Artists may miss having their work on view in gallery exhibitions, but they aren’t sitting still waiting for venues to open again in order to share their work. With more time on hand, many are taking on more control and enjoying remarkable success online.
Downingtown artist Jeff Schaller has been creating COVID-19 specific prints. And, he’s been making little videos to generate interest in the special collection and posting them to social media and his website. Not known for being subtle in his own attire, he somehow convinced his family to don flashy garb too, thereby making these videos really amusing to watch. His prints are a hit and have practically sold out. Schaller is donating 25% of sale proceeds to Chester County Food Bank, raising more than $2000 to date. “I’ve been doing a lot more videos and posts to keep friends, family and clients engaged. It’s been a big learning curve but we’re having fun with it.” Asked whether he’ll continue to pursue selling online once things get back to normal, he said, “Yes, but I don’t think I’ll be making a new print every week. I’m not sure how much COVID-19 art I can make. I have a short attention span so I’m happy to move onto something else now. I want to finish up a couple of big paintings I started in February.”
Many galleries have moved exhibitions online by creating virtual viewing rooms for patrons, but it remains to be seen whether the trend will continue once businesses re-open. Schaller thinks online sales will continue, at least up to a certain price point. “Whatever happens I’m still making art and doing what I love. The good thing about being in business for myself is I can be nimble and pivot my business practices to adapt to the current environment.” To see his videos and purchase prints, visit Jeff Schaller.
Kutztown artist Erika Stearly was already preparing for changes to her studio practice when the quarantine began. She knew she’d be taking time off in May from her day job because she was having a baby but when she was laid off in March, she took advantage of the time saying, “I was able to make extra paintings for a social media sale I ran in April, and to begin additional paintings for future sales. I was already anticipating the need to have extra supplies on hand, and had things packaged and labeled to make it easy for my husband to oversee shipping, but the quarantine helped me work out the kinks. The quarantine forced all of us to relax a little bit. It has allowed me to be more confident about managing a small business as a new parent.”
Stearly was already proficient in taking in-progress photos of her work for social media. She’s been posting regularly on her Instagram page for two years now. Her rich with detail yet loosely styled paintings of domestic interiors are extremely popular. “Since I've started painting domestic interiors that I've found on Instagram, I've been tagging the people who live in these homes, and we both benefit from an influx of new eyeballs.” Asked if she thinks online sales will continue after businesses re-open, Stearly said, “Absolutely. As a society, we're completely accustomed to purchasing things online, and people now buy art online. There's no reason why that would stop after we re-open.” She has been extremely successful at making sales online saying 95% or more come from social media and her website. “This has allowed me to capitalize on a sudden influx, however, just because I was well positioned this time around doesn't mean I will be next time, and I think it’s important to diversify the channels in which collectors can find me. I'm actually looking forward to pursuing art fairs when they come back. I feel like there will be such a shake up in the art fair marketplace that it will be easier for me - a newcomer - to gain some traction in that space.”
Stearly’s put in a lot of hard work in the last few years, but believes there was also a lot of luck involved too. “If I hadn't been developing a strong social media presence, or already preparing for an upheaval in my studio practice, or if the reverse was true; if the internet had crashed instead of real life, I wouldn't be in this position.” Recent prints of her paintings, now in private collections, are available on Erika Stearly.
In other news, The Delaware Contemporary is scheduled to reopen its interior galleries on June 12, 2020. All measures to provide the public with a safe and clean environment will be taken. Contact the museum directly for abbreviated hours and to make a private viewing appointment.
Whatever you do this week, support the arts!!
About Constance McBride
A native of Philadelphia, Constance McBride lived in Arizona for 16 years, where desert observations made a transformative impact on her work as a research based visual artist. Passionate about contemporary art, she was actively engaged in the local arts community. She served as a board member for several art organizations, managed an artist collective/gallery space, curated and juried several exhibitions and wrote for two arts publications in Phoenix. She taught ceramics at Shemer Art Center and Museum and exhibited her work both locally and nationally. McBride returned to Pennsylvania in 2018 and resides in Chester Springs with her husband and two dogs. In West Chester, she serves as a board member at The Art Trust Gallery at Meridian Bank and teaches ceramics at Chester County Art Association. She also teaches at Clay on Main in Oley, PA. She is a member of American Craft Council, Philadelphia Sculptors, and Women’s Caucus for Art, Philadelphia Chapter.
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