What goes into pairing fine art with architecture?

The whole process is about discovery, so the architecture and style preferences of a client are such a great starting point. They’ve already made these really informative decisions, like the architecture of their home, the location of their residence, and their identity with the space. The furnishings are another aspect that we take into account because the general style of a client’s home speaks a lot to where their interests lie, where they connect emotionally, and what brings them joy within their space. It could be the view out of a specific window, the flow of the kitchen, or the way the light hits something—all of these pieces help inform the next steps of artwork selection.

How do you get a feel for a client’s art preferences?

There are two ways we interface with clients. The first is if they come into our gallery space. We commit to having a work on view by each of our represented artists every month, so the initial step is to walk with them through the space and see what might speak to them. We also have a computer station set up where we can look more specifically into artists that clients know they like.

The other option is our online inquiry button, where people can let us know they’re interested in a piece they saw on our website. That gives us a great starting point because they’ve already spent some time browsing through some of the artwork we have available. We can provide additional images along with virtual installations, and we make sure that the digital quality is strong so that people have as good of an idea as they can about a certain piece. 

Ultimately, the best way for us to learn about a client’s preferences is to listen to what they say and reflect back what we’re hearing. Then we can start to explore and see what pieces gain a reaction, whether it’s positive or negative. The secret sauce is finding something a client responds to on an emotional level that they feel confident committing to.

How do you work with interior designers to supplement a homeowners’ collection?

We have longstanding, solid relationships with members of the interior design community, and we try to make our partnership with them as easy and fluid as possible. It’s all about facilitating; we can arrange for artists to be at the gallery to meet a client, and we can deliver the work while remaining respectful of a designer’s relationship with their client and determining what they need from us. A lot of what we do is supporting them on the logistical end, like by making sure they have updated images when new work comes in. Interior designers are juggling a lot—
I have so much respect for all the different things they’re taking into consideration at once—so if we can help take a few items off that list, then we do.

What is the process behind curating the artist roster at Portland Art Gallery?

We currently represent 62 artists with a very intentional range of media—encaustic, oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography, mixed media, sculpture—and styles ranging from the abstract to realistic to impressionistic. We change over our installations every month, and I’m always looking for conversations that go on between the art pieces. They might have a complementary use of light or color, or maybe the mood, texture, or tone makes a statement. These are the kinds of things people notice when they’re viewing work, even if they don’t have the vocabulary for it. I also look to create moments within the gallery space. We curate the artist roster as a whole, but we’re always identifying what individual artists bring to the gallery. It’s a constant dialogue and discovery of new things you wouldn’t expect.