PaintingsDirect.com - People in the Arts

Interviewed by Jane Harris

Clifford & Smith recently opened in Boston, Massachusetts. The gallery is located in a loft building in the south end of Boston, a now booming art community. Bernard Toale, another contemporary art gallery shares the same building. Jim Clifford and Rob Smith became partners a year and a half ago. The following interview provides artists and art enthusiasts with insight into the Boston contemporary art scene as well as the more conventional side of the commercial art business. Jane Harris (JH): As gallery dealers in Boston, how would you characterize the community's response to contemporary art? Jim and Rob (J&R): Enthusiastic but timid about "making the leap" if you will, when it comes to collecting. There seems to be a general level of education and exposure to the arts in Boston that allows people to embrace contemporary concepts, but there is at the same time a need in our local culture to not stand out too far from the crowd--aesthetically speaking. We're finding that the younger audience is most responsive but they don't always have the money to collect art and some of the more established collectors who can afford to buy art are more concerned about what someone else will think of their taste and interests.
JH: At the same time, there seems to be a number of younger galleries opening their doors recently. Do you find this influences more conventional collectors to consider newer or experimental work? J&R: As more and more collectors and art enthusiasts are exposed to more diversified work, they seem to be getting more adventurous and more excited about being adventurous. ALL of the institutions in town have new, young, and (coincidentally female) curators...Harvard, the ICA, MIT, the Gardner, Worcester Art Museum, the Rose at Brandeis, and the MFA. This too will change the type of art that the public will be comfortable looking at and buying.
JH: What kind of artists do you represent, and how do you make these decisions? So many artists feel alienated from the art world, and struggle to find a place of entry. Do you have any strategies you follow for selecting artists? J&R: We go with our gut. We look at a lot of art and we try to find work that excites us and seems to be doing something new. Because if we aren't excited about it then we can't sell it. We have been introduced to a lot of artists by word of mouth, and by some who wandered in our door. As far as the artists themselves, we most often aim to work with people who are "on the ball," and who are actively participating in the arts community. It's important that we work with artists who want to approach the gallery/artist relationship as a team effort. Both the artist and the gallery should bring all their resources to the partnership.
JH: What advice would/do you give to emerging artists seeking representation? J&R: Be professional. Do your homework. Look at lots of art. Don't stay cloistered in your studio. Get out and live. Here in Boston, that seems to be the problem--not so much in New York. Approaching a gallery should be like going to a job interview. Prepare your materials in a way that is easy to read, be courteous, don't show up unannounced, and seek out galleries that exhibit work that fits with what you're doing. The blanket approach rarely works and is largely a waste of the artist's time and resources. If there is a gallery you really want to work with, be persistent and keep updating the gallery about the progression of your work.
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