There is often additional information on the recording that is not in this written interview.  Inspire yourself and listen while you make art.

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My primary goal in these interviews is to inspire you with stories of people who make a living helping artists make a living making art and who consider it a real job. The art professionals I interview here have valuable tales to tell you about how to work with them.   

www.LJE.com Chuck Redux

With his background in French, English Literature and studies at the Goodman School of Drama at the Art Institute of Chicago, it seemed only natural that a career in the arts would suit Robert Patrick's creative temperament. 





Robert: Money is the short answer.  It is, after all, still a business and regardless of the pleasure it brings, earning a decent living, one that allows you to enjoy what you do enjoy in life, is a great way to celebrate your success.  

The definition of success is constantly shifting, but the one part of it that I think has always been the same for me is if I can answer in the affirmative the question, "am I happy?"  I think fulfillment in your chosen line of work is as important as the livelihood it provides you.  


Robert: Can you imagine how boring life would be if there were no obstacles to overcome?  We are all in sales because every day is a negotiation about something or with someone. The art business is a roller coaster and you have to be prepared for the lows. Everyday is filled with minor and major obstacles; you are always negotiating your way through life (personally and professionally). I'm from the school of answering objections before they're asked.  

Obviously, the economy has wreaked havoc with the art business, luxury goods being the first item crossed off anyone's list of things they think they can't do without.  And it would be disingenuous of me to say otherwise (or anyone, for that matter, in spite of what success they may be achieving in today's market.)  

This happened when I was in Hawaii before, during the Gulf War in the early nineties with the oil embargo, and tourism falling off the charts affected many galleries who depended on the travelers as their market. We handled that by becoming a bigger part of our collector's lives. Every person who walked into the gallery counted. If the staff member who spoke with them could not complete a sale, they introduced the people to a colleague. It was amazing how many sales happened because one person wasn't the right person for the collector but another one was. It required stepping away from ego and towards every person who walked in.

A lot of galleries have closed in the past 3-5 years, but I feel that they were Sunday-owners (like Sunday painters), having come to the business from other disciplines and not skilled enough to negotiate the intricacies and often mercenary nature of the gallery business.  Many were unprepared and should not have been dealers in the first place. They may have had the passion for the art but not for the business - and it is a very difficult business. If an artist finds a good gallery owner, treat them with the utmost respect because they really work very hard to make it. Collectors are an interesting group of people and so are artists. They don't always come together in the way that you want them to and then you add the challenge of rent and other expenses.

This last time galleries have hunkered down and found ways to stand out. They marketed differently and focused on their core businesses. Because of the entrepreneurial aspect of the business of art, I do believe that we are more adaptable, creative and motivated (beyond the money) to stay afloat.  I try to leave the visionary part to the company president and let him warn us of what's ahead and then do whatever needs to be done to get past that.

The first question I ask anyone who says, "I'm thinking of opening an art gallery," is "Are you crazy?" because you sort of have to be.  It's not an easy business.  You have to be quick, adaptable, and have a bit of a fortune-teller's skill to survive.


Robert: My success in Chicago allowed my partner and me to fulfill a dream and move to Maui and continue to work for Circle Fine Art.  I don't think it would've happened had my abilities and success had been less than what it was.  And I also believe that my transition from Circle to Linda Jones was a direct result of my professionalism and success.  (P.S. sometimes I am funny too.)
 

One thing my mother could do that always amazed me as a child, was her ability to talk to anyone about anything at anytime. She was unafraid of strangers and her willingness to engage in a conversation with them was a powerful lesson.  She would occasionally travel for work and come back having made friends with whom she carried on a long distance relationship for the rest of her life. I try to be fearless when I am talking to strangers. I must admit that I am not nearly as good as she was, but it was an untaught lesson that has resonated positively through my career (and life.)  

When I was fresh out of school, I worked for Arnie Morton (the founder of Morton's Steakhouse) at his eponymous restaurant on State Street in Chicago.  It was a "see and be seen" restaurant with lots of celebrities. Again, like with my mother, it was an untaught lesson that I took with me: how to put on a show and still run a business, how to entertain your clients so that they would be repeat clients, how to get them to give you their money in exchange for a good time.  I can also layout an amazing buffet table (extra bonus points!)  
David Vice, a talented manager at Circle Fine Art really helped me focus on things I didn't think were strong points at the time. He was very good at getting us to do things that were good for the gallery and for us, leading us all down the path to success. When he gave me the Madison Avenue Award, the glass decanter came with this quote etched into it:  "Quality is never an accident: it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution: it represents the wise choice of many alternatives."  I like to think that is how I conduct my professional life.

Chuck Jones by Wile E Coyote © Warner Bros. © Photo by Karsh

 

Robert: Our marketing strategy is "Stay in front of everybody."

Social networking has definitely changed the marketing landscape.  We utilize our Twitter, Facebook, YouTube (to a lesser degree) and blog (Chuck Redux, http://blog.chuckjones.com/) as launching pads for events, new art releases, commentary and information.  Craig Kausen, the president of the company has over 100,000 Twitter followers. They love him and do whatever he asks. We have about 30,000 Facebook fans - mostly by word-of-mouth which has always been the best marketing tool. We pay attention to Yelp. We had a comment on the Las Vegas show that was neither positive nor negative but Craig answered it right away because it only takes one unhappy person to spoil your reputation. You need to monitor what people are saying about you; reward the praise and find out why people are not happy.

We always stick with declarative statements and we are not afraid to ask our collectors to do something within a certain amount of time.  We try to engage them without selling something all of the time, so when we do there is better response.  

We have almost entirely eliminated printed material and utilize web pages and e-blasts to display the art we have for sale, the artists we are promoting and the events we are planning.  We do send out at least four or five 6" x 11" postcards via snail mail each year as reinforcement of our online marketing.  We are currently updating our website to make it more 'alive,' more of an entity that can engage clients in a conversation about the art they would like to collect.  

When we do use print material, we do it as a step in the process of preparing the client for every next step. For example, "I am going to mail you a packet and in a few days I am going to call you to talk about it. You'll come back for the show on February 2nd."  There are no surprises and they'll expect the marketing action when you do it.


When Chuck Jones died in February of 2002, it was devastating emotionally...we'd all worked together for so many years. It's a family-owned business and we were and are a close-knit group.
 
The immediate reaction from many of our dealers and collectors was to buy, buy, buy.  That lasted well into the following year.  As a company we did not raise the suggested retail prices after his death; we felt that it was ethically important not to take advantage of the situation as so many others in our market have under similar circumstances.  About two years after his death, the market for his art started to diminish, we scaled back our production of limited editions; slowing frequency of releases, reducing edition sizes, gradually increasing pricing, to sustain interest and demand.  Our cautious and prudent approach was beginning to bring us the return we knew it would when the housing market crashed.  Such are the vagaries of being in the art business.
 
Many of our dealer galleries went out of business.  Those that were left tightened their belts, stopped stocking and consigning art; instead they worked with the inventory that they had on hand, as we did.  As for many people selling luxury goods over the past few years, you've had to find the strength deep inside of you to weather the downturn in sales...constantly looking for marketing opportunities, whether they were cross-promotional in nature or on your own.  What has mattered and has made a difference for those who remain is this slimmed down work ethic.  I believe many of us make different choices now about how to spend our time and our money, having learned what brings you a greater return.
 
Recently I had a discussion with a bright young woman artist in L.A.'s hip Echo Park.  We were talking about staying in front of the people who count, who will make a positive difference in your life.  She was organizing an art walk and I asked her who she was inviting.  She was handing out flyers, ads on Craig's List, bars, restaurants, etc.  So I asked her who she and the other artists would really like to see come to the art walk; she said gallery owners, museum curators.  I asked: are you sending them personal invitations?  Uh, no, they weren't.  How are they supposed to know you even exist if you're not including them in what you are doing?  Are you going where those people are going - art openings, wherever and giving them your card, inviting them to a studio visit, engaging them in conversation without selling them something?  These are all ways to get yourself where you want to be, but you have to be determined, polite and engaging.  She got it.
 
It's been the same for us.  Although our dealer network is smaller now, our dealers are much more focused on what works for them - their focus is more intense and intent on a goal.  In our own retail galleries we are doing the same thing.  And you know what?  Business is coming back to us.  Last year was much improved over the year before and the outlook for 2012 is even better (regardless of what the Mayans may think.)
 

Robert:

• Don't believe your mother - she's going to love every thing you do. Listen to someone who knows what they are doing and find people to give you that kind of critique.
• Know your place in the market.   Be reasonable about your talent and where you think you should be represented.  At the same time always be proud of your work and be prepared to stand behind it.  
• Accept advice if offered by a gallery owner/director and give it a try...they are the professionals that stand between you and success, it's possible that they know something that can benefit you.  Try it or move on (politely, of course.)  Think clearly about how your art fits in with the collection of the gallery. Check out their shows, how they mount an exhibit, introduce yourself without trying to sell them.  Invite them to your studio.  Follow their submission guidelines.  If packages arrive and we haven't asked for them, they go right into the trash. If they have the temerity to call, "sorry - I don't know who you are."
• Get involved in your local arts programs.  
• Make sure your local news outlets hear about your shows, exhibits, and open-studio events.  
• Word-of-mouth can be your best calling card.    
• You go where you want to be. If you want to be in a museum, offer to help with one of their programs for the public. You need to participate. You would be doing something really good for other people and for yourself.
• Be ready to let your work go. Don't show it unless it's available to be sold.

As Einstein said "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." Remember the gift your art gives.


Robert: Listen up, artists!  You can't have enough help. Let someone help you become the sales person you need to be. Aletta knows her stuff and she is that person.  And I'm not just saying that to curry favor with her.  

What if I told you that you could have a successful career as an artist, but you'd have to give me your first-born?  In most cases, you'd refuse, wouldn't you?  What I'm saying is: there are no trade-offs on the way to success, you cannot wait for luck or fate or fortune to fall into your lap; you have to make it happen for yourself.
 
You're going to have to work for it and if that's the case then you should find the most efficient approach to that success.  

Aletta can help you create a plan so that you can focus more of your attention on creating.  Who wouldn't want that?  Her approach is simple, but not juvenile.  Her programs play to your strengths, but do not ignore your weaknesses.  Her plan, well, the fact is Aletta has a plan and there's no one I know who can't benefit from a well thought-out life/career plan. 



P.S. Read other interviews with art professionals and successful artists, please visit our web site at ArtistCareerTraining.com.  Better yet, send me an e-mail to book a free 15-minute consultation about how we can help you get where you want to go.