Selling Art in a Gallery Interview With Curator Letzelter
Curator Frederic Letzelter, who runs Zadok Art Gallery talks about running an art gallery business and offers a few tips for artists interested in trying to sell their art in galleries in this interview.
How Did You Develop an Interest in Art?
“I come from a family where art has always been part of our lives. Art has played a significant role in my family for centuries. One of my ancestors did the marital sculpture of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. His son was a bronze sculptor for Napoleon and then the family had a business of lights in bronze.
My grand-parents were also collectors and the “virus” of art was transmitted to me by my grandmother. So for me, studying the history of art and working in the industry was meant to be.”
When Did You Realize That an Art Gallery Business Was Right for You?
“I decided to study the arts, but I didn’t know how to draw and considered myself a lost cause. Managing an art gallery and representing artist, however, seemed like a great solution. Working with young, emerging artists was especially appealing to me because I believed it would be more exciting that being only an ‘art dealer’ and working with artworks from artists that were dead.”
What Is Your Favorite Thing to Do to Refill the Well?
“When I lived in Paris, I used to go to the Pompidou Museum to look for hours at the Blue paintings of Yves Klein. His IKB (International Klein Blue) is completely hypnotic for me and I was able to lose sense of the time. Activities like this are my favorite way to “refill the well.””
How Do You Find Your Market?
“Miami is a very special city for the art market. Most of the collectors do not live here year-round. For that reason, we try to keep an eye on who is coming to Miami, when and from where. Then we adapt to each of those artists’ specific needs and markets.”
Have You Made Business Connections That Helped Make Your Gallery a Success?
“It is not that much …