Gallery Spotlight: Arcadia Contemporary

This week’s Gallery Spotlight features Arcadia Contemporary in Pasadena, California. Arcadia was founded in 2001 and today boasts over 3,000 square feet of representational art. It “remains impervious to the varying conceptual and stylistic shifts often occurring in the contemporary, art world.”

Cherie Dawn Haas: Please tell us about your gallery and the type of art in which you specialize.

Steve Diamant (Guy in Charge): Arcadia Contemporary opened in Spring of 2001 with a goal of presenting skilled, realist artists who have created their own unique, signature style. We continually see talented artists who may have one of the two of these qualities, but we search for the ones that have both.

What adjustments have you made as a gallery since the outbreak?
While the doors for the gallery have remained closed, we’ve just doubled our efforts online and through our social media accounts. We’ve developed themed, “virtual exhibitions” that bring the gallery into the homes of collectors and we’ve tried to come up with new and interesting ways to feature imagery by our artists on our social media platforms.

What’s your biggest priority at this time? Over the next year?
Just keep selling work. We will commence with exhibitions at the gallery in mid-June and if we are still not able to have opening receptions for the artist, we will make “by appointment only” visits for both collectors who want to preview the exhibitions and for those who want to see the works in person during the course of the exhibition’s run.

What advice do you have for collectors as they navigate these times, and beyond?The same advice as we’ve always given them; “BUY WHAT YOU LOVE.” Even though they may not be able to see the works in person, my experience has always been that if they “LIKE” the work online, they will LOVE the work in person. We’re also working with collectors to present the work “virtually” in their homes through the use of Photoshop and other programs, so that helps tremendously.

Anything else you’d like to add about the current issues galleries are navigating?Staying in contact with and reaching out to clients is even more important and will continue to be even more so in the future.

What are some of the ways you find artists to represent?
There are so many ways. Some are referrals by other artists and as the old saying goes, “water seeks its own level” and it’s very true for artists. Talented artists tend to associate with other talented artists. Social media is also an extraordinary way to see absolutely every work of art that’s being created and allows you to reach out to artists who may be halfway around the world.

Regarding your exhibitions, do you have a current or upcoming online show?
Absolutely…whether the doors will be open or not, this June 13 we will have the gallery “Re-Opening Reception” for Brad Kunkle’s new exhibition of paintings. The exhibition will be titled “Alkemie” and will include 15-20 new, oil and gold leaf paintings.

Additional 2020 art exhibitions include:

• June 13 – July 3: Brad Kunkle
• July 11 – 26: Denis Sarazhin
• August 1 – 30: “Five and Under” (Over 100 works available for $5,000 or less)
• September 5 – 27: Katie Whipple
• October 3 – 25: Jeffrey Chong Wang
• November 7 – 29: Julio Reyes

For more information, please visit Arcadia Contemporary online.

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