#### How was [Pictor Gallery ](https://www.cohart.com/pictorgallery/profile) established?
During the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020, many of us were starved for some artistic stimulation, but much of what was out there was stilted virtual galleries which somehow felt more isolating. It was in a phone conversation about that feeling that a core group of friends decided to do something different. ArtSpeak Collective came out of that activity. We decided we would do a more dynamic video presentation of curated shows, with conversations with the artists, and we also decided we would include all the arts, including visual, performance, and music. We did 4 videos that year and logged 1000s of views. When things started to open up after we had a vaccine in March 2021, we collectively decided it was time to take our mission to a physical space. Pictor Gallery opened in May 2021 at our beautiful space in the Landmark Chelsea Arts Building with around 25 members in our inaugural group show “Desperately Seeking Normal.” 



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#### What drives your mission of "encouraging and promoting creative efforts" in today's art market?

The same need to deliver a more community-oriented space with like-minded, talented artists dedicated to making connections with the art-seeking public still drives us today. We launch at least 22 shows during the year, along with discussion groups, salons, and other programs to foster a more intimate and community-building experience within the New York gallery scene. We do Art fairs and participate in community art walks.


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#### How does your approach to fostering "meaningful conversation" with the art-seeking public differentiate Pictor in Chelsea's gallery district? 

Pictor actively engages with poets, writers, acting groups, and musicians to create opportunities for collaborating with our artists during every show. In our salon program, we’ve hosted playwrights, poets, musicians, dancers and actors.  We actually offer a stipend to our guest performers. We’ve even hosted a couple of fashion shows.



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#### What do you look for when deciding to work with your emerging and established artists?
The selection process is by a committee with members from different discipline, and we try to satisfy the collective aesthetics of our gallery. Our artists work in many mediums and range from realism to abstraction, are all contemporary and expressive, they are experienced but still curious and growing ,and they are dedicated to the work they produce.

#### How has your experience with digital platforms shaped the way you operate your physical gallery space?
The digital platform was expensive, we could include music as a soundtrack to our shows, we could include dance and choreography, and poetry. To form a show. I try to think of all the shows we produce that way by bringing in performing artists during the run of the show to collaborate and create a package, a new way to see and engage with the art on the walls, in your ears, or dancing past you.



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#### What's been the most rewarding part of creating a "more intimate and community-building experience" within New York's gallery scene?

We are always trying to learn and grow as a group. I’ve worked with so many people over the years and seen how they have grown and changed as artists. I’ve found out again and again that what I thought I knew isn’t always conclusive. I am smarter with my Pictor mates around me than I am on my own.

#### How do you see the relationship between physical galleries and digital platforms evolving in the next few years?
I think when we were able to be together again we were so thrilled that a lot of the bad memories enveloped some of the good points about that time and what we were doing digitally. But as we’ve gotten farther away from the experience I see us continuing to incorporate digital media and videos into our shows. Using Instagram and other platforms to create corresponding virtual sister shows to our actual shows. The idea that a show can have an extended life beyond the time constraints of a gallery show is a great selling point.

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#### How do your monthly group shows, solo exhibitions, and discussion groups help your artists grow their careers?
Life is experience, and I learn from all the artists in the group. And I’m sure they would say the same. We share our mailing lists and we collaborate on strategies for marketing and advertising. Our mantra is “a rising tide floats all boats.”

#### How do you build and maintain relationships with collectors across both digital and physical spaces? 
We keep a mailing list, and we regularly do outreach to our collectors. We have also done special events for collectors and interested parties. Again, we are smarter and better informed together than alone.


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#### What's one exhibition or art conversation at Pictor that really stayed with you, and why?

All of them are special for lots of different reasons, but one that stands out for me was recent at my solo show - Beautiful Mess II.” We had an acting group [Plays for Us ](https://thefrontrowcenter.com/2022/05/plays-for-us/) do a call for Playwrights to write a short piece on the topic “Beautiful Mess.” Six short plays by 6 amazing writers were then performed impromptu, by the group with my work as the backdrop. We had a full house, and it was a wonderful evening!




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Pictor Gallery on building lasting artist connections through group shows, shared resources, and community-first curation



Q&A with Pictor Gallery

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