Welcome to ArtInsights 2.0: A Hybrid Online & In-person Model! What, pray-tell, ArtInsights 2.0 look like?
That’s what I’m here to lay down.
First, for those of you who might want to know why we decided to close our brick and mortar gallery, here’s an article about it published in The Reston Letter,
Essentially, we were paying too much to Reston Town Center center for clients. Nearly all were finding me via word of mouth, online information, the ArtInsights blog, and searches for specific art. It has been wonderful to have a place to hang our hat for the last 30 years where collectors could visit us, but…truthfully, we can always find a way to connect in real life, but more than depending on being in a fixed location, we are far more about supporting small business and individual artists, and doing all we can to celebrate the art of illustration, animation, and film art in the 21st century.
For us, that meant redefining what an art gallery is, especially for us at ArtInsights, where everything is based in the expertise and integrity of its proprietor.
About our focus and the art:
SO. Going forward, we are going to continue to release blogs that talk about the history of film and animation, about the cartoons and movies we love, and featuring interviews with animators and film artists and experts that illuminate and fans will enjoy! You can find all our blogs HERE.
We are also always actively working to find art and artists that we can partner with for exclusives. As many of you know, we are the sole representative for the estate of movie artist John Alvin, (you can see his work on the fan webs we created for him HERE)
We also have feature several other exclusives:
- The APs from concept and matte background artist and official Disney artist Bill Silvers
- The APs from Disney and film industry illustration artist and official Disney artist John Rowe
- The APs from beloved Disney illustrator and official Disney artist Greg McCullough
- and don’t forget, we often have AP1s from famed comic book cover artist Alex Ross!
We are always looking for other opportunities to bring the best art by artists who actually work in the film industry to collectors. For us, it’s all about making sure everyone feels supported: we want the artist, collectors, and our gallery to feel happy with their partnerships and interactions. In our partnerships, the artists get paid the highest percentage from sales – the collectors get art they want at a great price – and the gallery succeeds. EVERYBODY WINS!
About how we interact with clients:
First, let’s talk about new or potential collectors. You know you love movies and/or animation, but where do you start? I love talking to folks about how to proceed. We can set up a time via phone, zoom or in person to talk about what you love, how to collect, what to collect, how much it might be, what to avoid, what might be best, and what ArtInsights can find for you. That service is free, because we believe we can take care of your tastes and needs as a collector, at least in part. (Unless your jam is anime. We love anime, but we don’t specialize in that.) You can email us at artinsights@gmail.com to set up a meeting.
Ever since the start of the pandemic, because we discovered we had a number of high-risk clients, we have been delivering art, showing new images via zoom, and meeting people in their own safe spaces, whether that be their own homes or a local coffee shop. We found it took away the pressure sometimes inherent to an “art gallery” space, making building and creating collections a more joyful experience. I was bringing them or offering special pieces, and who doesn’t love to feel special in that way? Whether via phone, zoom, email or in person, their reaction was almost always an immediately “yay!” or “nope!”. It makes it so much easier to build the perfect collection!
ArtInsights also has a newsletter we send out every few weeks, always with a link to the latest blog, and often with new releases. This gives collectors a chance to see some of the newest offerings being released, or reminds them to just click on “studio art”, which shows a lot of the most recent studio releases and gallery acquisitions.
Of course there are lots of cels and images I get that never make it to the newsletter, especially images that are hard to find or rare. With that in mind, one way we like to work for our clients is through wish lists. If you’re looking for art from specific movies or featuring specific characters, let us know, and we’ll add it to our search. I’ve been doing this over 34 years, and I never forget my clients’ fondest wishes. It’s important to let me know what’s at the top, because that might move you to the top of the priority list if it’s a unique character or scene! You can email me at artinsights@gmail.com about that.
Ok, we’ve found you a great piece. Now what? Well, we can ship it to you unframed if you have a framer you trust. Or we can find a great framer near you. Or we can take care of the framing through our new collaboration with Broadway Gallery.
About framing through Broadway Gallery in Great Falls, VA:
We started working with Caren and Barry Broadway when we were looking for folks who deliver oversized art and hang large framed images over 5 by 5 feet. They’d taken over for their mom, Sue Broadway, who started the gallery in 1978. This gave us a feeling of connection, because Michael had started his framing company in 1979, so there was some symmetry there.
I always seek out female-owned businesses to support, so it was great to find one we could partner with going forward. Caren, ably assisted by Lydia, have been a great match for me in terms of meeting my clients at the frame shop, finding what suits their art, and pricing the project quickly. They have lots of frames from a variety of framing companies, and can turn around jobs for ArtInsights in 4 weeks time.
I’ve worked with a number of my clients there, now, and have been very pleased with the results. I’m sure you all will be, too! If you have art you’re purchasing from ArtInsights, or have art you’d like to have framed but would like the ArtInsights eye in terms of design, I can either meet local collectors at Broadway Gallery, or I can design options and email them to clients for approval.
If clients are meeting me at Broadway, they generally accept 1/2 downpayment, and the other half upon completion, which you can pay directly to them. If I’m creating a framing design via email for my clients, ArtInsights can charge you or it can be paid directly to the frame shop. It’s all about whatever is most convenient for you!
About having ArtInsights design your in-home gallery or rehang your collection:
We are happy to come to your home and redesign or assist in hanging your walls as your collection grows. While we do deliver art purchased by collectors who live nearby, free of charge, our art gallery design services are done for a fee. We can discuss ahead of time what makes sense, but usually it’s $250 an hour, including travel time (I hang art very quickly, though!)