Hi! Leslie, co-owner of ArtInsights here, making a big announcement…
That’s right, after 30 years in brick and mortar, we’re moving online-ArtInsights is going virtual-we’re SO excited about it, and hope you are, too! We’ve loved being in person and face to face all this time with our framing clients, and some of our art clients, but we’ve discovered with some creative marketing, commitment to communication, and great service, a combination of art consulting for folks in the area, phone consults, and email interactions can prove very successful, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Let us tell you all about it…
When? October 31st is our last day at Reston Town Center. September 20th is the last day to bring in framing.
Why?
From the very beginning, the focus for ArtInsights was to reach out across the world and find clients for both limited editions and the unique, one-of-a-kind animation and film art we have been committed to promoting. We always wanted to have art that was created by the actual animation and film artists working in the field, and that sets us apart from any other gallery in the world. The focus on interviews and articles on film and animation helped people find us. Of course, we chose Reston Town Center for ArtInsights because it was so close to Dulles International Airport, and indeed we have had people fly in from around the world in the course of our being there. Being in Reston Town Center was a delight, especially at Christmas-time, when the center was decked out in decorations.
We had lots of fun at our events and with the many artists who came through for appearances. Still, in terms of retail, we never depended on folks physically coming into the gallery.
When, without asking any of the retailers, the owners of the center decided to charge for parking, the people who wandered into the gallery dropped to a trickle, even on weekends. We were (rightly) really mad about it, but we were prepared! Between the special releases and exclusive art we represented, people still found us online, and once we started a phone dialogue, they learned to trust our integrity and our expertise in the field. Over time, our business became about building relationships via phone and email. A huge percentage of our clientele became people we’ve never met, but know well through a mutual trust and built history.
Once the pandemic hit, of course, we rarely saw anyone in the gallery. BUT, since everyone was completely freaked out, I searched for a way to help. What could I do for people? I decided to start writing more on our blog. Sometimes it was just about art we had, and explaining it, other times it was about the art business or featured an interview with artists we love and work with…they were struggling, too! Word spread, and more people found us through our blogs and special virtual events, and our business, well, it kinda exploded.
Here’s the video of our event with Larry Leichliter, Emmy-winning animation artist and director, talking Peanuts specials and his many cartoons:
Anyone who has interacted with us longterm will tell you, what you hear/see/read is what you get with us. We are very transparent about our business, the art, and our own personal philosophies. I think that’s why the blog worked so well to bring in new clients. I’ve had a lot of experience with animation and film (over 30 years at this point..), and I know more than I realize…and I was thrilled to discover that comes through!
Look. We know how incredibly lucky we are that the recent events had a positive impact on our business instead of putting us out of business. I’m sure it’s in part because we sell art that makes people happy, and happiness is sometimes in short supply these days…anyway, we feel very, very grateful.
So… here are some of the details of our move online:
As I mentioned, for framing clients, the last day Michael will be taking in framing is September 20th. If you have been framing with Michael for lo these many years, this is your last chance to take advantage of his handiwork. He’d love to see you and work on your treasured images, but has been framing since 1979, and wants to move on to his next big adventure!
STOP BY OR MAKE AN APPOINTMENT SOON! You can email us at artinsights@gmail.com, or call us at 703-478-0778.
Our last day in the gallery is October 31st. Halloween is fitting, because it’s our favorite holiday. Between now and then, we’ll be slowly moving art out and shifting to our home office. (See my main office and support staff below)
To be clear, ArtInsights is going virtual, but WE ARE AND WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR BUSINESS! (just via phone, email, and special appointment, instead of at the gallery!)
We’ll still be offering the art we love to our clients, whether they’ve been working with us for 30 years or calling/emailing us for the first time. We are still committed to vintage animation art, Disney interpretive art, the art of John Alvin, Alex Ross comic illustrations, and the wonderful art of the Charlie Brown and Peanuts specials…and who knows? We might add other special collections in the future!
As a last event, and to show how we’ll be doing things in the future, we have a virtual show starting on Friday, August 18th, and fittingly, we’ll be premiering a new Halloween limited edition featuring an image from It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. (with thanks to the Peanuts people, for giving us the opportunity, and allowing us to celebrate Halloween in August!)
In part, we chose Peanuts for our show because, while his first appearance in the strip was October 4th, Snoopy’s birthday is celebrated on August 10th, which is the day in 1968 when Snoopy had a surprise birthday party in the comic strip:
We’ll be premiering the new image (which, by way of a hint, features Snoopy!) via email on August 17th, so if you’re not yet on our newsletter list, click here to SIGN UP TODAY! (it’s that annoying pop-up that happens when you come onto our site) The art will be available for purchase either by pre-order via email on the 17th, or you can buy it online at 12:01 am EST on the 18th!
Look for a new blog with a special interview with Larry Leichliter and a profile on animation artist Ed Levitt on next Thursday, August 17th!
There will also be some very rare and wonderful one of a kind images from Snoopy Come Home–here’s a preview of what will be available:
Michael and I can’t wait to take a real vacation (we’ve never been able to leave for more than a week at a time in over 30 years) and go to brunch (I’ve gone to brunch 5 times in 30 years. No kidding…) We do hope you’ll continue to support us and connect with us as we move into this new phase of our business.
We’ve loved working with you…and remember:
For those of you in the area or coming for a visit, we’re happy to schedule a meeting for art consulting, to see new art, or for art delivery!
Please come visit us in the gallery soon to wish us well. We’d love to see you!
All the best from Leslie and Michael