Galleries are the great aesthetic educators in art. They occupy a space between art schools and museums. Art school process is relatively closed to the public, though less so in Portland. Galleries are relatively open to the public, but banker's hours, excepting openings. Museums are completely dedicated to the public.
Galleries' openness comes at a huge cost, none in Portland are wildly successful financially, unlike the few superstar galleries in major art cities. Galleries' enemies are rent and staffing costs. Many gallery sales are conducted by personal, phone or email contact with collectors whose interests are known by the best gallerists. Many Portland sales are out of town.
One response is the private gallery and consultancy. It is unburdened by keeping doors open to a space vacant of customers. It can focus its energy on client collectors, rather than educating the public. The Internet, to an extent, fills some of the education role.
Private galleries can fulfill many of the roles of conventional galleries. They can help artists price their work. They can advise on career planning. They can supplement the artist's own media relations. They could theoretically bring work to art fairs. That's a very expensive proposition. In Portland about 1-2 galleries do it, but the result are sales for single pieces in the tens of thousands for select Portland artists. While the conventional gallery focuses on the supply chain, the artists, you could argue the private gallery-consultancy focuses on the customer.
One Portland private gallery is open from time to time. The Heidi McBride Gallery has moved from a condo to a storefront space in the South Waterfront. McBride has expanded her artist clients with the addition of the Mark Woolley group. McBride has done a great job at connecting with realtors to display art in condos for sale.
You can see examples of her unusually wide range of aesthetics at a rare open house. Private galleries are also open by appointment. It's the Heidi McBride Gallery and Consultancy www.heidimcbridegallery.com In the South Waterfront Atwater Place Townhome Building, 0841 SW Gaines No. 117 5PM-7 Thursday, Noon-4 Sunday. Free
