Art: Galleries strategize to survive

Slogans aside, no one succeeds in business without really trying. It demands a sound plan, attention to detail, great staff, fabulous location, hard work, good timing and at least a dollop of luck.

That's a lot to ask of art galleries, which are often labors of love, launched by financial neophytes who essentially gather a bunch of talented friends and put on a show. Twin Cities warehouses and storefronts are haunted by the ghosts of galleries that have come, gone and are now barely remembered.

Even so, a strong cadre of galleries has survived, thrived and all are charging ahead even in these rocky financial times. There is no single pattern to their success; each has an effective strategy, whether it be showing nationally, partnering with other galleries, diversifying sales techniques, expanding or consolidating.

"I've been monitoring the financial situation on a daily basis and waiting for the other shoe to drop on the art world, but in my business things are going along nicely," said veteran Minneapolis gallery owner Tom Barry, who specializes in Midwestern art, does appraisals and offers art storage.

Barry attributes the comparative stability of the local art scene to the area's relatively modest prices and the fact that people here generally buy art "out of pure enjoyment for their environment; it has nothing to do with investment."

No Twin Cities gallery is a major player in the national and international art world, where contemporary paintings, sculpture and installations routinely sell for millions. Such prices typically are set by 15 or 20 galleries or auction houses in New York, London or other international centers, said Minneapolis gallery owner Martin Weinstein.

In the Twin Cities, prices rarely top $100,000, he and other dealers said. Sales in the $5,000 to $20,000 range are not uncommon, but the bulk of bread-and-butter sales are well under $5,000. Original drawings, prints and fine crafts by top Midwestern talents are often priced at $50 to $500.

After 12 years in a south Minneapolis storefront, Weinstein Gallery has firmly established itself on both the local and national scene. Specializing in vintage and contemporary photography, the gallery makes about 50 percent of its sales to national clients, some developed at art fairs in New York and Chicago, where the gallery rents a booth each year.

"People here are not just buying who's hot, who's trendy, who's the artist du jour," said Weinstein. "One of the reasons our gallery has done well is because we're presenting really good quality artists at affordable prices."

Premier Gallery in downtown Minneapolis shows mostly figurative paintings and sculpture by regional talents and offers marketing and design services through a sister business, Primarius Promotion.

"The business is sustaining itself at the moment," said owner Kelvin Miller. "The art in some ways is our front door through which people can access all sorts of artistic services, including advertising, publishing, speech writing, design and commissioning."

No magic location

While location matters to any gallery, there's no predictable pattern in the Twin Cities. Weinstein has thrived in a residential neighborhood while Barry prefers a downtown warehouse. Premier is on the street level of an office tower, and St. Paul's Grand Hand Gallery is in a storefront at Dale Street and Grand Avenue.

"Ann has just had some luck working on this corner," said Susan Clayton, manager of Grand Hand.

"Ann" is gallery owner Ann Ruhr Pifer, who opened the stylish craft emporium in 2004. She recently expanded, nearly doubling her space, by teaming up with River Gallery, a long-established frame shop next door. Her strategy emphasizes quality, variety and diverse sales techniques. Grand Hand now has room to exhibit paintings, photos and prints on River Gallery's walls and plenty of space for sophisticated handmade ceramics, jewelry, baskets, glass and clothing in its own sunny showroom. Business partner Susan St. John helps place the work of Grand Hand's 240 artisans in the homes and offices of private and corporate clients.

"There was a little bit of luck involved, but Ann's background is in banking and finances so she has the know-how to navigate around money issues without fear," Clayton said.

After more than 40 years in downtown Minneapolis, Vern Carver and Beard Galleries, which specializes in early 20th-century Midwestern art, recently moved from a skyway space to a little Uptown storefront at 2817 Hennepin Av. S. The move was prompted by an expired lease and a desire to downsize and "make sure we're not overspending on rent," said owner Jon Carver.

Carver also owns Dean Gallery, a framing and poster shop next door, and plans to merge the two businesses.

"This is a great neighborhood," he said. "I really wanted to have the visibility of a storefront again, and we've even got a coffeehouse next door."

Mary Abbe • 612-673-4431