Reach out to us directly if you’d like assistance with sourcing artworks or selecting pieces for your collection. Latela Curatorial sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com.

One of the best ways to re/define your collecting taste and goals is to look at a lot of art. Take note of the overlapping themes that arise and what conversations can be created between art pieces you already own and spaces you choose to leave blank. An art consultant can always assist with this process!

Images are cropped: click on each image to view artworks in their entirety.

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In Minor Keys curated by the late Koyo Kouoh

The curatorial theme for this year is “In Minor Keys” and the main group exhibition spans two locations: the Giardini della Biennale and the Venetian Arsenal. There are many meanings the title “In Minor Keys” suggests:

• the significance of minor keys in musical melodies -- particularly in how they provide emotional framework, build tension and provide cohesion... therefore, bringing attention to the skeletal elements of a composition (slash, exhibition) and appreciating each as unique...

• keys being objects that guard/steward spaces and simultaneously have the power to unlock worlds....

• the problematic societal contexts of minority as othered...

• and the positioning of being “inside” (in) these colliding worlds, implying an insider knowledge: as if gems were sacredly revealed throughout the experience.

This exhibition did feel like quite an intimate experience, and poetically positioned an incredible selection of artworks by 111 participating artists total. Here were some of our favorites, in order (left to right, top to bottom): Billie Zangewa, Uriel Orlow, Johannes Phokela, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Kennedy Yanko, Guadalupe Maravilla, and Wardha Shabbir.

Lorna Simpson - Third Person curated by Emma Lavigne

Our favorite exhibition by far was Lorna Simpson’s solo exhibition Third Person at the Pinault Collection. This exhibition focuses mainly on her painting practice, featuring over 3 rooms filled with larger-than-life paintings. Additional exhibition rooms feature some of the artist’s more prominent conceptual photographs, sculptures, collages and installations.

Barry x Ball - The Shape of Time curated by Bob Nickas

The Abby of San Giorgio Maggiore presents a surprising pair of juxtapositions with it’s solo exhibition The Shape of Time. First, by featuring glass-seeming sculptures created in part through advanced digital technologies and in part through traditional craftsmanship. Second, by inspiring a conversation between technological advancement in contemporary art and the traditional Renaissance church... while the visual contrast is obvious, both also pose many similarities re: craftsmanship and innovation. And finally, the juxtaposition between Buddhism (Buddha sculptures) in a Roman Catholic Church.

Favorite Pavilion: Lubaina Himid - Predicting History: Testing Translation curated by Ese Onojeruo (Great Britain)

Upon walking into this space, you are engulfed in an intense soundscape (created in collaboration with soundscape designer Magda Stawarska) - when we were there, we heard playful birdsong - which accompanies the large, colorful paintings depicting scenes of migration, belonging and cultural displacement. One of the details that struck us the most about Himid’s work, is the use of color in contrast to the natural tones of the raw canvas (this aesthetic decision is a personal favorite of ours when executed as masterfully as in these works). Overall the exhibition provided a clear and to-the point curation, letting these monumental pieces speak for themselves.

Other Pavilions we loved:

• In Another Man’s Yard: John Beadle, Lavar Munroe, and the Spirit of (Posthumous) Collaboration curated by Krista Thompson (Bahamas)

• Adriana Varejão, Rosana Paulino: Comigo ninguém pode curated by Diane Lima (Brazil)

• Punj•ab – A Sublime Terrain featuring Faiza Butt, curated by Beatriz Cifuentes Feliciano (Pakistan)

Three more exhibitions we enjoyed:

• Eroi d’Oro by Georg Baselitz at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini curated by Luca Massimo Barbero

• إدراك أغرب | Aghrab Idrāk: Thresholds of Perception group exhibition curated by Hesperia Iliadou and Chase Westfall, VCUarts Qatar

• Irene Cattaneo’s Il Giardino Segreto curated by Lo Studio and Galerie Gastou

We hope you will follow these artists and curators, and the galleries they’re connected to (if any), and consider collecting their work -- whether it be original artworks, fine art prints, or exhibition catalogues.

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Let us know what collecting questions you may have and we’ll address them in an upcoming post!

Latela Curatorial is an art advisory studio that specializes in weaving together conceptual art projects and artist placement. LC sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com.

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We practice our mission by collecting art via the GLB Memorial Fund for the Arts because we deeply believe in and have a sheer love of collecting and supporting living artists. The GLB fund currently only supports women-identifying artists who reside in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia. This fund began as a project seed opportunity, and has now morphed into collecting.

Below are the artworks GLB acquired in 2025:

We hope you will follow these artists, and the local galleries we collected their works from where applicable, and be inspired to collect some of their work.

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Let us know what collecting questions you may have and we’ll address them in an upcoming post!

Latela Curatorial is an art advisory studio that specializes in weaving together conceptual art projects and artist placement. LC sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com.

Non-traditional, how? There are two traditional types of art galleries: commercial and non-profit. I did not want to be a non-profit because there were already quite a few that were doing (& still do) incredible work (Transformer, Cultural DC, WPA, Hamiltonian, and now also The Nicholson Project, to name a few). For commercial galleries, there are very few who have a strong curatorial voice and commitment to the artists they represent (Hemphill Fine Arts, and most of the others have since closed, but new galleries like Pazo Fine Arts, VON AMMON CO and Chela Mitchell Gallery have joined the scene). Yes, there are many other commercial art galleries in Washington DC, but if you look at their business models, the majority of them either 1) charge artists a monthly membership fee [which I would argue greatly limits their curatorial voice]; or 2) prioritizes venue rental first, exhibition programming and artist representation second.

Filling what gap? My idea was for Latela Curatorial to be a commercial gallery that did not charge artists, nor emphasize venue rental. I also knew the brand (and I) needed to mature before any exclusive representation to artists could be offered, which meant that LC’s investments in artists was never reciprocated long term because our model did not require that type of partnership. LC began in a humble location without any outside investors, and built from the ground up by centering its exhibitions.

There was also an independent curatorial gap 10 years ago in DC. There weren’t many options to guest curate at galleries or grants for individual projects like there (thankfully) are today. There weren’t consistent and well-respected pop-ups, like Umbrella, where a curator could take risks and slowly build a name for themselves without fully launching a brand, starting an LLC, and committing to paying rent on a commercial space. 10 years ago, the only path I saw to building a portfolio as an independent curator, was to create the space and build the container on my own.

A hybrid model: On paper, a gallery management advisor would have said this decision was business suicide. But I was determined to figure out a hybrid model that allowed me to support emerging and mid-career artists who were falling between the city’s gaps and looking for the opportunity to build provenance. I had a very ambitious idea that Latela Curatorial could be 1) a gallery, 2) a gathering space with intentional programming that went beyond the exhibitions and also intersected artists business development workshops with community wellbeing events (we were the first art space in DC to host meditations and other healing workshops before any museums or pop-ups did), and, 3) an art advisory practice, selling art to corporate clients. I wanted to combine those three business models into one, and believed the audiences could intersect.

In many ways, LC did become and hold all of those things. In comparison to some of the non-profit art spaces hosting regular exhibitions: any 10 years of their exhibitions is comparable to the exhibitions and programming LC produced over the past decade. In comparison to other community wellness spaces and studios, we simultaneously hosted biweekly events. And in comparison to other art consultants, we worked on client projects, commissioned artists and sold lots of artwork. The difference is that LC did all of this as me — just one person. LC survived the start-up phase as an art business (all arts businesses are marginalized but I will argue how they’re even more so in DC). LC also survived the pandemic as well as a multi-year medical treatment that I battled behind the scenes. Despite those currents against this work, and a few bad seeds along the way who took advantage of this platform and my generosity, LC always persisted: programming/exhibitions stayed consistent and client sales never ceased.

When I look back, this 10-year journey has been a labor of love that is for very few; fueled by passion and sheer joy in curatorial work. It is also time to trim the plant back — she’s been growing outwards in many directions and now, I need her to just stay in one pot.

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I have many theories as to why Washington DC is a difficult city for commercial galleries. I think they’re all true, and combined, make any non-traditional commercial gallery business model almost impossible to sustain.

• Location: galleries support one another and need to be located near one another and restaurants and other open businesses. Then, when there is an event at one business, all businessess benefit. Similarly, businesses can combine their events to create a block or neighborhood experience. Due to poor urban planning and an overpriced commercial real estate market which has left gaps of vacant commercial properties downtown, art galleries have a difficult time finding a long-term home. Nonetheless, a long-term community. Both a long-term home and community is required for a gallery to build legacy for itself and provenance for its artists (both bring long-lasting collectors and relationships with museums).

• City support / Business categorization: whereas non-profit galleries have multiple financial pools to pull from (that are admittedly shrinking due to the current administration), commercial galleries do not receive financial support via grants. Yes, there are “small business” and “creative culture” city initiatives. However, these initiatives place small business like artists and galleries in the same category as restaurants/cafes and craft shops, both of which have lower price-point goods and are foot-traffic friendly. Their nature is primarily transactional, at a low risk price point. For example, it’s easy for someone to browse a store and purchase a locally and handmade gift item for under $50. Stores can justify employing staff based on the odds that increased foot traffic and enough diversity in small crafted items will provide a profit. However, when galleries are open similar hours — and dispersed throughout the city — only 2-5% of foot traffic results in sales. Therefore about 95% of staff’s labor is providing information to people who do not intend to collect, which then requires additional sales labor behind the scenes on “off hours”. This is a difficult balance to navigate, but can be done only if the gallery is situated in the right location. Otherwise, the gallery finds itself open to the public just to…. “participate in the community”, but exercising other efforts to actually sell and be profitable. i.e. working harder.

• Favored pop-up culture > Provenance: I am all for pop-ups and understand their importance! However, somehow, the city’s popular culture is more excited about pop ups than gallery openings. That is to say, there’s been a conditioning to care more about the temporary (those who are activating for a limited amount of time in a place where they’re not paying rent) rather than show up for and support those who are committed to growing a business in a neighborhood (which includes consistently being open and paying rent, insurance, staff, etc.)

• Press: let’s be honest… it barely exists. The platforms that do exist have a similar hustle to make ends meet, and the larger platforms (like WaPost) have lost all integrity anyway, but even prior recent events, typically covered museum exhibitions and left the tiniest half-a-page-at-best for gallery “reviews”. And unfortunately, DC’s on-the-ground art scene has yet to grab much international art press. DC desperately needs a BmoreArt if it wants to be taken seriously as a city for artists. But, it’s not really a city for artists, is it? It’s a city for… museums….

• Museum “competition”: this has actually improved over the years. Before the pandemic, local museums did not intersect often with the city’s artists or galleries. Over the past few years however, this has gotten better. Particularly with the Kreeger exhibiting many works by local artists, and even the Phillips Collection. There is still a gap in my opinion where large institutions like the National Gallery of Art and Hirshhorn lean on local artists to join panel discussions and parties (to be local-culturally relevant) rather than actually collecting or exhibiting their work. Local museums love to feature local artists’ smaller, mass produced designs and crafts in their shops, but we’ve yet to see such support for local artists reflected on their museum walls. You can’t tell me this is due to lack of artistic, nor local curatorial talent… But also, on a larger level: DC is a museum city and tourists come to the city to explore museums and not to gallery hop (also see the above Location point as to why it’s virtually impossible to gallery hop). DC is not conditioning city visitors to support our on-the-ground art community, which then positions us to all require direct community (limited) resources.

• Studio space for artists to work: This point is the most simple. When artists cannot afford to work or live in a city, they will leave, which further impacts the other web points of the arts infrastructure. How many acclaimed artists from the Washington DC area still live and work here? Very few…

• Bureaucracy (and this is my one and only complaint): Registering a business in DC is 10x more difficult than say Maryland or Virginia, and much more expensive. I have advised many artists to avoid it at all costs whenever possible. There truly are very few benefits, unfortunately, to outweigh the bureaucratic bullshit that the mayor’s ever-changing “supportive” departments put business owners through.

Don’t get me wrong — I love Washington DC. These are just the categories where I believe the needle needs to continue to move.

In DC, the ground is fertile. The artists who live here are creating at the epicenter of political and social tension and change. Yet, I don’t believe they receive enough opportunities for real, lasting, generative support. Also, they don’t receive opportunities to be challenged. For example: press challenges us. It requires we all be sharper and more intentional with our projects. It holds us accountable. More studio space challenges artists to be present with their practice in ways they cannot when their supplies need to be put away under their beds at night. Etc Etc…

I have also seen much improvement in the DC arts infrastructure over the past 10 years. Sure some galleries have closed (for a variety of reasons), but many others have opened! The scene will always need fresh faces to add to the ecosystem’s creative fiber. But it also needs provenance and people who are committed long-term. I would argue the infrastructure isn’t set up to assist those long-term players. Dear Mayor, can commercial galleries get the same $25-50k grants that restaurants did to build out more outdoor pandemic-safe dining? We received no pandemic relief or support to stay open and our stats demonstrate that attendance at opening receptions dropped about 75% since the pandemic…

I tip my hat to the few who are making it work — particularly the commercial galleries that do not charge artists membership fees. There are very, very few… Therefore, I’m very proud of our partnership over the past 4 years opening The Silva Gallery, which pays artists an exhibition stipend (something only non-profit art spaces do) AND sells work. I trust the gallery’s legacy will stay strong in new hands…

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There’s a saying: “build it and the right people will come”. This is absolutely true, and over the past 10 years, our community of artists, art entrepreneurs, collectors, clients, neighbors and art-loving friends has grown in incredible ways. But upon reflecting, I do believe that in a better location — possibly even a more arts-supportive city — the steep hike up the mountain would have been easier to navigate and sustain.

Where LC is headed for the next decade:

The shift to art consultancy came many years ago, and since, LC has been finding her niche. Moving forward, LC will only be an art consultancy — no gallery, since our projects have been expanding beyond DC and internationally.

The best part is, LC will prioritize more projects where I can purchase even more artwork from galleries & artists to directly support them. Whereas I’ll always be a sucker for provenance-building & curating — and I can’t promise I won’t jump into other curatorial projects in the near future (!!) — the direct acquisition support is a way LC can make the most significant impact on the arts ecosystem.

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Latela Curatorial is an art advisory studio that specializes in weaving together conceptual art projects and artist placement. LC sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com.

Whether you’re looking to acquire a statement piece for a large empty wall in your home or office, or are just browsing to better understand your style… we’ve included a little something for every situation. A variety of price ranges are provided (under $5k by emerging artists, $5-20k by mid-career artists, and $20k+ investment pieces by established artists). Price ranges are shared at the time of publishing this post, which are always subject to change over time. Reach out to artists (or their galleries) directly via the links provided for all sales inquiries.

Reach out to us if you’d like assistance with sourcing artworks or selecting pieces for your collection. Latela Curatorial sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com.

One of the best ways to re/define your collecting taste and goals is to look at a lot of art. Take note of the overlapping themes that arise and what conversations can be created between art pieces you already own and spaces you choose to leave blank. An art consultant can always assist with this process!

Images are cropped: click on each image to view artworks in their entirety.

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After four years directing The Silva Gallery, Latela Curatorial is passing the baton to The Art Island, which has served as a long-established connector of artists and art collectors in the Washington, DC area via art exhibitions and community projects.

As we look back over the past 10 years, curating over 70 exhibitions in Washington DC, we are proud of our diligent work + impact: LC has played a vital role as an on-the-ground incubator in the Washington DC art scene.

In 2021, Latela Curatorial partnered with The Silva to source the building’s permanent art collection (all of which are by Washington, DC area artists) as well as the opening and direction of The Silva Gallery. LC has curated fourteen exhibitions at The Silva Gallery, which include solo exhibitions for renowned Washington, DC artists: Rania Hassan, Rose Jaffe, Anne Hanger, Julia Chon, Nicole Salimbene, Jeremy Flick, Joseph Shetler, Charles Jean-Pierre, Andrea Limauro, Sami Miranda, and Anne Marchand.

With a mission to highlight artists in the greater Washington, DC area, the gallery has also featured prominent Baltimore artists, like Ernest Shaw and Schaun Champion. The one group exhibition presented by the gallery, curated in conjunction with LC’s See Support Collect Women in the Arts Initiative, featured artworks by Kate Fitzpatrick, Rose Jaffe, Jackie Milad, Lee Nowell-Wilson, Kate Sable, and Nastassja E. Swift.

The gallery’s exhibitions have garnered press from The Washington Post, Modern Luxury DC, East City Arts, and BmoreArt. An archive of all The Silva Gallery x Latela Curatorial exhibitions can be found here.

The Silva Gallery’s current and final exhibition curated by Latela Curatorial is Lineal by Rania Hassan, which includes framed drawings displayed next to delicate cut outs and mixed media woven installations, is on view through December 28, 2025.

Check out our most recent post: “The Chance to Collect Original Drawings from one of DC’s Most Revered Artists”.

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The switch to a new gallery partnership and curator will begin in January 2026, with The Silva Gallery x The Art Island’s first exhibition will open in early January with a solo exhibition by Lionel Daniels, curated by Beth Ferraro. More details will be announced soon at www.theartisland.com/thesilva.

Everyday People by Lionel Daniels will be on display at The Silva Gallery x The Art Island January 15 - May 1, 2026. Located at The Silva DC: 1630 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009. A public reception will be held for the artist on Friday, January 23, from 6- 8pm. Inquiries should be directed to theartisland.dc@gmail.com.

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Latela Curatorial is an art advisory studio that specializes in weaving together conceptual art projects and artist placement. LC sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com.

View our work & get in touch: www.latelacuratorial.com

— View all exhibition artworks available for purchase here —

Lineal by Rania Hassan is on view at The Silva Gallery x Latela Curatorial (1630 Columbia Rd NW, Washington, DC 20009) through December 28, 2025. The gallery is open Mon-Sat 10am-5pm and Sun noon-5pm.

Known for her public sculptures and large-scale museum installations, Hassan offers an intimate glimpse into her practice in Lineal, where framed drawings are displayed next to delicate cut outs and mixed media woven installations. With this collection of artworks, Hassan experiments with familiar materials and technical studies in new ways, resulting in a process-centered ode to the craft of knitting, its communal properties, labor, and memory.

"I am drawn to the small details and moments that shape my work, exploring what happens when I take things apart and weave them back together at different scales and with different materials. Much like memory itself, parts shift, repeat, and form new patterns." - Hassan

Tangle, an installation that combines tiny canvases of hyper realistic open mouths connected by one woven tapestry, speaks to our collective nature. We are encouraged to consider language, voice, and the tangled words that we weave in and out of our shared communication. This artwork presents a sense of togetherness and collective understanding.

Hassan’s framed drawings represent stitches coming together and/or apart. She draws these varied stitches from memory, centering memory as a source material which further emphasizes an intimacy and dedication to the tradition of knitting, which was taught to her by her mother and represents a long lineage of devotion to the craft by the women in her family. Upon a second glance, these sketches also have a likeness to gauze: the woven structure used for mending physical wounds. This is no coincidence, as Hassan intentionally considers themes of protection, care and repair.

Recent experimentations in her practice have resulted in paper cut outs of knitting drawings, and their reliefs. These forms directly resemble the detailed loops created from machine knitting, which was a method acquired by the artist when attempting to scale-up in production. Recounting these forms, also by memory, highlights the labor and perfectionism connected to the practice of knitting. By enlarging these microscopic details into larger forms, cutting them out, and weaving them back together, Hassan draws parallels between her intrigue in knitting patterns, post-production, and the continuing notion of mending or repair.

"The repetitive motions of my imagined drawings follow the quiet rules of knitting, each line shaped by the repetition of a single stitch, a rhythm symbolizing both attention and the passage of time." - Hassan

Presenting these artworks along a narrow hallway augments the themes Hassan wants to highlight in this body of work. Hallways represent a liminal space, and mending happens with time. Hallways can also represent straight paths, when we know that often the journey is more tangled (or woven) than direct. The nonlinearity of in between or liminal spaces – or times of great collective transition – can be hazy, like memory. However, when focusing on the process and collective labor, mending is possible.

— View all exhibition artworks available for purchase here —

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Latela Curatorial is an art advisory studio that specializes in weaving together conceptual art projects and artist placement. LC sources art for home collections and commercial projects: studio@lateladc.com. Exhibitions at The Silva Gallery x Latela Curatorial provide additional exhibition opportunities and curated promotion to artists based in the Greater Washington, DC area.

Lesser acknowledged but just as common challenges are: overwhelmed with distractions, losing one's center, and/or feeling disconnected from one’s purpose.

1. It's too easy to get distracted in contemporary society. Many of us consume copious amounts of content in a matter of seconds before we even have coffee in the morning.

2. Some artists regularly posting their work on social networks fall into the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. This is a sure way to lose your center. You end up spinning wheels in misalignment, which your audience can feel.

3. Plus, collapse is on the horizon. Humanity, artist sovereignty, and critical thought are becoming rare commodities. Amidst chaos, it can be difficult for an artist to feel connected to their purpose. Maybe you've found yourself asking "what's the point?" or maybe, as you continue towards your own enlightenment, you wonder "how can I make more impactful art"? (which might require starting over…)

In reality, historically — eras of collapse are when artists flourish:

Artists require guidance that extends beyond navigating the business parts of the artworld(s). We also require soul and energetic guidance: to refuel on purpose and remind ourselves why we do what we do. To strongly tap into our own self belief. To re-align.

As we currently find ourselves confronting Eclipse season's unforeseen obstacles (tests), and simultaneously squeezed by Fall schedule commitments (hello September!), it is very easy to stray from our center. This is exactly why in this particular moment, realigning with your passion is essential.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Survey your schedule: How do you spend your days? Are you allocating enough time to brainstorm? Read/research? Create your art? Document your art? Apply to exhibitions & grants? If not, what needs to shift? How can you reprioritize the list of your Fall commitments?

• If you had one month to relate to your practice however you want (actual creation, research, travel, etc): what would you prioritize? How can you jump your current timeline and incorporate this act NOW?

• If you had no financial limitations, what investment would be most essential to your practice at this moment? Why?

• If you had no time limitations, how would you spend it?

• List all of your desires related to your art practice (big or small, realistic or a bit out of reach from where you are currently).

• Who in your community is creating work you feel deeply called to participate in?

Dive deeper and learn how to implement change:

Join us on Tuesday 9/16 at 1pm ET (or watch the recording afterwards) for an online workshop: Ignite your Purpose & Get Clear Amidst Chaos.

This workshop is only $15/person.

This is a purpose-centering and vision-clearing workshop for artists and creatives confronted by the rising chaos of the world today.

This workshop’s format will include pre-, during-, and post-workshop journaling prompts, that will assist each individual to formulate their unique clear path forward. Participants will leave with strategies and techniques to check-in with themselves regularly to stay accountable to, aligned with, and in belief of the purpose identified in the workshop. This workshop will begin with a powerful purpose-centering meditation and will conclude with a group discussion.

This workshop is ideal for both emerging and mature artists, or any other kind of creative/maker/dreamer looking for clarity.

If you cannot join us Live on 9/16, sign up anyway to tune into the workshop via the recording at your preferred moment.

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Questions? Drop them in the comments and we’ll make sure we address them in the Live workshop or in a future post.

So many custom commissions use previously created artwork as a reference point. In fact, we always sugg…

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Some of the best advice we can give emerging artists is: slow your roll and make sure you’re ready.

Art spaces aren’t going anywhere: you have time! Consider some of the questions below to see if you’re not just ready for a solo exhibition, but strategically ready to make sure the event is successful on all fronts.

1. Does the venue you’re considering align with your target audience and market? [If you don’t know your target audience and market, you need this course].

2. Does the venue you’re considering align with your markers of success? Hint: not every exhibition is about sales! Sometimes a successful exhibition can be defined as one that garners a lot of press, hosts great crowds at the opening, or fosters institutional connections. Consider how you’d define success for this particular exhibition first, and then make sure that the venue you’ve selected has a proven track record of and continued commitment to garnering such success.

3. Do you have a full body of artwork ready to exhibit? If not, save this for when you do and prioritize your energy: get your ass back in the studio and make your work!

4. Have you considered what you’ll miss out on if you have a solo exhibition too soon? Ahhh! No one thinks about this but it’s so true! There are many grants and stipends only for emerging artists planning their first exhibition. If you jump the gun exhibiting your hard-created artwork just… anywhere, you forfeit some incredible incubative opportunities. Also! One of the biggest mistakes we see is an emerging artist exhibiting their work too soon, and then once the exhibition is over, they submit the same exhibition to another gallery. Why would the next gallery want to repeat a show that’s already existed? (sometimes even just down the street)… Keep in mind that for the gallery to do their job correctly, they need to be telling a new story. You’re not giving them that option if you’re circulating your work loosely. This is a sure way to receive a rejection response from open call submissions.

5. Do you have a list of people you’d invite and do you have 6-8 weeks to send invites? If not, take the time to build an invitee list and send invites ahead of time to maximize in person engagement with your efforts. Planning an editorial calendar for social media posts leading up to the opening and throughout the exhibition is also advised, but something you should collaborate with the venue on. If you don’t have high quality images of you and your artworks, you’ll need to build that into the timeframe as well. If you have this list and have invited people to art events before, make sure you allow enough space before inviting them to something again. You don’t want to stretch your audience too thin too soon!

This is just the tip of the iceberg! Want to know more about preparing for a solo exhibition?

We’ve prepared a workshop, Submitting & Organizing Strong Solo Exhibitions, to share exactly what you need to do to make sure this event checks all of your boxes.

This workshop is ideal for emerging artists or any artist who has yet to have a successful solo exhibition. Or… maybe you jumped the gun too soon for your first solo and now you want to fill your toolbox for the next go around? 🙃

You will leave with everything you need to know to find the right places to partner with for your exhibition (which may be a gallery, and may be a completely different type of space!) as well as checklists for exactly what to expect and cover to make sure this event is a success in your career!

There are two ways to access the workshop:

• Join us Live on zoom on 8/21 at 1pm ET

• Catch the recording anytime within a month after the Live date (same signup link)

Questions? Drop them in the comments and we’ll make sure we address them in the Live workshop or in a future post.

• work with art consultants

• exhibit a strong solo exhibition

• create a generative income tier

• price artwork

• find gallery representation

— among many others. Every single time, we get this follow up question via email:

“Someone advised me to add art professionals’ emails directly to my newsletter as a good way to keep them looped into my work. Do you agree with that approach?”

The answer is NO.

How do you feel when you randomly receive emails from a company you’ve never heard of? A bit ticked off, no doubt. That sneaky act to commandeer your inbox definitely doesn’t go unnoticed, and chances are, it’s not going to increase the probability of you purchasing anything from that company!

The last thing you want to do is leave a similar sore taste in an art professional’s mouth about your artist practice. Apart from being a bit presumptuous and potentially perceived as invasive, there are practical reasons why this approach is not helpful.

1. A newsletter usually shares multiple updates: some behind the scenes of new works or a recent project, links to view more artworks for purchase, maybe some links to participate/support your practice in other ways (enroll in workshops, join patreon, etc), and/or announce upcoming events like an upcoming open studio or exhibition reception. While that’s interesting and helpful information for someone who has opted in to learning more about your practice, that may provide a distraction to what will actually catch an art professional’s eye.

2. Many artists do not understand that art professionals (like gallerists, curators, and art consultants), all have different markets (or missions, or project scopes, etc.) that guide their work. All to say: your work will never align with every gallerist, every curator, and every art consultant. And that’s okay! It’s advised to focus on more qualitative than quantitative connections, and artists should make sure they’re reaching out to professionals aligned with their own markets. [If you do not yet know your market, consider joining one of our workshops or enroll in The Artist Course: Being & Business.]

How to stand out:

You’re not the only artist trying to connect with these professionals. In fact, there are probably many and the majority of them are making some of the mistakes mentioned above.

Instead, here are some suggestions for targeting art professionals whom you’ve researched extensively (re: market research mentioned above) and are ready to court, patiently:

1. Art consultants: send a brief email with a link or attachment to your artwork inventory. [If you don’t know what an art inventory is, you need this course]. In your brief description, mention the who/what/why/where/how and express why you feel there is alignment between your work. Make sure you’re providing everything they’d need the first time around (inventory basic information, like dimensions and pricing). Essentially, give them everything they need to pitch your artwork to their clients without it requiring any additional effort on their behalf.

2. Curators: send a brief email with a link to an exhibition proposal that intentionally considers the mission and the space of the institution where they work. Do your research prior and look at their past exhibitions. Whose work do they exhibit and how? Is there an annual open call or some other type of submissions process? If they curate independently (varying spaces, public art, etc), then lean heavier on the mission alignment between their work and yours. Maybe reference a past project they curated that’s similar in concept or medium to your work. Attend any of the programming they offer through their projects.

3. Gallerists: attend their events, particularly the talks! Take the time to get to know their program and build a relationship patiently, particularly if you’re interested in representation.

Yes, patience is a virtue…

Acknowledge that it takes time to build relationships in the artworld. Keep in mind that most curators and gallerists must plan their exhibitions and programs 1-3 years in advance, depending on the scale of their space and scope of their work. So if they don’t respond to you immediately, it’s because they have to satisfy other projects first. Stay consistent in how you show up and participate in their efforts to genuinely celebrate the artists they already are in relationship with. How they support those artists also connects to the support you’re hoping to receive! Taking the time to build a relationship slowly allows you to be discerning, which is a powerful form of agency!

The beauty of tools like social media is that simple searches can help you do your research to find arts professionals and spaces that are aligned with your current practice.

Don’t forget the second half of the equation behind any successful art career: put your head down and make your work! Document and share yourself in your studio, dedicated to your practice. We promise that consistently showing up to your craft, and sending short emails to aligned professionals with the appropriate document attached will build momentum over time!

~

Questions? Drop them in the comments and we’ll make sure we address them in the Live workshop or in a future post.

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Many art consultants may also work as art advisors — job descriptions that are often used interchangeably — yet, within the art world, advisors are also known to follow auctions and conduct appraisals, among other niche areas of expertise.

The main mistakes we’ve witnessed artists make when approaching art consultants all relate to misconceptions about the nature of their work. Let us demystify a few…

1. Art consultants work for their clients, not for artists (i.e.: they do not represent artists).

They do not have the same responsibilities to an artist as say, a gallerist or curator. Understanding this helps set expectations. This is not to say the art consultant isn’t interested in your practice or promoting your work. Just that their investment is in their project’s overall outcome rather than fully committing to the promotion of an artist’s career. They’re happy to play a role in selling an artist’s work along their journey to what is hopefully a successful career, but they cannot take the responsibility of managing their career on. That said, many art consultants have enough market knowledge and a diverse background working as gallerists, curators, and other art professionals, that they may also offer business advising services to artists. Still, this is very different from gallery or agency representation.

2. Art consultants are usually sourcing multiple artworks for multiple projects at the same time.

They’re juggling many, many details all at once. This will mean their communications with artists need to get to the point, and may be slightly more transactional than say, an institutional curator who spends multiple hours over multiple visits brainstorming your next groundbreaking solo exhibition by uncovering all the artworks, writings, and sketches in your studio.

3. Art consultants aren’t excluding or ignoring you on purpose.

Many times, art consultants are pitching your work and mentioning you in rooms without your knowledge; you only hear about it when they need to confirm specifics (like pricing, sizes, or your availability to potentially create a custom project) before pitching an artwork or commission idea to their client. Otherwise, you’ll only hear from them when their client expresses interest. Even after that step, if their client then decides not to purchase your work and to go in a different direction, it’s not the art consultant’s fault. They tried their best but ultimately need to follow their client’s feedback. If your communication with them was a pleasant experience, they’ll likely keep your artwork in mind and pitch it at the next available opportunity with another client.

Want to know more about working with art consultants? The benefit to working with art consultants is that if an artist is well organized and knows how to navigate communicating with them, there is very little effort from the artist regarding a sale. In this scenario, art consultants quite literally sell your work for you while you continue to create in the studio.

We’ve prepared a workshop, How to Work with Art Consultants, to share exactly what they need from you to make for a successful collaboration.

This workshop also provides next step suggestions to make sure the business arm of your practice is well organized, so that you can maximize your sales and minimize the time you spend pitching your work to potential clients.

There are two ways to access the workshop:

• Download a prerecorded workshop, or

• Join us Live on zoom on 7/24 at 1pm ET

Questions? Drop them in the comments and we’ll make sure we address them in the Live workshop or in a future post.

We searched high and low for the perfect three-dimensional artwork to fit at the end of a narrow hallway, viewed daily by resi…

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— View all exhibition artworks available for purchase here —

In Light We Move by Rose Jaffe on view through August 31 at The Silva Gallery x Latela Curatorial

Expanding on her printmaking practice, Jaffe’s vibrant and playful imagery have recently evolved into a more layered approach. Abstract and figurative shapes made from a variety of plates and found objects like bubble wrap, fabrics, plastics and paper, overlap one another to create textured and layered compositions. Through this recent collection of monoprints, Jaffe creates a sense of organized chaos that takes a turn from her previous work on paper and fills the page in ways similar to some of her murals.

Across a variety of mediums, Jaffe’s work often intersects themes of political activism, natural healing and spiritual grounding. The representation of women is as apparent in these works on paper as in the artist’s murals. Sensations of boundlessness, togetherness, and collective care can be found throughout this exhibition as subjects sit still, stretch, and dance in abstracted gardens and natural spaces.

— View all exhibition artworks available for purchase here —

Centering Women:

Jaffe has long been committed to depicting women and advocating for their support across her work. Her most recent mural “What Women Carry” (created in 2024) is a ceiling mural at The Ned DC. The mural includes an underlying narrative about physical, social and emotional weight of women. From carrying a child and motherhood, to relationships or all kinds, figures are pictured bending, rooting into the earth, emerging from vessels and being reflected in each other's light. The narrative is meant to encompass the breadth of what women in society collectively hold and aims to acknowledge and honor this.

In 2020, Jaffe created a mural at The National Women’s Law Center highlighting contraception and a woman’s right to choose. In 2019, Jaffe created three murals:

• Corporate feminism: DC's Hotel Zena is dedicated to girl power

• New mural of Ruth Bader Ginsburg pops up in Washington | CNN Politics

• Modern Makers: Rose Jaffe | Broad Strokes Blog | National Museum of Women in the Arts

Latela Curatorial is also women run and owned, and has dedicated the past 10 years to stewarding art projects by women artists local to Washington DC. Latela Curatorial helms The GLB Memorial Fund for the Arts, which provides financial support to woman-identifying artists and curators who reside in Washington DC, Maryland or Virginia by collecting art and seeding project grants to further advance women-led contemporary art initiatives. Latela Curatorial also helms See Support Collect, an intersectional placemaking and gap-filling initiative that focuses on collectorship of art by women and non-binary artists.