Committed to Supporting Maine Art and Artists at the Portland Art Gallery: Director Emma Wilson

I'm checking back in again with my good friend, the Portland art gallery director, Emma Wilson. Great to be with you again. Great to be with you also, Lisa. Nice to see you. Nice to see you. What's amusing about this is I think we started this whole radio show together and it was remote because of COVID and, uh, we've subsequently done many live shows with people and here we are remote again, and it's you and I get, so it's a full circle situation. Are things change. The more they stay the same. And I understand this is very similar to what, um, you've been doing with the Portland art gallery. You've had to move and shift and kind of take things into consideration and go back to a, to a more virtual, fewer people all related to the pandemic. Um, you've been very flexible with all of this. We have been, and I think that our flexibility has helped us have a really good few years with the gallery. And we're so excited for the future of the gallery as well. Um, we learn so much about how we can engage with people and how we can reach people and then engage with them around that, um, process of exploring art, purchasing art, talking about art, uh, just staying connected around that theme. So it it's funny. I was in a different house the first time that we did this interview and now it's a year later and, um, so many things have, have shifted, but it's all been, it's all been exciting. So, and at that time we were meeting separately because of COVID today. It's more, you know, other circumstances related to Maine weather. So yes, we happen to be recording on one of these terrible weather days. And, uh, we're kind of a fit going to what the schools are now doing during their snow days and going remote again for that purpose. Exactly. I feel sorry for all those seniors that thought that they were never gonna have to make up those snow days because they're gonna graduate anyway. And instead now they just do their, their work remotely. So anyway, I digress, but, but, uh, yeah, it's been a really exciting time. We had an amazing 2021, obviously we've always been trying, you know, been staying very aware of all of the challenges that are happening around our country and in our world. Um, what we have found are people just really wanting to connect around art and into what, and, and so much of our work was about trying to reach the broadest audience possible with the most effective way to do it. And so our website was already in, in a great place, but we really amplified our marketing. We amplified ways in which people could find us, and then also ways in which we could find them. Uh, this radio show is one perfect example of that. I mean, we started this then and now look at all of the people that we've been able to talk to and that you've been able to talk to and, and reach through your interviews. It's just been an enormous success us for us. And I, I can't there, there will, there will be something in the future. We don't know exactly what that is, but it's just so fun to always have that knowledge, that flexibility as you use that term, to be able to say, okay, how are we gonna shift and adapt? How are we going to, what, what idea do we have? Like, let's explore, let's, let's try it out. And to have that, um, those opportunities to, to reach people it's been, it's been great. And then we still do have the, you know, our gallery has been opened since June of 2020. We re reopened when the state allowed for that. We still have people that come in and engage, but, um, with, with the, the artwork all the time and they come to our, our openings and they have questions and, and all of that, it's, it's not as though that aspect of the experience has changed. Um, that's been magnified as well. It's it's people that are saying, Hey, we just saw this post on Instagram. We had to come in, we've traveled to Maine. We have to come. You're on our list of places that we have, have to stop. So it's been, I'm saying a lot as sort of the same guy, but it's just because it's been so exciting. It's been so fun. I noticed recently that you began a new initiative with, um, writer and editor, Susan Axelrod. We have, that has been very fun. There is been, our artists always have amazing stories and they have, uh, people are curious about their process and how their, they approach their artwork. They wanna understand and know more about that. They also really wanna understand and know more about the artists, which I think is where your interviews are so affected, but they also want some technical understanding or broaden their understanding about some of the technical aspects of the art and of their art creation and their, and so those interviews that Susan has started to, uh, write, you know, it's, it's find them on our website and, and under art matters. And it's very, uh, it, it's just a great opportunity for our artists to, to have that conversation. And Susan is such a beloved person in certainly in my life and such a talented writer, extraordinary writer. And so it's been very, very fun to reconnect with her there. I also like the, um, the way that the Instagram feed is going, I've noticed that Emma old Burke, she's doing some new and interesting things with wardrobe changes. So really interacting with the art. That's very fun to see. Yeah, it is really fun. And, uh, Emma has an extraordinary creative energy and she has so much talent in terms of design and art. And so, yeah, she is doing a, a wonderful job of making that experience more enjoyable and just engaging with, with people and, and people love it. So it's been fun. Yeah. And then I'm trying to dabble in the video aspect, which is slower, but, but I'm on the road a lot. So we started, started exploring that as an Instagram, uh, theme, but it's been, it's been, it's fun, it's it is. It's fun. People wanna know, you know, that's a really easy way for people to know what's happening in a day, or it helps people to feel connected. It's funny, my sister, uh, I have a sister who's an attorney and, and Instagram is like her sort of one, she'll say that that was like her lifeline to, during this whole, this whole last couple of years, because it's just been so fun to see, be able to, to see what people are doing. And, and just quick, just a little quick something to, to brighten the day. So, Yeah, I went off Instagram for quite a while, but one of the things I missed about it was that was how I connect with my, with my middle child. So yeah, it's not that we stopped communicating with one another, but it's just certainly the way that she seems to kind of it's the, where she seems to gravitate towards. So it is a way for me to kind of check back in with her visually. Yeah, absolutely. And you take extraordinary photographs. These you're so talented as a photographers, so, uh, it's good to have you back. I love seeing, seeing what you sharing the beauty of Maine and, and beyond wherever you, wherever you are. So, but it is true, right. We have our kids and we have parents and we have friends in whatever that way in which we are able to connect with them. It's, we're gonna try to find it. We're we're gonna use it. Speaking of connecting, I noticed that you've been doing some fun things, uh, in your own life that you had a, well, it was, I guess, a mother adopted for the day daughter dinner that you went to. Not, not that you, you got rid of your own daughters or you adopted another daughter permanently, but you got, you went with some friends and everybody brought their daughters along. And I think that you had the daughter of a local photographer that you borrowed, is that correct? It's carry hair. Yep. I did. Uh, so, and they came to the opening first, which was super fun. And then they, we went over to Ivo for dinner and, uh, Emma, Nicole Burke was there and her mom and myself and my adopted daughter for the evening, Colette. And it was a lot of fun to just actually, you know, having everybody there, like Chris strong came with her daughter, Caitlin, who's a senior in high school. And so we had the range of ages there, which made it really fun. And everybody exploring these different foods, Ivo has a sort of Mediterranean and also seafood, um, influence. And everybody was on board. It was really, it was enjoyable. And then while there, one of our artists that's featured take Sage was, was there. Um, so it was fun to see her as well. She was in up. So Portland's a great place to, to come and visit and do that. Absolutely. You also had a, a group cooking class recently, I believe over at north 43. And that was pretty special. You really are. It's paying attention to my Instagram. This is what it's all about. Right. It's I Gotta keep up with you. You're everywhere. Emma. Yeah, I know. It's funny. I, that was so fun. I didn't even know this existed, similar group of people, but slightly larger, you know, a bigger group of 14 of us, no kids in this one. And, uh, Stephanie Brown from, uh, north 43, you know, bistro was, it just was so fun. We were in the kitchen with her and a couple of her sous chefs and we didn't have a lot of responsibility, but we, but we did partake in some of the preparation and then had this amazing family style meal for 14. And we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. It was a beautiful night. It was really, it was really magical. It was fun. Lot of laughs, just a lot of laughing. So it was good time. I know having interviewed Stephanie Brown for radio Maine and knowing that she's a friend of the Portland art gallery and a long time friend of ours mutual friend, uh, that they've also spent a lot of energy being flexible and really trying to incorporate new ways of thinking about offer, um, food and a wonderful experience to the community. So it's a, it's a, it's an excellent contrast. I think because there were initially a lot of things, a lot of places that felt like they could no longer stay in business and to see the people who have said, no, I don't know what's gonna next necessarily. But even though we're now two years in, um, they took on the challenge just like the Portland art gallery. And they said, we're gonna, we're gonna figure it out. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Stephanie has been a wonderful partner in many ways and watching her, uh, and working with her to create new opportunities through the whole course of this last few years, we had artists, you know, remote, um, celebrations where our artists presented. We had artists that actually went to the restaurant and presented she's always been such a, but she, she is always looking for that opportunity. And, and not saying, that's not gonna work because of this is what's going on. It's like, okay, how can we make work? And that is one of the things that I absolutely love about our gallery, um, experience is you can't spend a lot of time on, what's not gonna work. Uh, there's there's way too many opportunities to go down that rabbit hole. Right. Just kind of figure out what is gonna work. And sometimes things work right away and sometimes things need a little bit more, uh, a little more effort. So I think it's funny because that became my word of 2022 or, you know, it was like about effort, like putting effort in is so important. And sometimes you just think that just a and bother, but really it's important to bother, you know, it's important to try and to put some effort into and see what happens. You might surprise yourself. And so I think that is what has happened in the gallery a lot with our online outreach, a lot with, um, uh, reaching, you know, clients that, that will, you know, send us an email they're you can tell they're kind of quietly curious about a piece, but then really being able to just reach right back to them and say, let's talk about it. Let's send you pictures. Let's, you know, arrange for you to have an opportunity to see it. Let's arrange for you to here's some, here's a video about the artist. Here's a radio about the artist, like anything that we can use that we have available to, to make the, at effort, to make that connection and to, um, respond to, to our clients. So, and I can't of course ignore the huge aspect of that, which is our artists and the effort that they make every single day. And this, this is their world and they have been hugely responsive, such great partners to work. We in the beginning of the year, now, it's now we're spilling into February a little bit, but we have these opportunities for these artists review meetings that we do with, with each of them. And there's such valuable conversations because we can work together towards what, you know, be your ahead. And then also we can evaluate what's gone on in the year past. So, and it's, they're fascinating and there's such, um, I just have so much respect for, for our artist community. So yeah. So, you know, when we think about business or we think about education, um, they often talk about a, a learning culture versus a performance culture. We, where, you know, the job is to either kind of continually grow and evolve versus the job is to reach goals. And when I look at an, on a small entrepreneurial business, like the Portland art gallery, you really end up having to be a hybrid of both. You have to be a learning oriented performance culture because you need to, um, help the artists sell their works. Obviously, um, you need to create sustainability, but you also are given the opportunity to do it in a way that is more flexible, but that requires that you think about things as, okay, how do we attempt this? Not feel discouraged if it doesn't work immediately, how do we, uh, continually upgrade what we're doing so that we might not have done it perfectly this time, but we'll do it a little better next time. Um, how do you maintain that kind of balance of the need to perform, but also create space for learning? Yeah, it's interesting because I mean, I even tell my kids, right. The important aspect is if you try, like you are, are you really trying here? So is, and so that, that is simplified version of that, but I think, um, it's, you're right. It is, it is this hybrid. It's just, it, there's just a constant learning and performing aspect to it. And I'm trying to think of where, how to, what a good example might be of that. But, um, you know, we're, this is not necessarily exactly related, but we we're constantly talking about how it is that a person comes to know about our gallery, right? How do they come to learn about the Portland art gallery? And I can think of a client who now is a regular collector with us. They learn, he learned about us through online, through, uh, through finding an artist, finding it online. Then we met at the artist studio and, and ended up purchasing something. Then we arranged for, you know, deliveries. So we went down there and then we had, you know, opportunity to look further at the space, which then resulted in two further purchases. And so the relationship has continued. What started is something perhaps somewhat, um, confront, you know, looking at a website then became which, which is so important to reach, right? The, that was our, that was the hook. And then it's, and then it's also how to expand upon that and how to learn about what it is that this person's needs might be when it comes to art. And then how are we able to then work with them and, and do the best that we can to engage with them. And then there's the person that walks straight into the gallery and they see something and they, and then their leave. And then they contact us later. They start following us on Instagram and then they end up or they start listening to the radio show or whatever it is. And then we hear from them six months later. And then we don't know if what's been put into place is actually worked, but then six months later, they've reached out to us and they're like, you know, we were listening to the radio show and now we're really interested in moving forward with this, with this, with this purchase. So there's so many moving parts. Uh, you know, I, I went, there's somebody that learned about our gallery had come into the gallery. I think she originally found us on the website, cuz she's from Massachusetts. You know, she, she, she found us on the website, found our website. And then I went down to her home, you know, loaded up 13 pieces and went down there and we did a major, they didn't a fantastic opportunity. She'd already collected that's right. She'd already purchased work of Musk, but we just had this opportunity to go and spend time together. And then we don't know necessarily like that's gonna be the person when they first bought those two pieces. Like they're gonna be that person in five months that we're gonna be driving all of these pieces down and having this next level of relationship with. It's just, I'm not sure if that's answering your question, but it's just a constant, um, reevaluating reassessing, but always wanting to, just, to, to use whatever means we have to, to connect with our buyers and to share the work that our artists create. We're so proud of them, you know, we're so proud to be working with them, so, and to represent them. Um, well I think of virtual openings as being the perfect blend of, uh, performance oriented and learning oriented, um, not only what you've had to learn and what, um, Kevin and Emma and the rest of the art gallery staff have needed to learn in order to put these on, but also what you've asked the artist to do with you. And, you know, these are artists of all different ages, stages in life, levels of comfort with technology. Um, and it's something that, you know, maybe if you're a kid and you're going to remote learning, you're used to being on a zoom, uh, feed for the classroom, but not if you're, you know, someone who's never even used FaceTime with a grandchild. Um, so I think that willingness to kind of step into it, despite feeling uncomfortable and that willingness to learn and with the hope of connecting and with the hope of again, creating a sustainable business environment, I find that really interesting. Yeah. Virtual openings have to definitely would be a very clear example of that. You know, we first started in April of 2020, we had our first virtual opening and you, we felt like, what are we, what are we doing? But it was, it was, it ended up being the, exactly the right thing to do, you know? And then, then we, and our artists stepped up to the, the plate and worked with us. And then we, so we worked, you know, we had a certain format that we used for a while and then that seemed to sort of not be as sustainable, uh, for a number of reasons, just in mostly cuz of timing. And then we started to look at another platform and then now we're working with, um, a more recent platform in the last two months we, that we started to do. So it's still a little bit rough, but it's awesome because we're still doing it and we're still trying and we're never gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna keep trying and we're gonna keep working at it until it feels like it's in the right place. You know, and part of that, you can't control cuz you're dealing with all these different people with different technological backgrounds and D and wifi and different, you know, so, and that is fascinating because I think that's very much what's happening in the world everywhere. You know, that's where we are now. So our kids are more proficient perhaps and more comfortable in a lot of different ways. But as a society, we're all just having to rise up to that, you know, to be able to, to stay in touch. Yeah. I mean, you're referring to something that I think a lot of people, um, have started to term digital equity, which is yeah. You know, this ability to connect with one another using technology and you can think about it in a much broader scale, you know, how do we bring children into classrooms if they don't have wifi? Or how do you, um, reach older people who maybe don't even have a, a cell phone that has a camera, but I mean, it's it, it's interesting how reliant we have become on this technology. And so P people who everybody's at kind of a different phase and sometimes we forget that. Absolutely. And sometimes, you know, we, I forget that like when I'm working with a client and or with an artist, I mean, certainly an artist with a virtual opening example. And then also with clients, you know, that always have a capacity or some of them are much more savvy than I am or, you know, but there is not as the, the digital equity conversation is, is huge. You know, it's, it's, it's a large, um, aspect of what we need to be talking about. So looking at, um, this piece that you've chosen to have hung up behind me, uh, this is Jean Jack. She is obviously an artist that has been with the Portland art gallery for a long time. She's beloved. Um, she's, you know, she's creative, she's actually changed her style somewhat over time. She's changed her color choices over time. And what I love about Jean is, um, she has walked planet a few, uh, few revolutions here, and yet she's more than happy to show up in the studio and have an interview she's more than happy to, you know, do what she can to kind of reach out to people who might wanna know her better as a person. And, uh, it's really that kind of, again, that growth mindset, that learning orient that, um, enables her to kind of stay fresh and relevant. Um, and it's part of the creative, it's part of being an artist, I believe. Yeah, I agree. And I think that's probably one reasons why I thought of her, you know, Kevin asked me like about, and I've so much from Jean and that's just one of our 59 artists, you know, I just learned so much from her. And I think some of that, I don't, I don't think she even was aware of, but you know, she's just, it is, it's the growth mindset and I, uh, I have so much respect and admiration and then also she's fun to stay connected with, like I enjoy newer studio would do that with, you know, with some regularity because she's ex constantly acquiring work for clients that are interested in her work. And she stays in really good communication with us. And she, um, directs people to us all of the time. And it's just been a really valuable relationship, you know, um, gallery or, uh, artist relationships. So, but it's that growth mindset and it's also, you know, she's, it's not a toughness, but she's a, there's a clarity to the way in which she approaches things that I really appreciate. It's kind of like just seeing through it, like just sees through a lot of the noise that can happen. And, uh, I feel like her paintings are the same way. You know, there's a simplicity, there's a, there's, there's something happen in there for sure. But, but she gets to the essence of it. And so I think that's one of the reasons why people are drawn to her work. And I, yeah, that's one of the re that's, that's a little bit about Jean And it's been nice too, because I've seen that people like Jean and Jane Damon, um, have been willing to, um, bring another artist in, you know, they'll, they'll bring a newer artist in they'll welcome them. They'll enable them to be part of the Portland art gallery community. And I, and I know that that is really appreciated, you know, some of the, the newer artists that you've had come into the Portland art gallery, I think to have that sense of belonging, especially during these interesting times has been really important. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, it's, it's a fairly quiet solitary that an artist spends in the studio. So I definitely have come to recognize and support and, and realize that that connection that, that our artists make with each other, I mean, are opening. So many artists increasingly are showing up to the openings and they have that sense of community connection and they're, they're all supporting each other. I, I loved it. So we sent out these thumbnails, Kevin sent out these thumbnails to all of the artists about the openings for the upcoming year. And there were so many artists that actually, it wasn't their own show. They just put it on their Instagram page because they wanted to support their fellow artists at the gallery. And it's just that idea that, you know, we all rise together is really, uh, something that I think comes with an understanding and experience and, and gene and Jane are certainly to people who they feel the way in which they carry themselves and the, and the way they, which they make decisions. It's not about what that might do to them. And I'm not suggesting that's true of our other artists. It's not what, how that might impact them negatively. It's how it impacts them positively, because know, it's bringing everybody up and it's bringing awareness and recognition to, to the gallery. So, um, yeah, they're really just very fortunate to work with so strong people. Yeah. I also like the fact that, um, you've brought in artists who are from other parts of the kind entry. I mean, you've always, um, had some representation of people who have a main connection, but, um, yeah. Also have a connection somewhere else, but there are artists now, uh, who don't live in Maine for any part of the time and maybe their subjects aren't really as main connected as others, but you've opened the of doors. And you said, this is important. We want to have other people be part of our community. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, definitely the brand of the gallery has a main focus, but just like we're reaching out to clients all around the world now through this digital platform or whatever, we also are being introduced and having, uh, opportunities to work with artists that are not necessarily living directly in Maine, uh, or have ever lived in Maine. So many, some of our artists, like they live in Massachusetts, but they grew up in Maine and they have that main connect, but people like, um, you know, Rodney Dennis or Carlos Gama, Francisco, or Andrew Faulkner like there, that's expanding our web of, of web no pun, but, you know, that's expanding our opportunities, uh, to reach, uh, um, broader audience. And it's been really fun to be able to do that and to think about how we can use this digital understanding and to be able to do that. I mean, there's still logistic aspects that come into that, which is shipping and, you know, handling of the artwork and whatnot, but we're working through that. And it's been, it's been really great As you're moving forward into, um, well, I'll say the next year, but let's say the next phase are th are there things that you would like to see happen with the Portland art gallery? Are there things that you feel excited about or potentials that, uh, that you're willing to discuss? Uh, that's always the question I'm like, wait, am I supposed to discuss that? Or am I, is two parts of my head? The, uh, I'm just using the, um, so yeah, well definitely really looking forward to, uh, and already 2022 is off to a great start. You know, we're just, we're finding that people are still excited to talk about and engage around art. I think that there's this whole cultural shift, quite frankly, around the arts and around some other aspects that's happened as a result of what's gone on in the last couple of years. And it's very, it's really exhilarating to be able to be a part of that conversation all the time, and to kinda be able to jump right in it. People wanna know they wanna understand what it is that it that's happening in a, in a gallery setting or in an artist mind, or an arts process in this sort of this overall slowing down and reprioritizing a lot. You know, at first I think we thought it was about people spending more time at home and, you know, having more time to spend in their surroundings is leading them to be wanting them to, you know, to add more original work. I think it's than that now. And I think that's where we're gonna have the opportunity to really, um, to continue to and deepen those, those, uh, merger of those, those relationships and in those conversations. And then also with that have, you know, effective sales, which is obviously we're a business, so that's a huge part of it. Um, there's, there's just always some, there's always, there's always more to do and there's always, um, you know, oh, was ways that we can respond more quickly. There's always ways in which we can engage a little bit, you know, further. It's just, there's just so I, there are things that are coming down the pike for Portland art gallery in 2022. And, uh, I don't feel like I can say too much more about that, but I really encourage people to, to stay tuned about it because it's all about, uh, enhancing the experience for our client and enhancing the opportunities for our artists to get, uh, to reach the, the broadest audience possible. So, and I plan to be on the road a lot. So, which is, which is, uh, uh, something that I truly enjoy, uh, having that opportunity to be, uh, engaging with our artists and, and with our, uh, our clients figuring that out. So Well with that fairly significant teaser and cliff hanger, I will, will, uh, suggest that people stay closely connected to the doings of the Portland art gallery to see what might be, uh, coming up next. Absolutely. And then, and then, yes, please do. And please, I hope that people, you know, stop in to see us or follow us online and all of those things. And, um, we just so appreciate, appreciate that. Well, I've appreciated the opportunity to speak with my dear friend, uh, Portland art gallery director, Emma Wilson. I know that, uh, she's worth connecting with at the Portland art gallery, but virtually if you can't get there. And I know it's worth connecting with all of our artists at the Portland art gallery, as a result of having worked with the Portland art gallery, doing radio Maine over the last year, it's been wonderful to, uh, broaden my own community to learn more about creativity and to think about the spirit that is going to move us forward into this. Uh, now next phase of our cultural, um, living. So Emma, thank you very much for joining me today. And, uh, it's really been wonderful to speak with you again. Yeah. Thank you for having me, Lisa. Great to see you and thank you for all of your work to the, My.