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Founded in November 2009, Arc Studios & Gallery is a hot bed of creativity. This arts complex houses 10 artist studios; a gallery; coffee and dessert kiosks and the Kearny Street Workshop, an Asian-Pacific multidisciplinary arts non-profit organization.
This nurturing environment allows artists to create quality work in all media, builds a community of visual artists to encourage exploration of art and provides resources for their professional development. Vibrant exhibit and openings promote appreciation of the visual arts in the city of San Francisco.
Arc Gallery has produced over 30 exhibitions in the past three years with exhibition opportunities for over 500 artists, mostly from the San Francisco Bay Area. Arc's iconic annual exhibitions include "The Guerrilla Show" and "FourSquared." The Gallery also has two national juried exhibitions every year. I first met Michael when he was a board member and then Chair of the Board for ArtSpan, an artist member organization that produces San Francisco Open Studios. His knowledge and enthusiasm for artists makes him the perfect advocate for visual artists at all career stages. Michael also writes a local arts blog: SF Art News. In his spare time, Michael is a partner in a wealth management advisory team. Michael's education includes the doctoral program in Japanese Art History at Columbia University, New York City, and a BA in Art History & History from the International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan.
A.C.T.: What prompted you to start your professional career in the visual arts?
Sometimes I feel like the "accidental tourist;" one thing has led to another.
When I turned 50, I had spent 25 years in the financial industry (still my primary occupation), and my wife Priscilla Otani retired from a corporate career at Gap to become a full time artist. She volunteered for a wonderful program at ArtSpan called Art for City Youth as a volunteer in the classroom for underserved children at one of the local elementary schools. I got inspired by what she was doing for school kids and threw my hat in the ring. I had been looking for a way to give back and I felt that my financial background, combined with education in art and art history made a great match with ArtSpan. I joined the Board and later became Board Chair.
Arc Studios and Gallery was the result of a chance encounter. While I was Board Chair of ArtSpan, I was looking for space for them that would be a good long term permanent home. One of the other board members, David Steele, had introduced me to his commercial real estate broker who showed me the building on Folsom Street that was the site of the late, lamented New Langton Arts for 20 years. That organization had precipitously gone under in early 2009 and the building was available. The economic environment was bleak and commercial rental rates were depressed. It was not a good fit for ArtSpan for a variety of reasons, but it was the perfect location for a gallery/studios complex.
Originally I thought it would be a great place for Belcher Studios from the Castro area to resurrect itself, and I contacted some of those artists. The timing was not right. The more that I thought about it, the more I felt it was an opportunity that was too good to pass on. I felt that if the right team could be assembled, we could create a community-oriented artist/gallery space that could be a marginally for-profit business. Stephen Wagner, Matthew J. Frederick and my wife, Priscilla all agreed to form a partnership.
 | | Priscilla Otani. Photo by Eric Larson. |
That was in late November. By early 2010, our full community was assembled. It was pretty much opportunistic, but it has also been a lot of fun. In our first three years we have provided over 500 local artists with exhibition opportunities. And, as a bonus, I have had the opportunity to personally co-curate six exhibitions. The studio artists have drawn together into one of the stronger group artist studios in San Francisco. Artists have signed long-term leases and have formed a very stable artist community.
 | | Stephen C. Wagner. Photo by Eric Larson. |
A.C.T.: Tell me about your writing about artists and the art market.
I felt that mainstream SF publications often ignored local artists, focusing on artists from New York City and Los Angeles instead. The San Francisco Open Studios, which attracts over 50,000 visitors annually, was essentially ignored by our own hometown newspaper (still the case). With today's blogging technology, we can all make a difference.
Extending my volunteer efforts at ArtSpan, I started SF Art News as a forum to support and publicize local art and artists, as well as to bring notice to a program for collectors called "Tour des Artistes" designed to bring artists and collectors together in working studios in a more intimate way than Open Studios.
I also list all gallery events in the San Francisco area and got to know a lot of gallery owners that way. These connections have become a feeder system for artists from Arc to be represented by mainstream galleries. I write articles about these artists and their exhibits.
I am doing my small bit with SF Art News. You are also making a difference with Art Matters! and your Art Marketing Blog.
A.C.T.: Who do you work with, how do artists apply and how do they benefit from your services and space?
Unlike mainstream galleries that go to art fairs and cultivate a list of gallery collectors, art at Arc sells primarily by group exhibitions. All the artists get the word out to people they know and invite them to the exhibits during which the work sells. The idea is all about shared audience, where a collective group of artists is more powerful than individuals. One artist's collector is potentially another artist's collector and vice versa.
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"THE GUERRILLA SHOW: Join the Revolution" Arc Gallery
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We also have an informally juried exhibition every year called "The Guerrilla Show" which provides an after holiday sale opportunity for 50-70 local artists every year. Any local artist can bring their work in on a designated day; we look at it and make selections that night and hang about 60 pieces and have a sell off the wall show next evening.
Our signature exhibition every year is "FourSquared" which features 16 artists each showing 16 works in 16 mini-exhibitions. This exhibition is co-curated by Matthew Frederick and myself. There is no application process. We discover artists in open studios; and, also in our other juried shows, especially if their work sells.
We set some constraints to challenge the artists. The square format paintings cannot be larger than 11" x 11'' or smaller than 6" x 6." Artists are given a year in which to create sixteen pieces that hang together coherently but are also understandable as individual works. The work has to be priced under $500. Artists whose work commands much higher prices like to participate and will make work specifically to our specifications.
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Arc Gallery Reception
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This year we are adding two more curated exhibitions.
In February-March, "Futures" will be featuring six promising 2013 MFA candidates from three local Bay Area schools: California College of the Arts, San Francisco Arts Institute and Mills College in a commercial gallery version of an exhibition for 6 MFA candidates "before they were famous" exhibition. Jack Fischer and I co-curated this show and well-known artist Hung Liu of Mills College was helpful in criteria for selection.  |
"FUTURES" Before They Were Famous Exhibition- showcasing six promising 2013 MFA candidates Opening Reception: Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 from 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. Artists' Reception: Saturday, March 23rd, 2013 from noon -3:00 p.m. Exhibition: February 3rd - March 23rd, 2013
Logo image courtesy of Keegan Lutrell Copyright 2013 by Arc Gallery
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 | | Life Live, Arc Studios & Gallery |
Simultaneously in the project gallery next door, we'll have six artists doing live life drawings event. They rip the gestural drawings from their sketchpads, and we sell them immediately. Viewers get a spot to watch the artists, and the whole place is as quiet as a church while the artists draw.
In May, Arc partner, Stephen Wagner, is curating "Imaginarium," an exhibition that features some of his favorite local artists in what he has characterized as a "point of view" show.
Our goal has been to provide a venue that provides higher profile exposure for our vibrant local art scene. We have been very encouraged by the support that Arc has received in these endeavors.
A.C.T.: Does the artist's career matter for them to benefit? What kinds of issues do they seem to wrestle with most?
We focus mostly on emerging and mid-career artists, although we are starting to get some more established artists to play, particularly in "FourSquared."
Many artists still think that they will be discovered. The biggest challenge artists have is creating a business plan, putting themselves out there and selling their work - both directly and getting mainstream gallery representation. They create standard portfolios and submit them to galleries, without realizing that the best way to get into galleries is by referrals. They need to think strategically about who can introduce them. I was speaking to an artist who sells a lot of work though Open Studios. I asked her if, when she sells a work to a collector, she asks them if they also buy work in galleries and where. She looked at me quizzically. If a collector buys your work then they obviously like it, and if they buy work at a gallery, then the gallery likes the collector. Wouldn't that be a perfect way to get an introduction?
It is unfortunate that after putting so much effort into making the art, artists often take shortcuts with presentation. Artists make wonderful art, and then they often present it poorly. Or, they bring work that has been accepted, and it is not wired properly.
A.C.T.: What is your business model?
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Arc Studios & Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
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Arc's overriding mission is to build and foster community - which is a non-profit notion, but my goal was to create a moderately for-profit business. I didn't want to lose money, and I make a good living in my finance business, but I couldn't ask my partners to work for nothing so their studios are all subsidized so they can continue to make their living as professional artists. Running Arc Studios & Gallery is not the primary job for any of us. This has allowed us to operate on very small margins.
There are two galleries: the main gallery, which is able to generate a small profit, and a project gallery, which we generally offer up for non-commercial exhibitions.
There are also ten artist studios, two businesses and a non-profit office housed at Arc.
A.C.T.: Please describe a typical day, and a typical month so readers can understand how you manage your time, money and energy.
All of the Arc Partners pitch in and make Arc work. We work on a project model, so for example, there will be a long day hanging art and doing exhibits, but there are many days where we don't go to the building. There is a lead person on each show; I do the marketing, and we share logistics. I co-curate several exhibitions and manage the finances. Priscilla and Stephen are the property managers, and they manage most of the juried exhibitions. We also have a part-time gallery assistant. Matthew maintains the building and assists with all exhibitions.
A.C.T.: What peak moments have you had?
At ArtSpan, the most fun was the "Tour des Artistes" program that I created, where I guided local art enthusiasts and collectors on a VIP tour of artist studios.
At Arc, my peak moment was the success of the "FourSquared" exhibitions. It has generated the most connections to the collector community and the show that artists now really want to be in. I wanted a show that, unlike many exhibits, had a coherent structure. A lot of brainstorming on that concept was with Mitchell Confer, who was one of the first participating artists and created the logo for the show. Tragically a couple of months before the exhibit, he told me that he wasn't sure that he could produce sixteen works because he had been diagnosed with cancer. I told him to do his best and he completed one work and the remaining were blank panels, each signed as an I.O.U. I have one hanging in my bedroom and see it every morning - "Tomorrow is not promised."
A.C.T.: How do you define success and how do you celebrate it?
- Success for me is having fun and having others involved also have fun and have it be successful for them. If I can create success for other people, that is my reward.
- For most of my finance career, I carefully separated my professional career and my passion for art. When I started Arc, I stopped separating the two lives, which has made both more enjoyable.
- I want local artists to be successful. Where I have been helpful in forwarding the career of an artist whose work I admire, that for me is success.
- A bonus has been that Arc has developed a great reputation in the local art community. We have had almost no turnover in our studios, which is a testament to the strong sense of community that we have created.
- I am art-junkie. I celebrate by buying more art. And I love a nice bottle of wine.
A.C.T.: What obstacles have you encountered and how have you handled them?
I'm highly improvisational. I skip steps and for people who are very process-oriented that can be difficult to deal with. I value process - I just don't personally use it that much.
Relationships are always a challenge when dealing with people who operate differently. Fortunately, Priscilla was Human Resources professional, and she has done a great job of navigating treacherous waters.
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Michael Yochum in Priscilla Otani's studio.
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A.C.T.: Who are your role models and mentors? What was the best advice they gave you? My philanthropic mentor was Bill Somerville, head of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. He made the case for grassroots philanthropy - not sending a big check to an organization but getting involved with smaller organizations. His advice was that both money and volunteer hours given to small, local organizations doing good work could be disproportionately effective. Being more involved with the programs at a local level has been life changing. You get back so much more.
A.C.T.: How do you use social media in your marketing strategy?
We try to be good art citizens, supporting San Francisco artists and art organizations.
- We post information about what is going on in our community;
- We share articles about exhibitions and artists;
- We re-post their events and articles.
Word of mouth by artists exhibiting at Arc has also helped us build audience. Our openings have been well attended since we first opened.
As a result of these community-oriented efforts, all of us have developed strong social networks. When we have events, we outreach through those networks. Our marketing using social media Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn has made it possible to operate on a small margin financially. We strategically "friend" and "follow" people to make connections that make sense all around. We can then send marketing out to the right people. Again, it's about shared audience where we support each other in our marketing efforts.
A.C.T.: What changes have you experienced in the art market and how have you navigated them?
We don't really operate in a traditional way for a gallery. For the exhibitions that are geared towards art sales, we have learned that smaller, more affordable works have been more successful for us. If we were building a commercial gallery business designed to be our primary business, it would look very different from what we do.
A.C.T.: What advice would you pass on to artists who want to succeed in any economy?
- Those who play well with others will be the most successful in an economy where social media is increasingly important. Create a co-marketing group. Build your own social network. Share audience with your fellow artists. Call on each other's mailing lists twice a year, no more, and all commit to get the word out.
- Have promotional materials with your contact information on every piece.
- Don't put up barriers for people to sign up for your mailing list and on your web site.
- Make it easy for people and make it fun! The top reason people do business with you is because they like you.
Many, possibly most artists have no business plan. They do not spend enough energy (often little or no effort) marketing their work. For many making art and marketing art require skills that seem to be mutually exclusive. Resources that demystify the marketing process can make all the difference.
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