Byline: Anna Bagirov

Are you still changing exhibitions as you would if open and are the exhibitions virtual-only now? How’s that going?
I have extended all exhibitions through June 30, 2020, and will do a group exhibition in July. I have been sending previews selectively. 

Are you breaking any laws by opening your gallery for appointments-only, if say, a collector wanted to see the artwork before investing in buying?
I have been discouraging clients from coming for appointments and will start taking appointments Friday 13th of June. Face masks will be required and limited to 4 people at a time will be permitted in the gallery.  No laws are being broken.

Are you still participating in the art fairs as they still seem to virtually exist. If so, what’s your opinion of the new virtual trend?
I have chosen not to do any art fairs this year and will be participating in Gallery Platform LA.  I am still leery of the virtual trend. 

Do you think your space will be open this summer with limitations of how many people can enter your venue? 
I will open and will have the above precautions in place.

Are openings now a thing of the past and can you foresee a new trend for announcing a new show instead of the traditional art opening? 
I think it is a time will tell situation regarding openings.  I think the art community will have to get creative.

Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far for the art world as we know it today? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this? 
The positive: this has brought everyone closer, people checking in on one another and sharing information.  Artists have gone above and beyond with encouragement for each other.  I think what I am learning is that it is okay to slow down, stop and reboot if need be.

How has exhibition scheduling been changed and how are you adapting? Are your exhibitions virtual-only now?  
COVID-19 became a serious concern in California just as we were changing out our exhibitions for the spring season. One of CAAM’s new exhibitions, “Sula Bermúdez-Silverman: Neither Fish, Flesh, Nor Fowl,” opened only two weeks before we closed the museum, so few people had a chance to see it in person. Another, “Sanctuary: Recent Acquisitions to the Permanent Collection,” was set to open March 18, and two more were to have opened in April.

For the exhibitions that are fully installed, we’ve added as much online content as possible, including slideshows of object and installation images, interviews with artists (some filmed before the closure, others recently conducted via Zoom), and video walkthroughs, all of which we share on the museum’s website and on our robust social media platforms.

In what ways are you engaging and staying in touch with your fans and members? 
Right now, we stay in touch with our supporters and let them know about our online programmatic offerings via our monthly email and frequent posting on social media.

Our education staff pivoted early to move online whatever spring programs we felt would adapt well, whether than meant conversations now held on Zoom or book reviews and readers’ guides now available on our blog for CAAM’s book club. In early April we held a popular Instagram Live dance party with The Beat Junkies in lieu of our spring opening, “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop”—we called it “Can’t Stop, Really Won’t Stop.”

We’re also partnering with other institutions to enhance our online offerings. For example, a recent Zoom children’s story hour was conceived in collaboration with PEN America and featured author Natashia Deón reading books by Maya Angelou and Jacqueline Woodson. And via our status as a Smithsonian Affiliate we were a presenting partner for an online lecture about Michael Jordan by Smithsonian sports curator Damion Thomas.

We’ll continue to offer a selection of online programs—or perhaps a hybrid of in-person/online—until we can welcome groups of visitors back into the museum for public programs.

Do you think you will open in the fall? What regulations do you think you’ll implement to make museum visitation safer?  
It’s difficult to tell at the moment as the authorities are constantly updating the guidelines and learning more about the virus. Like most cultural institutions, we await word from government authorities regarding how and when we can reopen. Additionally, as a state museum, our policies sometimes differ from LA County guidelines. Initially, we will make our galleries available for distanced visits.

What’s your opinion of the new virtual trend for museums? How can museumgoers help support CAAM during this difficult time?   
Actually, I think the new virtual trend for museums is great. In the past we considered digital engagement mainly as a marketing tool to get visitors to the museum. We now recognize that we’ve gained supporters from our recent pivot, some of who may never physically come into the space. I believe we will have more of a dual programming operation going forward: in-person and online.

In the past five or so years we’ve developed a dedicated, passionate, diverse community of visitors; they truly are our #CAAMFam and it’s gratifying to have our institution be an important hub for African Americans as well as LA’s larger cultural community. We ask everyone to continue to engage with us online until such time as we can welcome them back in person, as well.

Are openings now a thing of the past and can you foresee a new trend for announcing new shows instead of the traditional opening? 
Clearly large openings are not a thing of the present! It’s a little sad because the energy was so great at our large openings and other public programs. Our community loves to warmly embrace friends and guests. I’m hopeful that the day will come when we can once again welcome large groups back to CAAM to celebrate our exhibitions and experience our programs. Our openings and other large gatherings, like on MLK Day, are truly special community events. Until then, we’ll experiment with ways to celebrate new exhibitions safely.

Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far for the museum world as we know it today? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this?  
A silver lining is that we’ve all had time to slow down a bit and reflect on our individual impact on the planet. Like never before, we are all tied together by globalism and digital communications. We were moving at warp speed and have been forced to slow down. I hope that we will focus more on the people and stories that really matter in our society. 

Are you still changing exhibitions as you would if open and are the exhibitions virtual-only now? How’s that going?
Band of Vices leads first and foremost for our artists and their well-being. We recognize and respect the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have taken every precaution to ensure that not only are we maintaining a safety net among the four partners of the gallery, but also serving our community in any ways that we can be of assistance. And while everyone is working toward the same goals and being very careful and “physically-distant” since “socially-distant” projects are something very different, just talking to our neighbors and connecting with them, supporting the local restaurants like Alta, Vees Cafe, Delicious Pizza and MizLALA including our Associated Market, we also recognize there is a need for human connection between us, especially during this time.

Are you breaking any laws by opening your gallery for appointments-only, if say, a collector wanted to see the artwork before investing in buying?
Our understanding is that, while there have been stay-at-home orders and that only “essential businesses” should remain open, we consider ourselves essential for our artists. Our recent exhibition which was a sold-out show, hosted maybe 10 people during its entire extended run of six weeks. During that time, each visitor was required and obliged to wearing their mask and we all maintained not just a 6-foot apart practice, but probably closer to 10 feet. If that is a law we broke, we’ll take the hit on that one.

Are you still participating in the art fairs as they still seem to virtually exist. If so, what’s your opinion of the new virtual trend?
We believe in adapting to our current climate of circumstances. And listening to our artists, our community and our clientele. While our last and next shows will still be installed, we learned and connected even more deeply by hosting our virtual talks (though they were always a part of our programming), virtual walk-throughs and just selling via social media platforms. We support whatever the virtual trend is, while also redefining for ourselves and our collector base what that may mean for them.

Do you think your space will be open this summer with limitations of how many people can enter your venue?
We had a business meeting the other day with three partners with an artist. We each maintain a considerable distance and during that time, we also had a schedule appointment for two collectors. Everyone wore their masks and practiced a considerable distance. We have a major group exhibition with 18 artists opening on Juneteenth (June 19th), in which we are planning to be open by appointment throughout the summer. Whether there is an actual opening or if it is staggered over several days or we maintain a line outside while allowing maybe 25 people in the gallery at a time, remains to be seen. If Target and Trader Joe’s and Home Depot and other places provide practices as such, we believe we are sophisticated, yet responsible enough to do the same thing. So yes, we plan to be open and yes, we do plan to limit the amount of patrons at a time.

Are openings now a thing of the past and can you foresee a new trend for announcing a new show instead of the traditional art opening?
Openings will never be a thing of the past, they will just exist differently. There will be a new normal that we each will have to adapt to and it will become what is eventually expected. We were living in New York City when 9/11 occurred. I don’t think any of us anticipated how airline security and other measures would shape our new thinking from 20 years ago. But it did. While absolutely brutal and horrific this disease has been, we still remain optimistic and try to look beyond this moment to keep uplifting one another and what that new outlook will be, we hope to be a source of inspiration, where, through art, people continue to find their solace.

Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far for the art world as we know it today? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this?
We have so much yet to learn from this moment. However, what has been inspiring, again in much the same way a 9/11 was in NYC, is that people come together in times of despair. They become more compassionate, more aware, more attuned to their surroundings. The outpouring of support and therapy through the hundreds of Zoom meetings, the symposium, the parlor meetings, the studio visits, the gallery talks, the virtual tours…everyone is all-in. There is so much support and resilience and a desire to see each other remaining hopeful and productive. It truly is inspiring. Los Angeles is really stepping forward. Even during a time when you would hope the leaders of the free world would actually be leading us and assuring us, it is beautiful that everyday people have led that charge, have been the true leaders and have served as each other’s sounding boards and sources of immense, deep meaningful and sincere inspiration.

Is your museum still open and operating with certain staff members coming in to work? 
We are closed to the public but we are definitely still working. We understand losing income is real so we gave our staff new assignments and tasks so they would still receive a paycheck. Many of them are working from home. This closure has actually been a very productive time for us. We have managed to complete some long overdue maintenance and upgrades to our galleries and it has challenged all of us to think outside of the box on ways we may continue to serve the community while our buildings are closed.

Are you in touch with your members, fans and donors? Are they still interested in going to the museum or your programming or are they showing hesitation due to their finances due to the stock market slump or fears of the virus?
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many of our members and donors renew their memberships and additionally make donations to our Artist Relief Fund.

In your opinion, how long will this temporary shutdown of the LA art world last? 
MOAH plans to be open by July, maybe before that, but we will definitely be implementing some new policies and procedures during our open hours, including staggered/timed entry, lowering attendance limits in galleries, providing multiple sanitation stations throughout the museum, requiring gloves, masks and other protective equipment for staff interacting with the public, requiring visitors to wear masks, posting signage requesting/reinforcing social distancing behavior for visitors and discontinuing large group events like public receptions, performances, etc.

How are you overcoming the challenges we are now facing? 
This is an excellent time to reevaluate the effectiveness of programs, community engagement and exhibition opportunities. Obviously the virtual exhibition is an option but not really a new idea. We will continue our regular video presentation of all of our exhibitions on our website but with feedback from our artist community we realized other opportunities are needed. We have partnered with Destination Lancaster for our annual juried exhibition, which will obviously be online this year, to offer paid opportunities to artists for their work that will be used in the promotion of Lancaster as a travel destination. The artists will receive a stipend for the work and the art will be dispersed through marketing campaigns in the form of postcards at trade shows, in hotels and at the visitor center. We are also expanding our monograph and catalog publication program to include some fun options for both artists and visitors like all ages coloring books. We reinvented our monthly Young Artist Workshop to a weekly free take home craft kit for parents with children at home looking for educational activities. This program regularly served around 50 families monthly. Now we are serving 300 families a week with these fun take home kits. Also, with families in mind, MOAH staff developed a children’s YouTube channel @JoshuaJackrabbit complete with dozens of workshop videos and will soon include our educational trunks too.

How can Artillery’s readers help museums and artists while they are closed? 
I think the obvious response here is to donate money if you are able. We are fortunate that MOAH is a municipal museum and we have a very strong fundraising Foundation that supports our programming. We are not forced to rely on donations to operate which puts us in a unique situation. However most museums do rely on donations for operations – give if you can and buy art! There are a number of affordable art auctions online right now that are supporting artists in need.

Some art professionals are optimistic, and others worried. How do you feel? Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this? 
I have been working in this industry for over 30 years and I have never before experienced the kindness, generosity and spirit that has appeared in the last month. Community actually means something right now, it’s beautiful to see. It’s great to see artists helping artists, businesses helping businesses, all creating a sense of hope that is palpable. I am proud to be a part of this community.

Are you in touch with your collectors and are they still interested in buying art or are they showing hesitation due to the stock market slump?
Yes, we have kept in communication with our collectors, and we have been heartened by their continued support and commitment to Night Gallery, which has been felt in the last weeks of quarantine.  

In your opinion, how long will this temporary shutdown of the LA art world last? 
While it is seeming like California is (gradually) readying itself to reopen businesses like ours, it feels too early to say when we will reopen our exhibition space in Downtown LA. That said, with so much happening online (including our current presentation in the Dallas Art Fair Online Viewing Room), the art world doesn’t quite feel shut down—we are as busy as ever, and again, have been greatly encouraged by the ongoing enthusiasm from our artists and collectors. 

How are you overcoming the challenges we are now facing?
Though shelter-in-place is certainly a restriction and an interruption of our normal goings-on, we are focusing on the positive aspects of being pushed to share work in new ways, and are finding much to be excited about. We have been especially happy to embrace the opportunities that online viewing rooms provide, in particular our ability to guide viewers through some of our artists’ most elaborate or research-intensive projects. We are currently preparing multiple presentations highlighting individual projects by artists on our roster and beyond.

How can Artillery’s readers help galleries and artists while they are closed? 
The perseverance of art—not only the markets, but the persistence of inspiration and artistic creation even during trying times—is deeply affirming to us. Artillery‘s readers who are artists should keep making art, and all lovers of art should continue to peruse the websites of their favorite galleries and artists for much-needed encouragement during dispiriting times. 

During the Great Recession, were people still buying art? Can that still happen again? 
Night Gallery was founded in the wake of the Great Recession, so its shadow looms large over our history, though our story does prove that people were still buying art and artist-run spaces were still viable. While it feels early to compare that time to now, people have supported the arts throughout history, as art is a vital part of civilization.

Some gallerists are worried, others hopeful and optimistic. Could the only silver lining of this situation be is that art fairs are now canceled? Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this?
This moment has really solidified what we have already established over the last 10 years, and that is our community, which reaches beyond the artists we represent and the collectors who support our program, even our core team at the gallery. Our community includes the many people that support Night Gallery, namely our family, photographers, journalists, framers, fabricators and our audience.  The best we can do with this moment is appreciate the resourcefulness we have found in ourselves as a team and continue to run with it in the future. For me personally, the silver lining is spending time with my daughter, which has honestly been a gift beyond words. 

Is your current exhibition open to the public by appointment? And does it matter who the “public” is, i.e. only prospective buyers, art critics, art curators?
In accordance with LA City and CA state ordinances, we are currently closed to the public and will remain closed until we are able to re-open safely and legally. Contemporary art galleries serve a wide range of visitors including collectors, curators, artists, art enthusiasts and people simply interested in looking at and learning about contemporary artists. I miss walking all visitors through my exhibitions and look forward to being able to share my artists’ work with the community. I am still going to the gallery a few times a week to work on my desktop with all of my essential files and check the mail. We also have to monitor the homeless situation on our property.

Are you in touch with your collectors and are they still interested in buying art or are they showing hesitation due to the stock market slump?
So far we have done very little new promotion of artists and our current show since it does not seem appropriate with so many people adapting to financial struggles, homeschooling and working from home. I have mostly been in touch with clients who have commissioned artists before the pandemic to update them on the status of their artworks. I have also been in correspondence with a few shipping companies in regard to delivery of both sold works and works being returned from museum exhibitions. Everything is in standstill mode until the shelter-in-place ordinance is lifted. All of the inventory is secure and luckily, we did get the return of our Armory Show inventory from New York the day the ordinance was announced. We have been continuing our social media presence with images of artist’s work and that has piqued the interest of a few collectors. We did make a substantial sale to a new client last week who learned about the artist’s work at a museum lecture earlier this year. She is a new collector (both in general and to our gallery) who could not stop thinking about the work. We are working with her on this acquisition with monthly payments which is something we always offer to make the sale more convenient. Our website is set up with installation images of every current exhibition so essentially we have a virtual tour of our show already online. We plan to do a few video walk-thrus with our artists to talk in detail about their work.

In your opinion, how long will this temporary shutdown of the LA art world last?
We are planning through the early part of June as of this week, but that could be extended. I think the current official end date is set for May 3 but I am certain it will be extended. We opened our current exhibition, TAKE AWAY by Nike Schröder, one week before the CDC was advising business to close or be open by appointment only, so there has been a very limited audience for her new work. We will keep her exhibition on view for at least six or seven weeks once we can re-open to the public. Fortunately, I have the flexibility in my programming to make this happen.      

How are you overcoming the challenges we are now facing?
I am lucky because I work with my husband and we do not have any fulltime employees so that is a relief to not have to furlough wages or let staff go. That being said we need a monthly income to survive and the gallery is our only way of making money. I think positively and envision many collectors, consultants and art lovers coming to the gallery soon after we re-open and trying to be supportive however they can. I have worked for three dealers prior to breaking out on my own and it always amazes me how a handful of supportive collectors can keep a mid-level gallery afloat. We only need three or four monthly sales in the mid-price range to pay our basic expenses and ourselves enough money to live on to keep the physical gallery open.

How can Artillery’s readers help galleries and artists while they are closed?
Simply put, buy art. Reviews are nice too but sales are what generate the revenue to keep the rent and many expenses of running a commercial gallery open.

It’s common knowledge that most gallery pedestrian traffic doesn’t buy art, so how does the closing of your gallery affect your business? And can you see this as a trend for the future?
Unfortunately, commercial galleries have been struggling with daily attendance for a number of years now and way before the COVID-19 virus. This is due partly to many ways the viewing public accesses art online. Add the geography of a city like Los Angeles into the mix and now you have to make a commitment to travel from the east side, south bay and even nearby communities like Brentwood (crossing the 405) to my gallery near Culver City which many people opt against and simply view the work online. I will say being forced to close has made me very anxious as I miss my work and interacting with my audience. I have been 100% committed to my gallery and artists (and even the galleries I worked for during the first 14 years of my career) so not being able to do my job to the fullest is making me nervous. Again, I am hoping people will start coming out to see art once they are given the green light to be out in the world even in masks and employing social distancing, both of which will be part of our daily lives for months to come.

During the Great Recession, were people still buying art? Can that still happen again?
People are always buying art even under weak economies as well as during the great recession of the years following 2008. There was certainly a slowdown and even those who were not financially impacted in dire ways were buying less art and focusing on community needs. Money that might be spent on art was going to charitable causes. There is no doubt that this pandemic will lead to a financial recession and it will be felt across the world. Hopefully, it will bounce back faster than the 2008 recession.

Some Gallerists are worried, others hopeful and optimistic. How do you feel? Could the only silver lining of this situation be is that art fairs are now canceled? (just adding a little humor here). Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this?
I am a nervous optimist meaning I am hopeful things will get back on track once we are able to open and resume our current programs and business relationships, but I also know that business will be slower and we had a nice momentum going for the last year and a half. Whenever I get the most stir crazy I remind myself that I got through the 2008 recession while caring for a very ill partner all while working solo at the gallery and staying open to the public in between hospital visits morning and night. There were times when I was not sure if either would survive and both did so I am a fighter and hopeless optimist, I guess. Obviously, the silver lining is we are giving mother nature a huge break on a global level. Nothing but a viral pandemic could make that happen so as tragic as all the losses and complications are the earth is able to recharge a bit during this shelter-in-place order. Art fairs will certainly be back in full force once they can be which might not be until 2021 (or when a vaccine is widely available). I think we are learning to be more supportive of each other as humans and trying to help out our family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. On a personal note, I very much look forward to not have to wipe down my groceries and being able to buy my brand of toilet paper whenever I go to the store.

Is your museum still open and operating with certain staff members still coming in to work? 
We are keeping staff members to a minimum at the museum to enable some ongoing tasks; to continue that requires one person at a time to handle. Still, the staff has their hands full—some working from home for now—with aspects of their job that need to be completed regardless of the isolation at this time. It takes long periods of behind-the-scenes work to bring an exhibition together. There are a lot of moving parts to synchronize. Of course it should look effortless at the actual exhibition but the ball cannot be dropped even during these difficult times.

Exhibitions still need to be thought up, researched and developed. We are planning exhibitions a couple of years in advance at any given time so we continue to research, develop and connect with those we need to in order to ensure we are ready when the restrictions are lifted. And there are those projects that we hope we will be able to bring to the public later this year. To be able to do that we need to move ahead with our jobs right now!

Are you in touch with your members, fans and donors? Are they still interested in going to the museum for your programming or are they showing hesitation due to the stock market slump or fears of the virus? 
We are concentrating a lot on our online presence to keep in touch. We are asking artists what they are making right now so people can post their activities with our Facebook page. We have instigated a project called Hobson’s Choice, where we select seven artists per week to showcase an artwork. These choices are made from the submissions sent in by the public to a dedicated email. The nominations can be from artists themselves regarding one of their own works or by anyone else. We are currently on Week Three of this ongoing project and we will continue it through May, with a different seven each week being presented on our website—where you can find more details (or on our Facebook page). 

The staff is also writing about their Staff Picks, art that has influenced or inspired their personal journey with art, and we post those on our website to let people know more about our personal sources. These short articles are from our curatorial team, our registrar, our social media specialist and our preparatory, so you get a full range of influences and opinions. 

How are you overcoming the challenges we are now facing?
Looking to the immediate future we are envisioning new exhibitions and programs that might help bring us all back together. These need to be flexible in their timing as we do not know when the isolation will end. Another MAS Attack is in the works potentially, to allow artists to all show together in a one-night-only open exhibition of support and connection, a hopeful and forward-thinking social practice event where everyone can bring a work and have it shown that night. 

How can Artillery’s readers help museums and artists while they are closed?
Engage with the social media and websites of the institutions, art groups, galleries and artists—like and comment a lot on their Instagram/Facebook/Twitter. For institutions this is evidence to the politicians and people who control the budgets (and employment of the staff). The more we can show our relevance to the public, our engagement with them and sense of keeping people connected then the more they are likely to keep supporting our programs. It is usually the Arts that get axed first, forgetting the importance of culture to daily life—through movies, literature and art. You can help art institutions avoid staff furloughs and unemployment, budget cuts and such by showing the community leaders that you care about us and what we do. If you want art museums and think they provide a valuable service to the art community and greater public then do your bit to keep them healthy and open—SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. 

For artists—show that you are paying attention to what they are making! Buy what you can from them or from galleries you support. Re-post images of what they are doing. Share. Help them grow their Instagram following. Connect them to any curators and gallerists you know so that future things may grow from this. Gallerists, curators, consultants can keep their ‘doors’ open to everyone, for personal advice and suggestions, via phone calls, Zoom meetings, Skype, etc. 

The question we should ALL be asking is “How can I be of service? What can I offer to others? What skills can we give up to another?”

It’s common knowledge that most museum traffic is what brings in funds through ticket sales, the gift shop, membership fees, parking, donations etc., so how does the closing of your museum affect your business? Or are people finding other ways to connect with the museum? Or to help the museum?
TAM is free. It always has been. We offer an educational and entertaining experience without cost thanks to the City of Torrance. If anything, we bring in revenue to the City by the visitors who shop while in town, go to restaurants, etc. It is not a financial boost from visitors we need (although that couldn’t hurt!!), but support through showing the powers-that-be that we are important to the public, that TAM and other cultural organizations are a valued contributor to the culture of Southern California and further afield. People can let the City know this directly (email, phone or letter) or they can take the easier and more engaged route by visiting our social media and website and marking their support there! I encourage you all to do so, for TAM and the other institutions, groups, non-profits and others who are working to keep this thing of ours together and alive.

During the Great Recession, were people still going to TAM’s exhibits and participating in museum programming and donating? Can that still happen again? 
We did not see a decline in numbers visiting during the recession. In fact, being free and having exhibitions and programming that were relevant and interesting we saw our numbers increase every year. I see this returning. It all comes down to us: your readers, artists out there and art lovers – we either get out there and show our love and support when we can eventually gather or this activity we love will fade to insignificance. That is our pro-active choice.

Some art professionals are optimistic, and others worried. How do you feel? Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this? 
I think we should take the immediate lesson of just how important creativity is to us and everyone else in general, besides the obvious need to rethink financial, health, education and other social structures. Will there be long term changes? I am doubtful of this. What did we learn from the 1918 flu epidemic? Unless fundamental societal changes are demanded and given/taken I think a return to what was is more likely, for good and bad.

Saying that, I have to say I am an optimist otherwise. I suspect people will, like myself, be hungry to spend quality time around other people who share their interests, in art or whatever. We will run towards what we could not have—museums, galleries, cinema, live music and clubs, the beach, etc. We have to live in hope, not fear!!

Q&A with Luis De Jesus & Jay Wingate

Is your current exhibition open to the public by appointment? And does it matter who the “public” is, i.e. only prospective buyers, art critics, art curators?

Yes, both of our current exhibitions are up and open to the public (everyone) by appointment, by calling or emailing the gallery. We’re all working remotely and are very flexible with our schedule.

Are you in touch with your collectors and are they still interested in buying art or are they showing hesitation due to the stock market slump? 

We’ve been in touch with some of our most important collectors and they’re doing exactly what everyone else is doing—staying home and taking care of themselves and their families. Although we are continuing to follow up with pending and confirmed sales as well as inquiries, the interest has slowed to a trickle and people are not in a rush to make decisions or purchases. We had one cancellation from a collector who got cold feet after the initial stock market plunge, however, they’ve assured us that they are still interested and will be buying at some point. 

In your opinion, how long will this temporary shutdown of the LA art world last? 

That’s the great mystery, isn’t it? A couple of weeks ago, I was confident that it wouldn’t go more than six or eight weeks but now things are completely up in the air. Given the worsening conditions across the country, not to mention the rest of the world, it’s very possible that the shutdown could last through mid-summer. I’m pleased with the stringent efforts that Gavin Newsome is making to halt the spread of Covid-19 in the state.

How are you overcoming the challenges we are now facing? 

Like many other galleries, we are looking for ways to stay present and relevant. We recently launched our new website and we’re in the process of adding a new page that will pull together all of our artist’s video and film projects as well as links to other feeds and impromptu and intuitive content. We’re in production mode—a good thing.

How can Artillery‘s readers help galleries and artists while they are closed? 

This is the perfect time to catch up with your gallery visits by checking everyone’s current exhibitions online through their websites and social media channels. Ditto for the artists that you follow. Also, remember that a lot of galleries are still open by appointment. So if you really want to see an exhibition you just need to reach out to them and set it up (between your run to the store and the hiking trail).

It’s common knowledge that most gallery pedestrian traffic doesn’t buy art, so how does the closing of your gallery affect your business? And can you see this as a trend for the future?  

The biggest difference is in-person and person-to-person engagement. Unless you’re already familiar with an artist’s work, it’s very difficult to fully appreciate and understand it if you haven’t experienced it in person. Nothing compares to it. I’ve always believed that owning an art gallery serves not only our business interests but it provides a place where we can share a heightened experience of art. It raises it to a new level that’s simply not available on a screen or book. Is it possible that the art world would migrate to an exclusive online experience? Yes, it is, but it would be at a huge loss to everyone who loves art.

During the Great Recession, were people still buying art? Can that still happen again? 

In fact, we opened our gallery in September of 2007 and by the following spring and summer were seeing the signs of stress on the economy and gallery sales. When Black Friday hit it all came to a full stop. There’s really no reason why we should have survived. Our sales that first and second year were almost negligible but each one was a small miracle that helped us move forward, one day and one month at a time. We were also very lucky that Jay had a solid job that allowed us to put every penny back into the gallery. Although we didn’t have any employees or salaries, and kept expenses to an absolute minimum, including turning off lights when the gallery was empty, we did participate in art fairs! We did Aqua in Miami in 2007 and 2008, and both years managed to make sales and, most importantly, meet collectors, advisors, and curators that we’re still in touch with today. So, even when things look very bleak it’s important to recognize that you’re not the only one that is crazy enough to be in this business and are trying to make it work. 

Your email sounded cheerful. Some gallerists are keeping a positive outlook. Others are picnicking. Id love to hear more about this. Could the only silver lining of this situation be is that art fairs are now canceled? (just adding a little humor here)…Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far? Or otherwise? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this?  

I’ll let my last answer suffice.

Luis De Jesus Los Angeles
2685 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90034