Friday, May 30, 2008
Greetings from Buenos Aires. We're not even halfway in and I'm completely exhausted. I'm also disappointed on two fronts: Clay wasn't able to secure us space in the full VIP tour this year, so we haven't had the chance to check out the truly amazing collections of local art aficionados in their own homes, which I felt was last year's highlight, and the art at this year's fair just doesn't seem to be on the same level as last year's, and the good stuff has proven to be cost-prohibitive.
It's also becoming increasingly clear that trying to do the consignment model down here, where I get artworks on loan, may very well prove to be logistically impossible even never mind the bureaucratic rigamarole I got entrapped in last year. It costs a minimum of $500 for a reputable art shipping firm to crate and ship a single piece to the U.S., and if it doesn't sell, I have to pay another $500 to ship it back. The galleries seem very reluctant to just roll up a canvas or photographic work and stick it in a FedEx tube mainly for liability reasons, plus a few of the big shipping companies (e.g. DHL) categorically refuse to ship art. I'm getting a headache just writing this blog post! Anyway, I still haven't figured out what to do here.
The good news is that my friend and translator Clay and I made it into a lovely luncheon yesterday hosted by a local art patron, and through a freak coincidence we met a gaggle of folks visiting from the Blanton, including their director of development (and maybe even more importantly, one of their biggest benefactors who wants to take me and Clay out to lunch when we get back to Austin!). They had some excellent advice I plan to pursue, and I think those connections could turn out to be valuable ones.
Apartment-wise, I got me and Clay separate studio flats in the Recoleta area, and unlike last year's San Telmo disaster they face the back of the building and are quiet at night, except this time they're cut-renovating both the apartment upstairs and the one directly across the hall. I've been needing to work in the mornings coordinating store stuff back in Austin, so the cacophony has been a colossal pain in the ass! Even my ever-present ear plugs can only do so much there.
Anyway, more on the art stuff later, but it's becoming clear that I'm going to have to bring on at some stage a bona fide expert on contemporary Latin art history and the near-term direction of South American art, and finding an expert in that field in Austin who's also smart and 100% bilingual and willing to work largely on commission will almost certainly prove to be a challenge!
It's also becoming increasingly clear that trying to do the consignment model down here, where I get artworks on loan, may very well prove to be logistically impossible even never mind the bureaucratic rigamarole I got entrapped in last year. It costs a minimum of $500 for a reputable art shipping firm to crate and ship a single piece to the U.S., and if it doesn't sell, I have to pay another $500 to ship it back. The galleries seem very reluctant to just roll up a canvas or photographic work and stick it in a FedEx tube mainly for liability reasons, plus a few of the big shipping companies (e.g. DHL) categorically refuse to ship art. I'm getting a headache just writing this blog post! Anyway, I still haven't figured out what to do here.
The good news is that my friend and translator Clay and I made it into a lovely luncheon yesterday hosted by a local art patron, and through a freak coincidence we met a gaggle of folks visiting from the Blanton, including their director of development (and maybe even more importantly, one of their biggest benefactors who wants to take me and Clay out to lunch when we get back to Austin!). They had some excellent advice I plan to pursue, and I think those connections could turn out to be valuable ones.
Apartment-wise, I got me and Clay separate studio flats in the Recoleta area, and unlike last year's San Telmo disaster they face the back of the building and are quiet at night, except this time they're cut-renovating both the apartment upstairs and the one directly across the hall. I've been needing to work in the mornings coordinating store stuff back in Austin, so the cacophony has been a colossal pain in the ass! Even my ever-present ear plugs can only do so much there.
Anyway, more on the art stuff later, but it's becoming clear that I'm going to have to bring on at some stage a bona fide expert on contemporary Latin art history and the near-term direction of South American art, and finding an expert in that field in Austin who's also smart and 100% bilingual and willing to work largely on commission will almost certainly prove to be a challenge!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
My first formal announcement: Stephani Rose has joined Kirk as its new store director. She was the founding proprietor of the 2nd St. Design Within Reach store, and she's worked in the District literally since its inception. She left DWR last year to join Liz Lambert in developing her Hotel San Jose spinoff, the St. Cecilia, and she is one of the the most knowledgeable people in regards to 20th-century design and retail operations in the city, with an equally deep background in each area. Since I have no previous retail background, her expertise in the field will be of immense benefit, and I greatly look forward to working with her.
Also, Structura broke ground on the store's interior construction today, which is astonishing considering I just signed off on the final contractor documents two days ago!
Also, Structura broke ground on the store's interior construction today, which is astonishing considering I just signed off on the final contractor documents two days ago!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
I'm on the map! Literally. The Statesman had an article on the front of last Saturday's business section about the new 2nd St. stores launching this summer; the map I linked was featured in it. I can't complain about the promotion, but I'll admit being a little disconcerted to see that so many spots in the District are still "lease pending," which is the opposite of what AMLI led me to believe when I signed my lease last fall. I know a couple of places have gone out of business since then -- including the spot Ligne Roset is moving in to ... which, frankly, I would've picked over my own had it been available at the time, given that it's right next door to DWR and Mercury -- but I was under the impression that all available units in the district, with the exception of the long-vacant huge one at Cesar Chavez and Guadalupe, had been leased.
I'm also really surprised that AMLI put Hästens on the 3rd St. block instead of mine. It seems like it'd make more sense to locate a store selling $50,000 beds closer to the other high-end furniture retailers, plus its immediate neighbors are a dry-cleaner and an upscale bodega. Finally, I'll point out that all of the new home-decor stores, aside from mine, are branches of out-of-town chains. The District was originally supposed to be built around local businesses, and until recently DWR was the only chain store down there, so I'm not sure if one should view the addition of the chains as counter to the District's original M.O. or validation of the fact that 2nd St. has become a truly viable high-end shopping destination. Maybe it's both.
I have a meeting tomorrow with AMLI's marketing manager to discuss the store and AMLI's planned promotional efforts for the District, so perhaps I'll see if I can find out a little more about what's going on on these fronts.
I'm also really surprised that AMLI put Hästens on the 3rd St. block instead of mine. It seems like it'd make more sense to locate a store selling $50,000 beds closer to the other high-end furniture retailers, plus its immediate neighbors are a dry-cleaner and an upscale bodega. Finally, I'll point out that all of the new home-decor stores, aside from mine, are branches of out-of-town chains. The District was originally supposed to be built around local businesses, and until recently DWR was the only chain store down there, so I'm not sure if one should view the addition of the chains as counter to the District's original M.O. or validation of the fact that 2nd St. has become a truly viable high-end shopping destination. Maybe it's both.
I have a meeting tomorrow with AMLI's marketing manager to discuss the store and AMLI's planned promotional efforts for the District, so perhaps I'll see if I can find out a little more about what's going on on these fronts.