Crafting a Contemporary Approach to the Art World, with Alicia Puig of PxP Contemporary | #51

Holy Smokes. So thrilled to be sharing this conversation I had with Alicia Puig. She is the CEO and co-founder of PxP Contemporary, Director of Business Operations for Create! Magazine, an arts writer, and an author and sometimes host of Art and Cocktails podcast. so thankful for all the great advice she shared about how to be an artist in this day and age. Lots of practical advice for making and sharing your best work, how to sell your work, advice for working with a gallery, making nourishing connections to others and starting a gallery if that is on your bucket list. Tons of great advice to up your instagram game and also there are some great exhibition and publication opportunities we discuss too! Be sure to check out PXP contemporary gallery, Create Magazine and the Art and Cocktails podcast. 

PxP Contemporary is an online platform that connects collectors with high-quality, affordable artworks. We believe in transparent pricing, building meaningful relationships with our clients, providing exceptional customer service and above all, supporting the talented artists who we work with and represent. CEO & co-founder Alicia Puig and co-founder Ekaterina Popova, with a combined 15+ years of experience working in the arts, launched PxP to challenge the traditional gallery model and make the process of buying art a more accessible, digital-friendly experience. Art lovers, whether looking to add to an already established collection or acquiring their very first piece, can browse our curated selection of art with fixed prices up to $2,500 by contemporary artists from around the globe. 

Ooh and I am hosting a giveaway. Never done this before but offering a piece of pottery to a special someone! It’s a cup I made this year and perfect for a little sip of water, wine or tea. 

Just

1.go follow@ thymeinthestudio on instagram

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And for a bonus entry share your favorite episode to your instagram stories and be sure to tag me so I can shout you out!

So excited to share with you the conversation I had with Alicia Puig. 

Links:

https://www.pxpcontemporary.com/

https://www.instagram.com/pxpcontemporary/

https://www.instagram.com/createmagazine/

https://www.instagram.com/artandcocktails/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reimagining-the-art-world-with-jerry-saltz/id1390128131?i=1000475300146

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612484/how-to-be-an-artist-by-jerry-saltz/

https://www.instagram.com/crafting_the_future/

Thyme in the Studio links:

https://www.patreon.com/thymeinthestudio

https://www.instagram.com/thymeinthestudiopodcast/

https://www.instagram.com/aida.zea.arts/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/403582056803336/

www.thymeinthestudio.com

https://www.aidazea.com

Contact me: [email protected]

Music by komiku

Topics Discussed:

Parents from science background but always supported her vision to work in the arts

Feeling a calling to hold space for artists as a gallery

Went to school in Kudstown and studied painting and printmaking

All jobs led to now

Innovative gallery platform

Online art

Affordable art

Emerging artists

The Smartest Guide

The Complete Smartest Guide

Make your best work

Business and emotional aspects of being an artist

Photography is crucial!

Lighting, cropping, context

Get images up to par as that is how your work is being seen!

Don’t wait for people to come to you

Follow up

Curate

Put yourself out there

Balancing art and gallery and business careers

Printmaking professor

Being in a bubble

Push yourself

Artist residencies

What doesn’t work out is sometimes a blessing and creates the space for the thing that is right for you

Apply 

Apply to things you don’t feel ready for

Create quality work

Take good photos

Don’t wait for anything to come to you

Printmaking

It’s ok to take a break

Life happens

CV is often scanned but your work is most important thing

Cool to be self taught

An art degree is not needed

Quality of work

Develop a series

Consider exploring a concept, medium or style in an in depth manner

We are allowed to be human

Process as a writer

How to create words for images

Writing is a challenge

The blank page is overwhelming

Shock over writing a book and creating multiple chapters each week

Create a deadline for yourself

Don’t edit until after the words are on the page and give time and space to reflect

Writing about art

Live interviews are super helpful

Gather as much information as possible

Give the artist the opportunity to edit prior to publication

Have an in depth experience with the work and the artist before writing about something not seen in person

Don’t overcomplicate it

Keep your writing simple

Use objective terms

Cut out subjective words from writing

Cut out anything that doesn’t make sense

Don’t try to create an elevated sense of what the work is

Radical vulnerability

Be Honest

Strip the work and ideas and experience down to the core

Selling in galleries versus selling independently

Independent sales

Create your own platform and be your own marketing machine

Build your own audience

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Mailing List

PxP can help an artist expand their audience

All about connections

Pros and Cons of a gallery connection

Do research to make sure a gallery is the right fit for you

Maybe not a match if they have a high commission or they are not expanding your audience

Mutual respect and trust

Pricing needs to be transparent

Great when it is the right fit for each other

Enticing to galleries if you are good at selling your own work

You have power too

Ask questions

Negotiate

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Social Media tips- 

be authentic

Share your story

Write in your voice

Share images in your voice

Share your face once in a while

Don’t hide behind the work or the brand

Artists are often introverted

Tough to be vulnerable but people connect much more and are more drawn to your work when you share yourself

Videos never hurt

Be consistent

Most recent 6-9 blocks should give a glimpse of what you are doing

Make it easy for others to want to reshare your work and do you justice

Always have something near the top of your feed that is easy and representative of you to share

Make it easy to contact you

Be honest

Be yourself

Full images of the work edge to edge

Persistence

Organization

Follow Up

Things don’t come to fruition without the extra call or email

We are all human, get busy and get overwhelmed

The art of following up

Put out the good vibes and like keep doing your thing. And people will come back.

Create Magazine

Fresh paint Magazine

Ekaterina Papova

Art and Cocktails podcast

Created her own platform as she didn’t find one that fit for her

Innovative

Entrepreneur

International Arts publication

Juried section

Curated by Contemporary Arts professionals

Call for Art

Jealous Curator

In depth interviews with contemporary artists

No ads

All art content

Small profiles of artists

Sharing about practice, business and tips to thrive

Fun to be part of the create magazine progression

Creating so much online content

Created the book because of so much interest in career resources

High traffic

Resources section on the blog

Please apply to the call for art

How to balance all the hats and juggle responsibilities

How to stay organized and focused

Set a timer for instagram

Use a calendar

Be aware of time zone 

Running to do list

Check in daily as a word doc

Satisfaction of crossing something off the list

Do the bigger tasks first thing

Avoid procrastination

“If your job is to eat a frog, eat it in the morning. If your job is to eat 2 frogs, eat the big one first.”

Anyway to keep yourself organized is a win

If someone wants to start a gallery

Work with a partner

Singular genius and visionary is usually a myth

Most people thrive in a team and with collaboration

Develop curatorial eye

You must love the work to sell it

Work with artists who you love and who are good people

Represent artists who you want to see thrive

Having a gallery sounds glamoraous but is an immense amount of work

Huge commitment

Rewarding to work for oneself

Be an eternal student

Go to you tube university

Learn to DIY

Put in the work

Don’t expect too much of yourself right now

Dream big

Stretch your visions to be more expansive

Patience for age

Jerry Saltz-didn’t start his art writing career till later in life

Age is just a number

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