Almost three years in, and I’m finally doing my very first interview on the blog! What took me so long? Anyway, I’m very excited to introduce you to Kate Singleton, an art blogger based in Brooklyn {although, you probably already know her!}
I “met” Kate two years ago through her fantastic art blog, Art Hound. We actually met in person last January at Alt Summit, and she’s just as lovely in person as she is online! Kate started an exciting new venture this October, and so today we’re going to get the in’s and out’s of “BUY SOME DAMN ART”.
JC: Hi Kate! Thanks for taking the time to chat with me today! So, tell us all about your fantastic new project, Buy Some Damn Art…
KS: Buy Some Damn Art is a site I recently launched that sells small pieces of original art in weekly one-artist shows. Everything about the site is meant to be accessible – the work is inviting, the shows are small, the artists are incredibly nice people, and the prices range from $200 to $500. It’s all about giving modest art buyers an opportunity to discover artists and bring originals into their home.
JC: Have you been thinking about this for a long time? Is it a result of all the time you’ve spent running your lovely blog, Art Hound?
KS: BSDA happened pretty quickly (4-5 months from conception to launch) but was the result of two years of blogging, researching and building relationships. Although it may not appear this way, it was a long time in the making. I had thrown around so many different ideas that I had kind of lost perspective. I was adamant about not selling art unless I figured out a unique way of doing it.
JC: There are a lot of sites selling prints out there at the moment, but BSDA only features original pieces – fill us in on why.
KS: Print shops play a huge part of the online art scene and have made art accessible to many, many people! But in my mind prints are only part of the picture – perhaps like listening to a band on your ipod versus seeing them play live. Owning prints and originals are two different, complementary experiences. Owning original art is (as corny as it sounds) almost a spiritual matter. It instantly connects you and the artist – you are bonded through this physical object that the artist dreamed about, brooded over, etc.
JC: How do you choose the artists that you feature every Tuesday?
KS: I’ve asked artists to participate in BSDA whose work speaks to me, whose prices are in line with BSDA and who I trust to do business with. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you do business with people you trust.
Also, I’m only interested in artists with online presence – the idea being that today’s art buyers don’t just want to buy art, they also want to follow the artists, to connect with them and be inspired by them over time. It’s not just a transaction but an ongoing relationship.
JC: I love that! Relationships are the best part of this whole online thing! Speaking of relationships, do you already know the artists that you’re working with? Are they established, or up-and-comers?
KS: I feel that it is essential to keep BSDA fresh with new and varied work and to balance the work of more established artists with those of newbies in the very beginning of their careers.
While many artists on BSDA are people I’ve developed relationships with over time, others are virtual strangers who reached out and whose work and point of view spoke to me. In other words I am an equal opportunity curator.
JC: Ha! That’s good… if only all curators were! Do you have any interest in curating in the real world, or do you prefer working online?
KS: When I started Art Hound two years ago I made a very conscious decision to keep my distance from the formal Art World because the single most important thing for me was to be independent. Bill Cunningham, the fashion photographer, is a big inspiration of mine. As I continue to develop on my own as a blogger/curator I’m becoming more confident in my ability to retain that point-of-view in spite of what’s around me. So, as the gallery world continues to be influenced by the online art world I definitely think I’ll venture into curating physical shows. Perhaps in the future there won’t be such defined boundaries between the two.
JC: You’re only eight weeks into this and I’ve seen lots of SOLD signs on the featured pieces! Congratulations, it worked… People are buying some damn art!
KS: Thanks! In my mind the response means that people have been looking for new and smarter ways of discovering artists and buying art. That’s great validation because it’s exactly what I hope to do.
JC: Thanks so much Kate – can’t wait to see who you’ve got lined up for next week! xo
{1. Alan Brown 2. Jennifer Davis 3. Tyson Anthony Roberts 4. Rachel Sitkin 5. Stephanie Chambers 6. Sara Escamilla}
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ps. This is the first interview on The Jealous Curator, but I also just interviewed American artist Alyson Fox for the December issue of The Fiddleback. So fun!
