Gallery owner and art guru Wendi Norris tells insider secrets about the modern art industry4 min read

It wasn’t exactly pulling back the curtain in the “Wizard of Oz” but San Francisco gallery owner Wendi Norris did give about 100 people a behind-the-scenes look into the art world and discussed things that are not always talked about. 

“Some of my colleagues in the art world may not like what I’m going to share,” the owner of Gallery Wendi Norris said with a smile. Norris was in town on Thursday, Nov. 8, as part of the Fine Art Museum of Sedona’s fall speaker series, which was held at the Sedona Rouge. Her talk was entitled “The Art World Demystified” as she focused on a handful of longtime questions surrounding art and the galleries and museums in which they appear. “I’ve been in this business for 18 years and to be honest I got into it largely because of how opaque it is as an industry,” she said. “It’s completely mysterious and with each and every year it’s been a new learning curve for me. The changes we’ve seen and continue to see are part of that mystery.” In looking back over her career in the art world, Norris chose some of the most popular questions she’s been asked while debunking some of the biggest mysteries. Those include:

  • What is the difference between modern and contemporary art?

While two works of art may use the same composition and both be oil paintings, she said there is a difference. “To me, the definitions vary depending on who you are talking to,” she said. “I think the labels are there for the auction houses to know which piece of work goes with which auction. Often work from the 1880s to the 1960s is defined as modern yet everything from the 1960s to today could be considered contemporary. But some cut it off at the pre- and post-war [World War II] dates. We also think living versus dead in terms of the artist.”

  • What does a gallery do?

Sir Joseph Duveen is looked upon as the grandfather of galleries by bringing art into one location while representing multiple artists. As the 20th century began there was a lot of new money and as a result he saw an opportunity to sell great works of art from Europe to wealthy Americans like the Rockefellers and Morgans. Today, there are more than 300,000 galleries throughout the country and it is a $63 billion industry. Norris did note that the dollar figure is an estimate since not all dealers share their numbers, primarily because it’s not a regulated industry.

“At the core of my being, great art sells itself but I am able to connect my artists with people, to the narrative, the visuals and to find a market and get people excited about the work,” she said, adding that the U.S. is the largest market followed by China and Europe. “At the end of the day I’m a matchmaker.”

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  • How is a piece of work priced?

Based on a variety of information, Norris said she’ll take that, stand in front of a piece of art and determine the value. “Pricing is something we take very seriously and I try and be as fair as possible because I want these works to find homes,” she said. “Some like to jack up the price 20 to 30 percent but then you spend all your time negotiating. The more transparent we are, the more confidence buyers will have in the art market.”

  • How does an artist get represented by the gallery?

Currently, Norris has 17 artists represented in her gallery and many of those came via mutual friends or museum curators. In fact, it’s rare for her to find an artist through a portfolio submission.“I tell young artists to do their homework on a gallery and to decide if they fit in that gallery and if not, why,” she said. “All great artists deserve to be in a gallery.” n How do galleries stay relevant today? “The most important way to stay relevant as a gallerist is to constantly make sure your program is fresh and that you have artists that are relevant and artists that deserve that kind of attention,” Norris said. “Whether you’re revisiting artists that haven’t had work shown for a while or you’ve discovered the latest and greatest talent right out of a graduate school program, the key is to keep things interesting and smart.”

 

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