Chelsea Gallerista

Mixed media artist Rodney Durso, founder of Artbridge Last week I found myself in a couple of small, personal Chelsea art events that signal the alternative ways art is being "done" these days - largely due to the economy. The traditional way: An established gallery in a prime location which is never open Sundays, and in fact, shuts promptly at 6pm weekdays, thus winnowing out the artless tire kickers. Staff, of whom you see only the very top of their heads behind the high reception desk, basically ignore you if you wander in without an appointment, because they are busy dealing in cyberspace ... unless you're an art target of course. The new way: slap up, pop up, art up. Let's look at three different "recession suppression" happenings I stumbled on in the same week: THE POP UP Rodney Durso  and  Blair Bradshaw : Together Again  Press Release Blair Bradshaw flanked by "Burr" and "Hamilton" Rodney Durso (

Only in New York City! Someone from Downunder wrote me today, saying they'd been approached online by a Chelsea gallery offering representation. The offer came with a proviso that most painterly puritans run screaming from - a hefty upfront fee of $3000, and 30% of sales (which is less than the usual 50%). It is popularly known as a "vanity gallery," where you pay for the privilege of exposure. The question to ChelseaGallerista was, should I go for it? Well, you're looking at someone who's never taken the road well-pedaled. I made a career out of taking marketing to the nth degree by homestaying with customers year round as an invited family member. I rode a bike for a living and turned it into a platform for customer evangelism and content-driven advocacy. I look for the opportunity, not the objection. (You'll even find me asking an Amway salesperson, so what have you got that's new and good?). So, my take is about asking, rather than judging