, and a profit that you want to make. If that challenge sounds daunting, don’t worry; the “Pricing” unit walks you through the steps to help you nail your price point.

Protect yourself

Artists face many issues around the use of images, copyright, intellectual property, and work for hire. The “Legal Considerations” module helps you get up to speed on legal terms and covers the questions you should ask to protect yourself in contracting. It also includes a sample cease-and-desist letter template, just in case you need to use it.

Find your circle

Whether your practice is solo studio time or community-engaged creation, you put in the work to make it better. The same is true for your business practice, and it’s even better if you have a circle of support. Work with other artists to share information, opportunities, and support.

Laura Zabel is executive director of Springboard for the Arts, which operates Creative Exchange, a platform for sharing free toolkits and resources for artists and communities.

The post Sharpen Your Business Savvy appeared first on Art Business News.

By Alan E. Katz, Esq.

“A booming art market has many investors viewing their collections in a new way—as cash machines.” So reported The Wall Street Journal in an article by Andrew Blackman from June 14, 2015. Blackman notes that, with art prices rising, many collectors realize that the value of their art collections has increased substantially. However, collectors have many valid reasons to keep their art rather than sell it if they want to tap into that wealth. A collector may prefer to use the proceeds from a loan, rather than a sale, to purchase additional artwork, raise cash, expand a business, invest in a new business, refinance debt, diversify an investment portfolio, or fund life events, such as a divorce settlement or estate taxes.

Why has the art lending market become so hot? From the art collector’s perspective, numerous reasons exist for borrowing against, rather than selling, art. For example, the sale of art involves significant transaction costs and taxes. The federal long-term capital-gains tax on profit from the sale of art is 28 percent. Adding state and local taxes can result in a total tax bill of 40 percent or more on the gain, depending on the seller’s legal residence. Furthermore, the negative publicity that may result from selling a trophy piece of art, particularly through an auction house, in which the sale is well-known to the public, could lead the collector’s peers to assume that the seller is in financial distress.

Both major banks and smaller specialist lenders offer art-secured loans. Private banks typically offer loans ranging from $1 million to $10 million, with the loans generally not exceeding 50 percent of the appraised value of the art that the seller pledges as collateral. There is sometimes also a minimum value of $100,000 to $200,000 for each piece of art in the collection being pledged. Specialty lenders often deal with loans starting as low as $100,000.

Lenders offer a variety of loan types in today’s market. They can be term loans for as long as 10 years, structured as interest only; partially amortizing or fully amortizing facilities; lines of credit to fund short-term cash needs; revolving-credit facilities to fund recurring cash needs; recourse loans; or nonrecourse loans. In recourse loans, the art serves as collateral for the loan, but the borrower also must give a personal guarantee of repayment. If the borrower defaults and the art that has been pledged as collateral is of insufficient value for the bank to recover the full amount of its loan, then the bank can make a claim on the borrower’s other assets. A nonrecourse loan does not require the borrower’s personal guarantee, and the lender can look only to the art that has been pledged as collateral.

Some banks offer art-secured loans at interest rates of only 2.5 or 3 percent to ultra-high-net-worth collectors, such as hedge-fund manager Steven A. Cohen, whose art collection is reportedly worth an estimated $1 billion. In contrast, some small specialty lenders, such as Borro, can charge interest rates as high as 59 percent on an annualized basis in California and 47 percent in most other states. Most private bank loans are in the high-single-digit to low-double-digit range, however.

Even with these sky-high interest rates, the art-lending market is estimated at $9.6 billion a year, according to the Deloitte Luxembourg and ArtTactic Art & Finance Report from 2014. However, when you consider that global art sales that year were estimated at $63 billion, it is clear that only a small percentage of the art market is taking advantage of the benefits of borrowing against one’s art.

Art lenders have concerns that are specific to art as collateral. For example, the value of art is subjective and may fluctuate to a greater degree than other types of collateral. Art is relatively illiquid, and the provenance and authenticity of art present unique challenges to a lender. To establish provenance, the borrower must provide the lender with proof, such as purchase documents, exhibition history, and sales history, and must state whether any catalogs have included the artwork. Authenticity issues, on the other hand, relate to whether the artist alleged to have created the artwork did in fact do so. Certain types of artwork carry other risks that the lender must consider as well. Art from ancient civilizations faces the possibility that the government of the country of origin will try to recover it. The borrower must convince the lender that he or she is the legal and beneficial owner, that no other ownership claims exist, and that the artwork is not war booty or stolen goods.

In the United States, the lender will secure its interest in the collateral by filing a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statement, which in effect tells the world that the lender is the holder of the security interest in the artwork. This mechanism is generally not available to lenders in Europe. The lender must file the UCC financing statement in the state of the borrower’s principal residence. If the borrower has multiple residences, it is good practice to file in all such states.

Because the value of art can vary significantly over time, the lender will often claim that it has the right to do an annual appraisal of the art at the borrower’s expense. The loan-to-value ratio usually cannot exceed 50 percent; if the appraisal indicates that the value of the art has declined, then the borrower may have to repay a portion of the loan, reduce the size of a revolving credit facility, or pledge additional collateral to the lender. Generally, the lender will permit the art to remain in the home or warehouse of the borrower. In some circumstances, however, the lender will require that the art be stored in a warehouse, where the lender would have unfettered access to reappraise or seize the art in the event of a default by the borrower. The lender may permit the borrower to loan the art to a third party, such as a museum or gallery, but may insist upon an agreement with the third party establishing the lender’s rights to access or seize the artwork.

Using art as collateral for a variety of loans, while in most cases maintaining the ability to continue to enjoy the art, has great appeal to many art collectors.

Credit:
serazetdinov/Shutterstock

The post Borrowing with Art as Collateral appeared first on Art Business News.

By Lee Mergner

Venezuelan-born painter Jonathan Brender’s bright pointillism pieces have made him popular with collectors in the United States and Europe. The South Florida resident, who first received his artistic education in ceramics and sculpture, spoke with ABN contributor Lee Mergner at Spectrum Miami, where he contemplated light, inspiration, and the changing nature of art as a career.

Art Business News: Do you remember your first piece of work that others recognized?

Jonathan Brender: I do remember. The beginnings of my art were from a trip I took to Australia in the back country where the Aborigines live. I stayed there for two months learning their art of pointillism. They used to do big faces with a million dots—aborigine faces, maybe kangaroos. I was so amazed at their patience and how many points [it took]. I started modifying that art into [portraits of] modern icons. My first [pointillism piece] was a face of Bob Marley, which had immediate success in my exposition in London. Then I knew I had something going on, something different from other artists. I started pursuing that, and, in two years’ time, I started attending Spectrum and other shows, and it just skyrocketed.

I can only make 10 to 12 paintings a year because it takes that much time, and physically it takes a toll on my shoulders and on my fingers. Once I started selling out all my yearly productions or collections, I knew that I really had something special and different.

ABN: What drew you to that form?

JB: I think it’s the time-consuming aspect of each painting. I need that time consumption to maintain my mind in the same way. For me, working eight hours, 10 hours, 12 hours a day for a month and a half doing only points … keeps me from going insane.

ABN: For most people it would be the opposite! Do you listen to music while working?

JB: Yes, only classical and jazz. And, [contrary to] what people might think, I can’t drink a drop of alcohol when I’m painting because I cannot have my hands shake even just an itty bit. When I’m painting, I’m at my most sober time.

ABN: How has your work evolved over the years?

JB: I’ve been doing this for 15 years. It has evolved, first of all, in the number of dots I do. When I started out, I did 20,000 or 25,000 dots. Now, I’m up to 180,000 dots. Also, I’m incorporating a few UV tints and inks that work only in darkness or with a UV light. I’m also doing some geometrical forms that you can see only from far away, and, from near you can see only the dots. I think I’ve come a long way.

ABN: What is your relationship with the people who buy your art?

JB: Usually, nowadays, I don’t even meet my clients. When I started out, I sold them personally to each of my clients. Now, it has become somewhat of a real business, where my PR manager takes care of all the sales. It’s really strange when I meet the real buyer. And they’re mostly from Europe. I really don’t get to meet them personally, which is something I really would like to do.

ABN: Why has Europe been a better market for you?

JB: I was born in Venezuela, but I’m an American. The place to be historically for art, besides Europe, is America. I collect pop art from American artists, which is hugely collectible. But Europeans, I think, buy more art. I think Americans buy more expensive art but fewer pieces. But Europeans like the emerging artists. They’ll buy an entire collection of one emerging artist. It’s a different market. It’s really interesting—the chemistry between the European buyers and the American buyers. It’s totally different.

ABN: How has technology changed the business side for you?

JB: That’s something I’m still trying to adapt to. A hand-painting artist [like myself] doesn’t have the time for this new media—Facebook, Instagram, and whatever. You get to the point where you have to hire somebody to manage that. But if you don’t have sales, then you can’t manage that. So you’re without an arm or a leg. Thank God I do sell out my collections each year, so I have two people to take care of that. It’s a really important part of being an artist in this day.

ABN: Technology has changed things for the galleries, as well.

JB: Nobody walks into a gallery now unless they have bought from there before. Now you go online and you have 100 pages—Saatchi, Amazon, whatever—that specialize in handmade art. Now you don’t have to walk through three or five or eight galleries. Now you just go online and find whatever you’re looking for. People who buy art … have something on their mind that they really want to buy. They have to research. The technology now goes like the left hand with the right hand for the artists and their paintings.

ABN: But it’s hard to really experience the 3D and tactile aspects of art online. A JPEG is very different from a piece of art.

JB: On my website, you can see my paintings, but you can’t really appreciate each of the dots I do because it’s a digital image. You have to look at it closely. For me as an artist, it’s hard that people like to look first at the work on a computer. Art is supposed to be seen in real life and in the real light. But you either modify, or you die. You either keep up with the times, or you wither. It’s a fight between the old-school art that we love and cherish and the new age.

ABN: Light is a big issue for all art, but how does light affect your work?

JB: I only work with yellow light, and, interestingly enough, I can’t work with light hitting directly on the canvas. I need light to be from any of the sides, so I paint on a light shadow. It’s really different from other painters, who need natural light or white light. I need yellow light and [to be in the] shadows.

ABN: Why is that?

JB: It makes me measure the dots and the position of the dots better.

ABN: Like the filmmakers’ magic hour?

JB: Yes, I actually start at 7 a.m., and when the light gets heavy, I can’t paint anymore.

ABN: What was the last piece of art you saw from another artist that inspired you or struck you?

JB: I can’t think of any emerging artists that really wowed me recently, but I would say that my favorite artist in history is Jackson Pollock. At that date he started doing his style, it was a revolution. No one dared to do that. And the colors he used. It was so simple but yet so shocking. I think the first painting I saw of his was No. 203 or something. I remember my first paintings. I didn’t put names; I put numbers. He was my biggest influence, although my technique has nothing to with that. He was so bold and so risky. And I also identify with his personal life [laughs].

ABN: What do you get from coming to a show like Spectrum Miami or Artexpo New York?

JB: I have a great connection with Spectrum and with Artexpo. First of all, the organization is incredible. The friendliness, for it being an art event, is unbelievable. The networking I see here is really difficult to find in other places, mainly because the ambiance here is not that of old-school galleries. Everybody here is young. There are new galleries. Everybody is on the same page. Nobody thinks they are bigger or better than anybody. Everybody here is the same. This attracts me the most [to] the Redwood shows.

The post Point Man appeared first on Art Business News.

Interview by Lee Mergner

ABN: How did you get into the business side of the art world?

TL: I went to college for business and got a degree in business administration with a concentration in finance. When I got back to Dallas, I got a job working as a handyman for a fine-art gallery. I became the owner’s right-hand man. I mixed his paints, I built the studio, I hung the artwork, I painted the walls, I sold the artwork, I delivered the artwork, I installed the artwork, [and] I ran the staff. I was the utility player. He [gave] me the fire.

One of the first pieces I did was an itty-bitty one. It was terrible. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t understand the medium. He looked at it. We had an honest relationship, and he said to me, “Tanner, I don’t think this is your strength. You don’t really have a talent for this. You can’t learn this. It’s something you’re born with. You’re very talented, and you can do a lot of things, but this isn’t one of your things. You’ll never be an artist.” He didn’t know me and my God very well. I am a very faithful person, and I believe in positivity. Faith is believing that things that haven’t happened yet are going to turn out in a positive way. Fear is the exact opposite: Things that haven’t happened yet turn out in a negative way. I always choose to look for the positive and believe that I can do anything that I put my mind to.

ABN: Tell me about your painting “How Deep Is Your Love?” that has attracted a lot of attention at this show.

TL: This one was a big 5-by-5 [foot] canvas, and, for three months, I took all the paint that I could scrape off the other paintings as I was painting them, and I would put it on the background of this piece. The very first thing I painted on this piece was “LOVE” right across the middle. And I started building background, background, background. I use high-energy music when I paint, like electronic dance music, and as I was painting that heart on the piece, a song by Calvin Harris came on, called “How Deep Is Your Love?” While I was painting the heart, that song was just jamming, and, when I finished the heart, that song ended. Knowing that “LOVE” was the first thing I painted on there months ago, I thought that was the perfect name for the piece: “How Deep Is Your Love?”

ABN: How have your experiences as an artist shaped your approach to running a gallery?

TL: They’ve made me a better gallery owner. [Artists] want to get paid a fair wage. We want people to deal with us honestly. When [galleries] sell something, let us know—those types of things. I’ve made certain rules because I represent my friends who are artists, and I pay all of my artists a higher percentage. They get between 55 and 75 percent of the sale. I share my gallery list with them, so whoever owns their work gets a copy of the invoice, so they know exactly who has it. I love for them to be able to get in contact with those people. I pay them immediately. Those are three simple things that I think are a big deal in the art world.

I pride myself on being a gallery for the working artist. Every one of these artists is out there hustling and working. I know their families. I’ve played with their kids. For me, that’s my motivation.

ABN: You were an Artist to Watch in Art Business News in 2010. Who would you name a current Artist to Watch?

TL: A guy whose work I’m selling a lot of is Pete Tillack. He’s an Australian artist [who works in] San Diego. He’s got great scale, proportion, [and] color theory. He does these city scenes, but he puts living-room furniture in the middle of places you wouldn’t expect it—out under an oak tree or in a vineyard or in Times Square. It’s really nice high-designer-type furniture—couches or chairs. I’ve got [his work] in my front window, and every day someone comes in and looks at it. His stuff is so hot right now, I can’t keep it in the gallery. He’s shipping me 11 new pieces because I’ve sold out his inventory just in a matter of two months. He would be one of my artists to watch.

Here in Miami, I’ve seen so many people that have blown my mind, and it makes me realize just how little I am in the world of art. But I’m OK with that. I’m only seven years in. I haven’t been doing this forever. That’s what I love about coming to a show like this. I’ve seen a ton of artwork that I would love to sell, and, before the end of the show, I’m going to talk to some of the artists. I may not know them yet, but I’m going to get to know them. You see that level of expertise at this show. I’ve heard over and over that this show compares with any of the big shows out there. People seem to like this one more. It’s more for us. It’s more for the residential buyer. It’s more attainable. Having all the artists here makes a difference. You go to a lot of those bigger shows, and the artist isn’t there. That’s very important when you’re purchasing or acquiring artwork for your home. You want to get to know the artist. It makes such a better story. It makes it something that they’re going to pass down to their kids’ kids because they have that personal connection.

The post Q&A with Artist & Gallery Owner Tanner Lawley appeared first on Art Business News.

Every year, Redwood Media Group’s LaunchPad Program selects two up-and-coming, unrepresented artists—one from San Diego and one from Miami—to exhibit their work at Art San Diego and Spectrum Miami respectively. The selected artists get an opportunity for which many young artists strive: to present their art at a site-specific exhibition.

Ann Berchtold, founder and executive director of Art San Diego, created the program in 2011. After Redwood Media Group bought her company, the LaunchPad Program expanded to Spectrum Miami, one of Redwood’s other contemporary art events. The program also has the potential to be included in future Redwood shows, such as Spectrum Indian Wells, which premieres this March, and July’s Art Santa Fe, Redwood’s latest acquisition. To date, the company has named seven artists as LaunchPad Artists.

In 2015, Redwood selected Brittany Segal and Renuka Adhav to be the sixth and seventh members of that prestigious group. Segal, 27, studied fine-art sculpture at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and has recently gained recognition for her small, detailed drawings. From abstract oil paintings to acrylic graphic works, Segal’s art includes purposeful and haunting illegible writings and intricate, small designs.

Adhav, 28, has an associate’s degree in radiography and a four-year certificate in nuclear medicine and is a practicing nuclear medicine technologist. In 2012, she took time off from her full-time job to pursue a bachelor of fine arts in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. After graduating, she moved to Miami for a job in nuclear medicine, but continues to paint and sell her work.

The Selection Process

Selecting artists for the LaunchPad Program is based on a set of criteria, says Linda Mariano, managing director of marketing at Redwood Media Group. “We look for local artists in the communities of Miami and San Diego that are at a point in their careers where they are being recognized … in the media and have done a few local shows at galleries, museums, or private venues,” says Mariano. “They need to show a dedication and a commitment to becoming professional artists. Both Brittany and Renuka fit that profile.”

Part of the process for selecting the LaunchPad Artists is finding candidates and determining whether they would be good fits. Segal appeared on Berchtold’s radar, and, after finding out more about her work, Berchtold decided that Segal would be a great candidate for the program.

In Miami, Redwood works with Life Is Art, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting and highlighting art in the Miami area. Life Is Art put out a call for applications for the LaunchPad Program, asking applicants to create profiles and submit their artwork. James Echols, co-founder and executive director of Life Is Art, and Redwood’s Mariano then reviewed the submissions and narrowed down the pool of more than 100 candidates to 10. They then selected one of those 10 as the artist who had the unique opportunity to paint live during the Miami show.

“What stood out [about] Renuka was the developed level of her work—the quality and the distinctive nature of it,” says Mariano. “The material she uses, the media, and her approach to creating a canvas are unique, and that is what drew us to selecting her.”

Benefits of the Program

The LaunchPad Program gives emerging artists the opportunity to gain a wealth of exposure. The program can be a catalyst for emerging talent—from those exhibiting at Art San Diego or Spectrum Miami to social-media coverage, press releases, and emails to a long list of collectors.

“We hope what happens is that they are already on the edge of becoming career artists,” says Mariano. “The artists we choose already understand the importance of being in a venue like Art San Diego or Spectrum Miami. Brittany had the opportunity to exhibit at the show, and Renuka was painting live during the show. This [ability to exhibit or paint at the show] maximizes the opportunity, and it’s a key benefit.”

Renuka Adhav

Adhav recalls first learning about the LaunchPad Program through a friend and fellow artist who had exhibited at Spectrum. “I never thought I’d be able to get … into the show since I had just moved down from Atlanta,” says Adhav. “But my friend encouraged me to try it out and see what happened.”

Adhav describes her work as surreal, imperial landscapes. The South Florida community is more receptive to her contemporary work than Atlanta was, she says. “South Florida has more culture and diversity. There are people from all over the world who bring their art here, and people are more welcoming to their ‘crazy’ pieces,” Adhav explains. “[In Atlanta], they did not seem interested in collecting contemporary art.”

Adhav says that finding out that she won was a surreal experience, especially because it was her first show. She exhibited paintings from her series of surreal landscapes. She uses oil on some pieces but also enjoys working with nontraditional media, such as polyurethane wood stain.

“I like to experiment and see what happens when you mix these materials together,” Adhav says. “Sometimes, it takes time to work and see how it will look the following day. It’s a lot of layering and building up on the surface. When pouring things onto the surface, I’m exploring and building it up into something; I start to envision a landscape as I do this. It starts to resemble something, and I let the idea formulate as I paint.”

Adhav believes that the LaunchPad Program has had a tremendous impact on her career and that it has expanded her potential. “Being a part of this [program] gave me a confidence boost that I had not felt before,” she says. “It made me feel like my work is worthy of these shows and that I should keep trying. It helped me learn how to price my work, to be ready for any opportunity, and to be appreciative of everything.”

Brittany Segal

Though she has been painting since she was young, Segal entered the professional art field only about three and a half years ago. She credits her father, an architect, for encouraging her to engage in creative activity. After a few years of working full time in a more traditional job, Segal decided to go full-force with her art. “Since becoming a full-time artist, it has been a crazy, wild ride and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says.

Segal says her art is very emotional; she draws her inspiration from the people and interactions she has in her daily life. Segal uses these inspirations—from relationships and love interests to people she has met only briefly and those who are close to her—to fuel her work.

“I use a lot of texture in my work to evoke movement, which then evokes emotion,” she explains. “I paint with oils on canvas. All of my work is completely abstract. I find something very freeing about abstract art; it allows me to be perfectly and imperfectly me.”

Segal also has a pen series, which she calls her “love letters.” They are illegible to the viewer because she contorts the letters in each word so drastically that only she knows the meaning. The reader is then left with only the emotion that stemmed from the experience she wrote about. “My mind runs in all sorts of directions at times, and my pieces reflect that chaos in a very calming way. It is as if my paintings put to rest [my] internal chaos,” says Segal.

At Art San Diego, Segal showcased an assortment of her mini-pen series of ink-on-paper artwork. She also showed two of her large love letters on canvas: one softer and more whimsical and the other stronger and more defined. An abstract green and neutral oil painting hung at the back of her booth. This piece was from her Idaho series “The Detailed Terrain,” and she says it is one of her favorites. She also showcased an all-olive-green painting for which she used scraping techniques to provide texture.

Segal is currently working on several large commissions from private clients. She also has a few ideas for her next collection. She says that her time in the LaunchPad Program was unforgettable. “The LaunchPad Program was amazing. I met so many people over the course of the weekend and throughout the buildup to the event,” she explains. “I definitely found that it created a space for my art in the San Diego scene.”

The post LaunchPad Artists Brittany Segal and Renuka Adhav Make Their Mark appeared first on Art Business News.

Photos by Robert J. Hibbs

For 38 years and counting, Artexpo New York has been changing the way people buy and sell art. An annual juried art show, Artexpo brings the biggest publishers, galleries, and collectors face-to-face with hundreds of established and emerging artists. It is exactly what it claims to be: the world’s largest fine-art marketplace. There, many of the world’s most renowned artists, including Andy Warhol, Peter Max, Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Indian, Keith Haring, and Leroy Neiman, launched their careers. Which artists will get a chance at fame this year?

In 2016, Artexpo will host more than 400 innovative exhibiting artists, galleries, and art publishers from across the globe, showcasing exciting original artwork, prints, paintings, drawings, sculpture, photography, ceramics, giclées, lithographs, glass work, and more—all under one roof. The show will take place from April 14–17 at Pier 94, New York City’s hub for art, fashion, and design events. Each year, thousands of art-industry insiders flock to Artexpo New York in search of the art and artists that will shape trends in galleries worldwide. Annually hosting more than 28,000 avid art enthusiasts, it is also the largest international gathering of qualified trade buyers, including gallery owners and managers, art dealers, interior designers, architects, corporate-art buyers, and art and framing retailers.

Three Shows in One

As in past years, Artexpo, a juried collection of global galleries, art publishers, and established artists, will colocate with [SOLO], a juried exhibition of innovative, independent artists from around the world. This year, Artexpo will also include [FOTO SOLO], which features collections of fine-art photography from the world’s finest abstract, contemporary, and realist photographers. [FOTO SOLO] thus echoes [SOLO]’s philosophy of supporting the career opportunities of independent artists.

Artexpo New York Events

This year’s show is jam-packed with fabulous parties, live demonstrations, helpful seminars, and more. Thursday’s VIP Opening Night Preview Party from 4 to 7 p.m. will kick off the weekend and will include complimentary beverages, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment, as well as the unveiling of the 2016 Poster Challenge winner. The soirées continue with Friday Night at Artexpo from 5 to 7 p.m., with more libations and chances to mingle with artists and gallery owners. Throughout the weekend, attendees will have a chance to get up close and personal with the artists during exclusive meet-the-artist events and demonstrations, and with thousands of artworks on display, they’ll be sure to find the piece of art they’ve been looking for.

Topics & Trends Educational Series

Alongside the three shows, the event features four days of cutting-edge Topics & Trends, seminars and conference classes offering expert perspectives on art and the economy, small-business management, art marketing, social media for artists, and other subjects. Free with admission, the series once again promises to be jam-packed with valuable information and ideas. Topics & Trends has something on the slate for everyone, with artists sharing experiences and expert advice in Art Talk sessions and industry experts giving practical advice on art licensing, event marketing, color trends, and design ideas.

Exhibitors: Returning Favorites and New Faces

Favorite exhibitors will be in the halls again this year. Mattson’s Fine Art, Art Design Consultants, Progressive Fine Art, Smart Publishing, and Artblend return with some of their most popular artists as well as new artists and collections to excite you. Favorite artists will include Socrates Marquez, Samir Sammoun, Brad Robertson, Louise Cutler, Nick Paciorek, James Paterson, and John Napoli, who will be there to greet attendees with their new collections. And you won’t want to miss the new [FOTO SOLO] extension of the [SOLO] pavilion, where some of the best fine-art photographers will be showcasing their amazing work.
Put it on your calendar. It’s always a don’t-miss event, and this year won’t disappoint. It’s an unrivaled opportunity to see and buy great art, meet the artists, learn their stories, and enjoy all the excitement Artexpo has to offer.

Artexpo New York 2016: Hours & Location

VIP Opening Night Preview Party
Thursday, April 14, 4 – 7 p.m.
Open to all attendees

Show Hours

Thursday, April 14, noon – 7 p.m.
Trade-only day

Friday, April 15, noon – 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 16, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Sunday, April 17, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Show Address
Pier 94
711 12th Ave at 55th Street
and the West Side Highway
New York, NY 10019-5399

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By Lee Mergner

ABN: How did you come upon your unique technique of creating art with packing tape?

MZ: It started with the idea to do street art in Amsterdam. Amsterdam has these beautiful old streetlamps, and I saw so much street art in the daytime, but no artist was using city lights and streetlamps as a canvas. I started with little sketches with colored markers on Plexiglas. And one night I put up one of these sketches with a piece of brown packing tape. It was the first time I saw how the packing tape interacts with light and creates the sepia tones that remind us of old photography. I thought that was interesting. The next morning I still had that roll of tape. I started on my kitchen window, unrolling strips, and I cut it with my sushi knife and layered it a little bit. It stuck nastily on the window and it looked pretty ugly, but there was already some potential to be seen.

ABN: How long has this journey been?

MZ: That was about five years ago when I had the idea to do street art. It was not a big thing. I liked it, but it was nothing that I even showed people much. But it got popular in Amsterdam where I live. People would write me emails, asking me, “How do you do this? I don’t understand how this image is made of tape.” At one point, I was just really sick of answering these questions because I really couldn’t satisfy anybody with my answers. So I filmed myself making a little artwork on my window and put the video up on YouTube. I was gone for a week to surf, and I came back to something like 3,000 emails, and I thought I must have been spammed. I didn’t even read them. But then I thought I should check that video, and maybe I’ll have 20 or 30 clicks on it. I had over 100,000 in the first week and on up to over a million soon after. People asked me for artwork, and people asked me to events, and I was totally not ready for it. But it was the moment when I had to decide, “Do I take that chance, and do I start working and diving into that crazy pool and start swimming?” I decided to do that. I had all day to develop techniques. Every day of the week, I was taping. It gave me the chance to develop myself and my skills with that medium, which is great.

ABN: How long was the original video in real time?

MZ: I think the actual process was something like five hours. I took some breaks, drank some coffee. It was nothing planned out. It was the key to transport what [my art is] made of to the public that was not even so interested in art. YouTube isn’t necessarily for art lovers. But that was the bridge to the audience.

ABN: Here at the show, you’ve been handing people a piece of tape and asking them to place it on a canvas.

MZ: It’s a dangerous game, I’ll tell you, because they can drop them in weird places.

ABN: But you’re able to work around it?

MZ: Sometimes when the day is over, I do peel some pieces off that are really in places I can’t use them. Other than that, I can usually cut them to make them part of the artwork. Most of the time, it works.

ABN: What do you get from that interaction?

MZ: It was born first out of necessity to have people understand what these works are made of. We had them at exhibitions, and people liked it, but there was no understanding between the artwork and the audience. So, I thought, “All right, I have to just show it.” I didn’t like it at the beginning. It was like a math teacher looking over your shoulder when you’re taking a test—like I was being observed and not in a good way. But it’s something I pulled through with, and now I really love it. It’s a cool thing to show people the process to an artwork, not only the finished result. Art in the making is what fascinates me.

ABN: How do you deal with the business side of being an artist?

MZ: I have a manager. She takes care of the business side, but she’s an artist in spirit, so we don’t fight often about things. We have very clear ideas about what we want to do. It’s a gut feeling. If we don’t want to do something, we don’t do it. It’s not about the money so much. We have enough money for the both of us to keep going and do what we both like.

ABN: Do you do a lot of art shows?

MZ: I did about six this year and one or two solo exhibitions. It’s a lot of work to show, but I enjoy the attention, and it’s very fulfilling to connect with the audience.

The post Q&A with Packing Tape Artist Max Zorn appeared first on Art Business News.

By Melissa Hart

Sculptors this season promise whimsy, color, and endless surprises in the form of a giant metal sculpture of a rock topped by a sheet of paper and bisected by red-handled scissors, a 6-foot leopard-print stiletto trimmed in red fur, or a couple of professional tennis players forged from a family’s heirloom silverware.

This curated list of the season’s top sculpture exhibits takes lovers of 3-D art across the country, from Theodore Gall’s fantastical bronze busts in a Beverly Hills park to Ai Weiwei’s towering installation of 42 steel bicycles at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Prepare to be amused—and amazed.

Endless Line: 3-D Printed Work by Kevin Caron
Feb. 5–27, 2016
Walter Art Gallery, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Kevin Caron specializes in large 3-D-printed sculptures. A 3-D printer will run during the opening of the show, offering a close-up look at how the artist creates his vibrant resin forms.

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge: Try to Altar Everything
March 11 – Aug. 1, 2016
Rubin Museum of Art, New York, N.Y.

This exhibit of paintings, sculptures, and installations examines the influence of Hindu mythology and Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley on P-Orridge’s work and interests in devotion and ritual. Visitors will have opportunities to interact with the artist, whose work also explores physical alteration in the service of creative gender identity.

Spectrum Indian Wells
March 17–20, 2016
Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa, Indian Wells, Calif.

The newest addition to the lineup of Spectrum art shows, this Indian Wells event will feature a sleek, gallery-style exhibition space and an outdoor sculpture garden for 3-D pieces. Eric Shupe, Jim Keller, Time McClendon, and Nonos Gallery will be some of the highlights.

Jae Ko: Force of Nature, 白 Shiro
Through May 1, 2016
Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton Township, N.J.

Jae Ko creates paper-relief sculptures by soaking rolls of adding-machine paper in water infused with Japanese inks made from wood ash. The undulating sculptures stretch to as long as 80 feet and as tall as 14 feet. Grounds for Sculpture is also home to 270 permanent works of art.

Projects 103: Thea Djordjadze
April through Summer 2016
MoMA PS1, Queens, New York

Berlin-based Georgian artist Thea Djordjadze presents sculptural ensembles using basic construction materials, such as plaster, wood, wire lath, metal rods, glass, and fabric. The site-specific installation reflects the building’s unique architecture.

Megacities Asia
April 3 – July 17, 2016
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston

Representing Asian megacities with populations of more than 10 million, this exhibition features 14 large sculptures and installations. Works appear in the Ann and Graham Gund Gallery and throughout the museum’s campus.

Joel Shapiro
May 7 – Aug. 21, 2016
Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas

Shapiro explores geometric form through complex composition. Along with key works from Nasher’s permanent collection and an array of drawings, the show will feature multicolored shapes suspended in the gallery at various heights and angles.

Beverly Hills artSHOW
May 21–22, 2016
Beverly Gardens Park, Beverly Hills, Calif.

Near the center of Beverly Hills, Beverly Gardens Park will showcase the work of 30 sculptors. Among the highlights are Jeff Davis, who will show free-form metal geometries welded from industrial parts, and Theodore Gall, who will display bronze sculptures inspired by film and fantasy characters.

Origami in the Garden
May 21 – Nov. 13, 2016
Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Columbus, Ohio

Sculptor Kevin Box has created more than 20 giant metal sculptures inspired by the Japanese art of folding paper. The collection includes collaborative works with Jennifer Box, Robert J. Lang, Te Jui Fu, Michael G. LaFosse, and Richard Alexander.

Sculpture in the Park
Aug. 13–14, 2016
Benson Sculpture Garden, Loveland, Colo.

This celebration showcases 2,000 pieces of sculpture created by 160 sculptors worldwide. Year-round, the Benson Sculpture Garden is home to 148 permanent pieces of sculpture displayed around a lagoon and surrounded by trees and flowers, with the Rocky Mountains in the background.

Q&A WITH SCULPTOR ERIC SHUPE

ABN: Why did you choose silverware as your medium?

ES: On walkabout with my father as a child, he only took jobs to which he could bring me. He’d hand me a 2-by-4 and a pocketknife and tell me to whittle. He planted the seed that developed my three-dimensional mind. Later, I went into the Air Force. When I came home, to center myself and feel calm and creative, I’d go out in my garage and fool around with silverware. I think about how many people have had those spoons and forks in their hand—thousands of people—and different stories about each one. It’s not just a piece of metal; someone raised children with those spoons. They fed someone, took care of someone. Each piece is someone’s life.

ABN: How long have you been working as a professional sculptor?

ES: I’ve been sculpting for 17 years. Three years ago, a woman came to my house and said, “Where did you get these sculptures? They’re amazing.” She’d been doing art shows for 30 years and hadn’t seen anything like my work. The next week, she filled out an application and brought me a tent and said, “You have something special and unique. I paid for this art show in Ormond Beach, Florida, and I want you to go to it.” I flipped out a plastic table, and I won the show.

ABN: Your sculptures include everything from horses to mermaids to athletes. How do you choose your subject matter?

ES: I love to capture the explosion of energy. For one piece, I watched my daughter run track over and over to see all the movement, to find the spot where you can see all the muscles on the back and the arms. I’m doing a show in Indian Wells in March, and the last two days of the show coincide with the first two days of the [BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament], so I’m sculpting two tennis players. Some people will come to me and say, “I have my grandmother’s silverware. Could you create a sculpture to pass down like a family heirloom?” One woman whose daughter had passed away inspired me to create “Mary,” a sculpture of a mother grieving the death of her child. Some people could care less about a box of spoons and forks; as sculpture, they become a powerful statement about family.

ABN: What current trends do you notice in sculpture?

ES: People are gravitating toward handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces. They really appreciate being the only one in the world to have a particular piece of art. They don’t want to buy a reproduction or something that a factory has created. That’s why I find appreciation for my work: I get so many compliments from people telling me that it’s rare to find an artist who creates that one-of-a-kind, classy piece of art.

ABN: Where can we see your work this season?

ES: I’ll be exhibiting at Spectrum Indian Wells, March 17th to 20th; the Indian Wells Arts Festival, April 1st through 3rd; and at the Melbourne Art Festival in Melbourne, Florida, April 23rd and 24th.

Q&A WITH SCULPTOR HEIDI LOEWEN

ABN: Why did you choose porcelain as your medium?

HL: I started working in clay when I was 2. My parents were also phenomenal landscape artists; everything they did on the weekends was in the garden, and I loved to play in the mud. When I turned 10, my mother asked if I’d like to take a clay class and learn how to do pottery on the wheel. I absolutely loved my class and my teacher. When I got into Skidmore [College in Saratoga Springs, New York], I took classes in painting, drawing, jewelry making, and welding, but my favorite was ceramics.

ABN: How long have you been working as a professional sculptor?

HL: In Santa Fe, 22 years ago, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do when my child was young. I started off teaching, and then I took over a friend’s space downtown near the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and opened a gallery. I’ve never looked back. It’s the most hilarious and fun job I’ve ever had.

ABN: What drew you to sculpting shoes?

HL: I love shoes. Stilettos mean you’re ready for fun, adventure, action, and a great time ahead. I was producing wild and crazy sculptures with my porcelain; then, several years ago, I decided I should take a break and do something fun just with my fingers. I took a small block of clay and started modeling; the first thing that came was this fabulous little stiletto shoe. I decided I’d add my love of everything—lace, fabric, fur, gemstones, feathers, and gold and silver leaf. I display them on Plexiglas cubes. The back is a mirror, and the floor is a mirror, so you can see the sole. The shoes are approximately 6 inches long and up to 12 inches tall.

ABN: A much larger version of one of your shoes appeared at the entrance of Spectrum Miami last December. What was the public’s reaction?

HL: I cast it in Thailand and created a 6-foot aluminum stiletto covered in sparkling, candy-apple red automotive body paint and completed the inside with white marabou feathers and opalized quartz crystal up and down the back. The thing that got me the most excited was watching people’s faces as they came down the aisle; they saw this crazy big shoe and got the biggest grins on their faces.

ABN: Who are your favorite sculpture artists? How have they inspired you?

HL: I love what Kevin Box has done. He has no fear, knows no boundaries. He’ll work in aluminum, in stainless steel, in bronze. For his piece “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” he uses a real rock. Native American artists will often add turquoise or coral or various kinds of bones. I love it when people do anything out of the ordinary.

ABN: Where can we see your work this season?

HL: I have a gallery in Santa Fe where I show my work and offer private ceramic wheel work and sculpture classes. My only requirements are that people have a sense of humor and say only wonderful, uplifting things about their own work.

Q&A WITH SCULPTOR IRA REINES

ABN: How long have you been working as a professional sculptor?

IR: I’ve been sculpting since age 5 [and] professionally since age 15. I’m self-taught. At 21, I began collaborating with Art Deco artist and designer Erté. I transformed 69 of his two-dimensional designs into bronze sculptures and turned them into the Erté Sculpture Collections, pieces of which appear in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian.

ABN: Much of your work explores mythological figures, such as “The Three Graces,” a trio of larger-than-life figures that you combined into one 8½-foot-tall piece and unveiled at the Peninsula Shanghai last October. What draws you to sculpt heroic-sized characters from mythology?

IR: I discovered my own voice in the year 2000 through loss; my parents had passed away and a long-term relationship had ended. For the first time, I was completely alone. It was a devastating experience; I found myself completely broken open as a person and as an artist. Through my work, I was able to heal my soul. My work is a spiritual statement; I’m really sculpting the spirit of the ascendant human form.

The unveiling was astonishing; my gallery representors stood on one side of a 20-foot curtain covering the sculpture, and I was on the other side with my publisher. A beautiful opera singer from Shanghai sang a piece from Madama Butterfly before the curtain came down. The moment remains frozen in my mind as an example of aesthetic purity.

ABN: What current trends do you notice in sculpture?

IR: We’re doing more one-of-a-kind pieces; with our editions limited to nine pieces, they become more valuable and desirable to collectors who want to buy something that has worth as an investment.

ABN: What project are you currently working on?

IR: It’s the largest thing I’ve ever done, called “The Gates of Creation,” with 11 30-foot-tall figures. I use beauty as a metaphor for divinity. I have places in my sculpture that are extremely refined and smooth, which represent perfection of the soul and, in the same piece, places that are raw, showing the more elemental state we come from as human beings. For an artist to have his dreams and visions realized in bronze [is] an amazing feeling.

ABN: Where can we see your work this season?

IR: You can see my work at the Marcus Ashley Fine Art Gallery in Lake Tahoe, California, and at Midtown Artery in Greenville, South Carolina.

Melissa Hart teaches nonfiction for Whidbey Island’s MFA Program in Creative Writing. She’s the author of two memoirs and a children’s novel. melissahart.com.

The post The Season’s Best Sculpture Exhibits appeared first on Art Business News.

“I spent a couple of years studying at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. I fell in love with the tropics and later relocated to Fort Lauderdale where I started my business. Palms have always intrigued me as graphic elements for a composition. I like to catch their constant movement caused by off shore breezes.”

rcnoble.com

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