Expand & Bridge Galleries

          My perfect art gallery would be called Expand & Bridge. The name is a play on words based on the mission of the gallery, expanding the mindset of audiences through and the wider art community while bridging the gap between established and unknown artists. There are so many creative unknow artists and E&B would like to give a platform to them alongside loved established artists. The gallery would allow audiences to view art more equally and challenge their view on art. E&B would have galleries across the world in major cities to encourage international collaboration. E&B galleries hopes to be an environment where art lovers and collectors can come together to learn and appreciate art. 

          E&B galleries will focus on promoting and selling contemporary art from both established and unknown artists. By selling works of art from unknown artist it will allow the community both domestic and international to enjoy art they might not have otherwise been able to. This also allows artists to display their art in a very professional manner where high-end art buyers will congregate. Because title labels will not display artists names, it gives both types of artists the unique opportunity to have their art critiqued without the bias of knowing who the artists are. This design may seem like it only benefits new artists but established artists should take advantage of this approach. By not having their name attached to a project it might show a more realistic sense of how audiences view their art. People may be drawn to certain artists solely on who the artist is and their reputation. Although this is a perfectly normal approach, E&B wants viewers to focus more on the art and how they connect to it. Hopefully, this will allow professional art collectors to look at art in a different way and diversify their collections. This also gives them the opportunity to support growing artists through sharing a common space. The type of art that E&B aims to sell is contemporary art that is unique but also sellable. Finding the balance between the two is important. The gallery should have art that is unique and makes people want to buy it without being too odd that people could not see it hanging in their homes. The ideal artwork would be a popular theme but with an artistic twist. Landscape paintings are universally liked. They are understandable and easy to approach. They work for a large variety of houses and people enjoy looking at beautiful scenery. Abstract paintings are also very popular and sell well. Because abstraction focuses on “nonrepresentational or symbolic approach”, audiences can interpret them in any way they like. Unsurprisingly, paintings of dogs are very much loved. Many dog and wildlife pictures are set on a wide setting from afar. Paintings of dogs “evokes feelings of intimacy and friendship”. Finally, pictures of figures sell due to people enjoy looking at pictures of others (Dyhouse 2022). Having a variety of artworks will add depth to the galleries and encourage different audience to come. 

          The audience that E&B galleries aim for is any art lover or collector. The galleries themselves are not extremely big which makes them easy to visit if you have limited time. Unlike the Uffizi or the Louvre, E&B galleries are not full of all masterpieces or an all-day marathon of a museum. Yes, the galleries do have artworks from well-known artist but also has many pieces of art from new artist. Without names of artists on title labels, visitors will not know who the work is by. The size of the gallery is ideally meant for a one to two hour visit that tourists can fit in-between other activities. With a human-centered approach in mind, the most enjoyable and comfortable experience is the one most conductive for learning. Younger audiences or families with young children might find a larger gallery to overwhelming. Expanding on audiences, there are several other types of groups that would benefit coming to the galleries. Retail buyers who are interesting in buying art for the purpose of displaying art in their stores would be a great audience to attract to galleries. Local retail buyers would grow E&B outreach. Although you do not make as big of a personal connection in this way, it could benefit smaller artist who are less established in how they want to display and sell their art. Corporations and business also need art for their offices or events. If it is a bigger company and they are willing to spend more, one commission would make a lot of revenue for the gallery and artist. Interior designers are also a good group to cater to. As people who are constantly working on projects and looking for art to display forming connecting with designers would be beneficial. A little intimidating for new artists to reach out, the gallery can act as a medium to connect the two (George 2016). For all groups E&B should focus on marketing and outreach to attract buyers and visitors. E&B will use social media to promote art, artists, event, and audiences to create brand loyalty. Adding a social element to the gallery will encourage people to meet others and view galleries not only as a place to view art but also an environment to meet like-minded people. Even if most everyday visitors are not buying the art, creating foot traffic and conversation around the gallery is always good. With a diverse collection of art E&B should strive for a diverse audience base.

          The structure of the building will be simple on the inside but unique on the outside. The interior of the galleries will be simple, with off white walls and hard-wood floors. The interior is meant to be simple and not take away from the artworks themselves. All galleries will consist of two to three floors, each floor having a different layout. Galleries come in many different sizes and can evoke different emotions based on this. E&B would like to do this as well. Every floor will have a mix of bigger rooms for a grander feeling and smaller rooms for more intimate spaces. This allows the artist to choose where they would like to display their art and adds an extra layer of personalization. All paintings will be hung on walls and free standing art like sculptures in the center of the room. Visitors are encouraged to take their time when walking around. Because art labels will not display the artists name or price, a master catalog can be found on ever floor with available information if audiences are interested in purchasing a piece. All galleries from the interior will look the same regardless of the location of the gallery to add continuity. The exterior of the buildings will be uniquely constructed based on the city it is in. The galleries should stand out, so people know what it looks like while also assimilating into the existing area. The E&B gallery in Rome, might draw inspiration from ancient Roman architecture whereas the E&B gallery in London would draw from much more modern architecture. Galleries will also have an outside component, for visitors to view E&B’s artwork in a different medium, bringing them a new experience. 

          The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) play a big role in increasing audience engagement. ICT instill imagination and promote a realistic learning environment that directly relates to the tourist environment. Websites, mobile apps, and social media all contribute to the learning experience and enhance the tourism experience. Unlike secondary or primary education, tourism provides “one of the most distinct contexts for lifelong learning, offering tourists opportunities to enhance and develop skills through experiencing different cultures, situations, places and people” (Dieck & Jung 2016). The combination of art and education is a big motivator of why audiences attend galleries. When traveling, tourists look for unique enriching experiences where they can learn knowledge and practical skills. The use of technology helps educate audiences on key areas about artworks like the artist, materials used, art technicalities or in a wider sense culture, religion, or historical context. To take advantage of ICT, E&B will incorporate audio guides into its gallery. Audio guides will be easy to use and have two modes. Mode one will be a guided tour of the gallery. Simply follow the audio as it guides you from artwork to artwork while the audio provides you with relevant information. Mode two will be less structured. Next to each piece of work will be a number, input the number into the audio guide and visitors will be able to hear the relevant information but only for that work. This mode will also allow the gallery to track which artworks are being viewed the most and E&B can pinpoint why these pieces are getting more attention and aim to incorporate more of these works into its collection. The two modes will allow audiences to enjoy the gallery in the way that best suites their needs. Some may enjoy a structured tour where they look at every piece of work while others prefer to wonder and pick out artworks, they find personally resonates with them. In both modes the audio guides will be providing instructions and information which will foster learning and enhance the gallery experience. The aim of the guides is to increase understanding and learning so audience leave the gallery will a fulfilling learning experience. Hopefully the guides offer an enjoyable experience that will foster loyalty and encourage audiences to visit the other E&B galleries around the world. 

          In their article, “Towards a Human-centered Approach to Art Museums Design: Learning from Volunteers”, Perceptions and Experiences, Altaf Engineer and Sandra M. Bernal Cordova surveying museum volunteers with the goal of analyzing museum design within various front-stage and backstage spaces. About 500 Nelson-Atkins Museums of art volunteers were interviewed and they provided valuable feedback on how current designs and operations were beneficial to the organization’s missions. Due to the increase in money being spent on museums including design, construction, operations, and maintenance museum administrators hold a greater responsibility towards employees, visitors, and benefactors. Engineer and Cordova point out that even though both long and short museums visits generate money though different means, the sale revenues from attendance and sales can always be improved. They stress for the greater need of accountability to the public when creating museums and expansion projects in the future. Based on evidence from systematic studies, museum administrators should put “maximum emphasis on human welfare and human-centric design”. A focus on aesthetic, scale, and human comfort are necessary elements that need to be balanced out for visitors to have the most beneficial interpretative process. The primary question that Engineer and Cordova wanted to answer was, “How can post-occupancy evaluations of museums based on volunteer perceptions and experiences influence the design of museum backstage and frontstage spaces in order to create a more human-centered museum experience?”. They used a mixed method approach consisting of a survey with textual and multiple-choice questions. In the results, participants mentioned improving adequate acoustic and lighting, temperature control, extra space for different functions, more advanced technology, but most of all more signage in circulation areas. The results highlight three major findings based on volunteers’ perceptions of best and worst workspaces and workspaces that could be improved, lighting, sightlines, and space. Engineer and Cordova conclude that cross-disciplinary collaborations between design teams and leadership are needed, innovative museums designs are needed, and that volunteers are an important resource as they are vital in “informing human-centric approaches to evidence-based museum design” (Engineer and Cordova 2019).

          Expanding on Engineer and Cordova three major findings lighting, sightlines, and space there are many ways that E&B can incorporate these findings to promote a human-centric design. To maximize lighting a mix of both natural and artificial is important. E&B galleries will have a mix of windows, overhead, and spotlights. Based on the layout of the room, artwork, or event being held light fixes can be adjusted. Sightlines include incorporating nature and the outside. All E&B galleries will have an outside component, consisting of gardens, outside artworks, and a workspace that can be used for smaller events. Gardens can be used as a way for visitors to walk around and enjoy the outside environment. Spread out within the garden will be artworks. In the center of the garden will be an outside workspace that the gallery can use for events like exhibitions, parties, speakers, etc. To make sure that the gallery can use space in the most beneficial way but also a way that makes visitors feel comfortable, both the exterior and interior will not be overly packed with pieces and allow them to walk at a natural pace. 

          Funding for all E&B galleries will mostly come from sales commissions. An average of 40-50% will be taken from works sold but this will vary depending on who the artist is. If an artist is planning an event and would like E&B to cover marketing and catering more will be taken. Exhibition fees will also be a way for E&B to make money. If an artist would like to use space for an exhibition an upfront free will be asked but less commission will be taken from artworks sold. This is a smart strategy since now both artist and gallery share in the risk, without a fixed income it can be risky to only depend on sales if multiple exhibitions do not sell well. Having both a fixed and variable income is most beneficial. E&B encourages all artist to create exhibitions but understands that new artist might struggle with gaining a following. Events are another way E&B can make money and connect with the community. Concerts, lectures, and parties are all events that would fit within the space of the gallery. The outside gardens would be great during the warmer months to host smaller events while the larger venue inside would work better for charity events and weddings. Income will be from fees paid by participants or by event organizers. Events are a good way to bring new audiences to E&B and for them to learn more about the art community. All galleries will have a souvenir shop on the first floor. Shops will sell souvenirs relating to the current art and exhibitions. Prints, cards, clothing, books, and creative games will be sold. As a gallery that promotes international collaboration the souvenirs will reflect that message by having items that allow visitors to learn not only about art, they just saw, but also about the other art within E&B galleries around the world. The galleries will have a café shop where visitors can rest their feet and enjoy a cup of coffee. Having a sitting area will allow visitors to discuss and share ideas in a more comfortable setting. As a well-known and established gallery E&B expenses would be large. Most expenses would comprise of paying artist and suppliers for sales, rent, and staff wages (Artfundi 2019). It is important that E&B focus on maintaining multiple streams of income to ensure that business can continue. With that, E&B strives for the fairest commissions when selling art. Its goal is maintaining the reputation of being a reputable gallery to attract established artist while also being an approachable and affordable gallery for new artist. 

           E&B hopes to be one of the leading galleries in giving both established and unknown artists a space to display their art. Audiences and customers should have an enriching and comfortable experience while present. By providing visitors with a comfortable experience, it will encourage them to return and visit E&B’s other locations. This should also allow people to retain information and take away the ideas that they have learned.