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John Brady
21-Jul-2008, 10:09
I am trying to do some research for a business idea.

What is the largest gallery dedicated to photography any of you are aware of?

Are there any as large as ten thousand square feet located in a prime retail location?

How about sales per square foot?

Any information or thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
John Brady
www.timeandlight.com

Kirk Gittings
21-Jul-2008, 10:28
Commercial gallery? or space committed to photography? I would guess that the George Eastman House is the largest committed to photography?

John Brady
21-Jul-2008, 11:04
Commercial gallery? or space committed to photography? I would guess that the George Eastman House is the largest committed to photography?

I am thinking of a retail gallery, one selling the work of various photographers. The Eastman House is awesome but I think of it as more of a museum.

An example I have is the A Gallery in New Orleans. Only I am trying to find a larger example.

jb

David Spivak-Focus Magazine
21-Jul-2008, 11:26
Howard Greenberg Gallery is pretty big here in NY. I've never been to Stephen Cohen's before, but I hear his gallery is also pretty big. It's very difficult, unless you're filthy rich, to have a large space for a gallery... rent can be extremely expensive and if you have a couple of bad shows in a row...POOF.

John Brady
21-Jul-2008, 11:38
Howard Greenberg Gallery is pretty big here in NY. I've never been to Stephen Cohen's before, but I hear his gallery is also pretty big. It's very difficult, unless you're filthy rich, to have a large space for a gallery... rent can be extremely expensive and if you have a couple of bad shows in a row...POOF.

Thanks, thats the kind of information I'm looking for.

I am imagining a gallery that is more of a retail center selling the photographic work of various artists, as opposed to a gallery just doing rotating exhibits.

I haven't worked out all the details yet so I am looking for examples to develop a business plan.
Thanks, jb

Louie Powell
21-Jul-2008, 11:55
I don't think the galleries at the Eastman House are all that large - yes, the museum itself is extensive, but the actual gallery space is rather limited.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York has a more extensive photographic gallery than the Eastman House.

While I've not have the opportunity to visit either of these places, the galleries that I had always understood to be very extensive are
- the J. Paul Getty gallery
- the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park in San Diego

Mark Sampson
21-Jul-2008, 12:24
I think for the OP's purpose, museums don't count. There must be some large commercial galleries out there, how else could you show Struth/Gursky/Burtynsky et al? It's been a while since I was in NYC, so I have really no idea how large the spaces are these days.

John Brady
21-Jul-2008, 12:33
Thanks Mark, thats correct I am looking for large retail spaces selling the work of current artists. The one example I had was the AGallery in New Orleans, but it is no more than two thousand sq ft.

Clyde Butcher has a gallery in the everglades that is about two thousand feet but it features primarily his work. It is a fantastic gallery that I love to visit but I am looking for larger examples if there are any.

Thanks
jb
www.timeandlight.com

QT Luong
21-Jul-2008, 12:43
The Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, CA is the largest I have seen, and functions partly as a store (aka retail gallery). I am unsure of exact surface, but you could ask Justin Black who sometimes posts here. Of course the real estate there is slightly less expensive than in Manhattan.

shmoo
21-Jul-2008, 13:13
The Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica is small, but the quality of what they have for sale is amazing...and pretty extensive.

Jerry Flynn
21-Jul-2008, 13:44
As a strictly commercial project, the Rodney Lough store at the Mall of America is pretty large. It sells only his work, which is primarily LF (Arca Swiss, if I recall accurately). He says they are all hand printed - mainly C-prints.

It's color work of the the Great West variety - which seems to be pretty popular on this forum.

Perhaps he might share a thought or two with you if you did not appear to be invading his market.

The link below shows the store at the MOA.

http://www.mallofamerica.com/adults_tenant_profile_objectname_Rodney_Lough_Gallery_W286.aspx

Louie Powell
21-Jul-2008, 13:59
As a strictly commercial project, the Rodney Lough store at the Mall of America is pretty large. It sells only his work, which is primarily LF (Arca Swiss, if I recall accurately). He says they are all hand printed - mainly C-prints.


Don't think so. I had an extended conversation with the sales person at Lough's gallery in Sausalito two weeks ago. His work is all ink jet today, albeit mostly from scanned 8x10 negatives.

There are several very large commercial galleries in New York. Names that come to mind include Silverstein, Clampart, and Yossi Milo.

Tony Karnezis
21-Jul-2008, 16:30
Actually, as a minor correction, all of Rodney Lough's work is printed either on a Lightjet (limited editions) or an Epson 9800.

As for his galleries, I haven't been to the one at the Mall of America, but the one in San Francisco is a massive 5500 sq. ft.

Jim Cole
21-Jul-2008, 16:35
I know you asked about photo galleries showcasing multiple artists' work, but for pure research, you might want to check these out. I haven't been to any of the photographer's numerous galleries yet, but the two current champs of individual retail sales of photographic prints are Peter Lik and Thomas Mangelsen. I know Peter Lik's galleries look huge, but I'm not quite sure how big. Together these guys sold somewhere around $20-30 million last year. Impressive!

Jon Shiu
21-Jul-2008, 17:07
The Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop is quite large, in a really nice old converted bank building - somewhere around 7000 sq ft.

Jon

Gordon Moat
21-Jul-2008, 17:53
http://us.leica-camera.com/culture/galeries/

http://www.fotomuseum.ch/

MOPA (http://www.mopa.org) has a small store, though is primarily a museum. I think the Morrison Hotel Gallery (http://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/) in La Jolla is actually bigger.

I would think that New York City and San Francisco might make the best research locations. Perhaps not the absolute largest photography galleries there, but definitely a high volume of museums.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

John Brady
21-Jul-2008, 18:25
The Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop is quite large, in a really nice old converted bank building - somewhere around 7000 sq ft.

Jon
OK 7000sf is plenty big, that will be a good reference.


I know you asked about photo galleries showcasing multiple artists' work, but for pure research, you might want to check these out. I haven't been to any of the photographer's numerous galleries yet, but the two current champs of individual retail sales of photographic prints are Peter Lik and Thomas Mangelsen. I know Peter Lik's galleries look huge, but I'm not quite sure how big. Together these guys sold somewhere around $20-30 million last year. Impressive!

20 to 30 mil, wow! In this instance size doesn't matter.

These are some great examples thank you all for posting, keep em coming!

jb

Nathan Potter
21-Jul-2008, 18:40
The Andrew Smith Gallery in Santa Fe New Mexico is worth checking out. One section is in a commercial store (gallery) of maybe 3000 sq. ft. not far from the plaza and a newer second gallery is in a house nearby, maybe another 2000 sq. ft. He acquires and sells the photography of well known artists (Alan Ross, Christopher Burkitt, Ansel Adams, etc.)

Nate Potter

z_photo
22-Jul-2008, 04:57
this guy has tons of gallery space around the country
http://www.mangelsen.com/store/util/contact_us?Args=&show=gallery


edit: just saw he was already mentioned

Brian K
22-Jul-2008, 10:51
You might check on AfterImage in Dallas, Texas.(think that is the name, not at my reference materials right now)

That's the name. He has 90 linear feet of wall space, not sure of the square footage. If you're there between Nov 8, 2008 and Jan 18, 2009 you'll see a solo show of my work.

David Spivak-Focus Magazine
26-Jul-2008, 11:49
The Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica is small, but the quality of what they have for sale is amazing...and pretty extensive.

I've been working with Peter Fetterman for years.. I would highly recommend anyone who is thinking about visiting a gallery in LA to consider him.

David Spivak-Focus Magazine
26-Jul-2008, 11:51
Don't think so. I had an extended conversation with the sales person at Lough's gallery in Sausalito two weeks ago. His work is all ink jet today, albeit mostly from scanned 8x10 negatives.

There are several very large commercial galleries in New York. Names that come to mind include Silverstein, Clampart, and Yossi Milo.

Clampart is not very large at all compared to other galleries. Although the work they exhibit is quite good.

mdd99
10-Aug-2008, 10:33
The largest gallery I know of is my filing cabinet. ;-)

Robert Richardson
15-Aug-2008, 11:55
Terrific Mike, I understand!
Bob R

bigdog
15-Aug-2008, 13:36
(Afterimage) has 90 linear feet of wall space, not sure of the square footage.

Dallas also has Photographs Do Not Bend (PDNB). I'm only guessing, but it appears to me to be physically larger than Afterimage. (for whatever that's worth ...)

http://www.afterimagegallery.com/

http://www.pdnbgallery.com/

Doug Howk
15-Aug-2008, 13:42
You might check the Jack Leigh Gallery (http://www.jackleigh.com/gInfo.htm) in Savannah. Its well done & seems to be doing OK despite Leigh's untimely death.

David A. Goldfarb
15-Aug-2008, 13:45
Yossi Milo is an important gallery, but a rather modest space. I'd say that's true of most of the "big" NYC galleries. They may have drawers and drawers of prints available for viewing, if you ask, but not enormous exhibition spaces of the sort you're describing. 10,000 square feet of commercial space in the prime gallery districts is hugely expensive.

John Brady
15-Aug-2008, 13:51
Thank you all for the gallery information. I am trying to figure out if it would be feasible to create a 10,000 sq ft gallery with a focus on photography in a pretty expensive retail space that I have. I am not sure if a gallery of this size can support the high overhead.

I would love to do it but I am trying to work out a financial model. If any of you have experience in this area please feel free to weigh in.

Thanks, jb
www.timeandlight.com

bglick
13-Jan-2009, 17:23
> Mangelsen and Peter Lik's galleries look huge, but I'm not quite sure how big. Together these guys sold somewhere around $20-30 million last year.


Where did this number come from??? I am not doubting it, but would like to know where you read / heard this? I know Liks galleries in Vegas have rents in the $30k per month range, maybe 3k sq ft max. Mangleson had a big one in Vegas also, but has since reduced its size tremendously, down to 2k sq ft. You never know the story behind these galleries, you wonder if they are backed by wealthy people, so slight losses won't rock the boat during a 5 - 10 year lease.

I know Fatali has opened and closed 6 galleries in the past 10 years. They aren't closing because they are profitable. His last gallery closing in Vegas was truly stunning. His work is exceptional as well.... so are his prices....about 2x what Lough is charging... $4k for 32x40 unframed...

Jim Michael
13-Jan-2009, 20:11
There is a BBC story on YouTube in which an employee projects 50MM in sales.

D. Bryant
13-Jan-2009, 20:56
You might check the Jack Leigh Gallery (http://www.jackleigh.com/gInfo.htm) in Savannah. Its well done & seems to be doing OK despite Leigh's untimely death.

Jack Leigh's gallery in Savannah is really tiny, IMO. Been there many times before Jack's death, what a loss. But his space was devoted solely to his work. What a great location. He got in a the right time.

For a brief while there was a larger gallery, Lumeire Gallery, devoted to photography in Savannah which was quite a bit larger quite near Jack's gallery.

Don Bryant

bglick
13-Jan-2009, 22:54
Van, thanks for the link.... if those Lik numbers are true, I am floored by his level of success..... heck, even if they are 1/5 th true, I am floored :-) You never can be sure what to believe, as the CEO is selling hype, to encourage others to jump in before Lik becomes more famous.

I have been in his galleries, and he does a great presentation, very dim galleries, you can trip over couches, etc.... then extreme light angled perfectly from high angles atop the print, so there is ZERO reflections. They really do glow...they almost appear as back-lits... but much of this is due to the dark gallery. When you take the print home, there is no way it will appear this nice...but you gotta sell the sizzle...and Liks gallery managers has mastered the technique.

Manglesons galleries are everywhere, Kudos to him for such success... most all with a 35mm film camera... Impressive.... I would suggest though, by today's standards, the resolutions of his prints are weak, since he often prints 35mm up to 36". His claim to fame is content, not technicals....

Bill_1856
14-Jan-2009, 07:23
As a (former) serious collector, I actually prefer to visit galleries of about 1500-2000 sq ft. Access is probably more important than size.

Toyon
14-Jan-2009, 11:59
I am thinking of a retail gallery, one selling the work of various photographers. The Eastman House is awesome but I think of it as more of a museum.

An example I have is the A Gallery in New Orleans. Only I am trying to find a larger example.

jb

Really? I was kind of disappointed at the small size of the Eastman Gallery, given the scope of work that is out there - it should be huge.

bglick
14-Jan-2009, 12:25
Yep, Mangleson has gone 6x17... however, most of his bread n butter shots of wildlife are all 35mm, that is the bulk of his sales for sure... cute little animals.... and those he prints up to 36 - 40" long... hence my comments on the images being a bit weak for their hefty price tag....but, again, its the content that lures people in, different strokes for different folks...


Several years ago, i thought about opening a multi artist gallery. I considered this after seeing many "vanity galleries" throughout the USA. A Vanity gallery is one where an artist rents wall space from the gallery owner, and the gallery owner makes ~ 20% on each sale. Monthly rents from artist range from $100 - $800 based on wall space size you want. The reason this concept works (ed) is because there is way more artist trying to sell their work, vs. those willing to take the risk in the retail gallery business... and whenever the supply and demand leans heavy in one direction, we know the result.

The problem with most vanity galleries are, the artist back out after - 12 months, as often they sell no work, so only wealthy artist can afford the vanity of having your work hung on a galleries walls. The upside of the vanity gallery concept is, there is no conflict between artist and gallery owner on pricing... the artist deems what he / she thinks is fair pricing....and since they are paying rent, they will often price the work in a zone where they know it has sold before, as they have risk (rent) in this scenario.

My concept was a WalMart version of the vanity gallery in an area with ultra high foot traffic. Instead of just walls, i would have nice display areas, where you can flip through wall hung displays, like the old days of flipping through posters, or now we see these displays for carpeting, flooring, etc. It is a means to show more product per sq ft. This would 10x the amount of work you can show in the gallery. Everything from high-end posters to fine art prints. Of course, you don't want to mix a $30 poster with a $10k painting, so you pick your market, and possible have 2, maybe 3 zones in the gallery. This concept works best for mid to low priced art....say nothing more than $1500... Don't expect buyers of $15k art to come in :-)

Anyway, the value here is, an artist can survive longer, as their rents would be very low vs. wall space in pure vanity galleries. Of course, you will still have large wall hangings to attract a crowd. the huge mix of art, will also attract a bigger audience and give them a bigger selection to choose from, making a sale more probable. Also, the gallery owner can probably cover the rent with the artists monthly rent fees, and their profit would come from the 20% commission on sales. Once established, the rents would probably exceed the monthly rent.


So why didn't I start this? The biggest problem 5 years ago, when I looked at this concept seriously was.... Long Term Leases. In a very high foot traffic area, and a 2k - 4k sq ft space, rents ranged from $8k to $30k per month. And if that's not bad enough, the leases were often min. 7 years. So you would be on the hook for $1M+ if the concept failed. IMO, the risk was too high vs. the potential rewards. Next, I thought of more remote areas, but then your advertising cost to bring people in would be VERY high, often off-setting the higher rents in high foot traffic areas. And IMO, lower end art ($50 - $1500) is often more impulse vs. planned purchase.

Then, the economy started to turn..... and right now, art sales are at their lowest level in a long time, based on conversations I have had with those who cater to the art stores....

anyway, is this what you had in mind?

bglick
14-Jan-2009, 14:13
Van, a few comments...

Peter Liks images would look equally stunning with digital capture.... specially considering he can stitch a few together, in which case, they would exceed film IMO. Not knocking film, but the film is not the key to his success. Instead, it's his printing technique and most importantly, the gallery lighting he delivers... an unrealistic home model.... but its important to sell the sizzle, as its not easy to get people to part with $5k per print.

Personally, I don't like glossy prints.... because unless they are displayed in Liks gallery lighting, the reflections ruin the image. When print LF, up to 10 ft, its always on Photo Rag, as there is NO reflections. yep, they won't pop like Liks Kodak or Fuji Metallic papers (they are so close, I can't tell them apart) under the right light, but in real world setting, the NO glare of the photo rag is way more desirable in the hotels I have placed BIG prints...

I can't imagine a customer returning a print when they get it home, because it does not look the same as when they saw it, heck, they won't even remember exactly how it looked in the gallery 6 weeks later when the print arrives. But Fatali did an equally good job in all his galleries, and yet, all have failed, and his work is exceptional IMO... a bit of the same themes, but nonetheless, exceptional composure, capture, and printing.

That big enlarger story is tooo funny....how far we have come, huh...

I think the "millions in sales" is all about creating demand for the product...i.e. if everyone is buying it, then it must be great, and will go up in price, etc. etc. Of course with the rents of $300k+ per year, plus overhead, you know each gallery has to sell some prints to survive....

Gordon Moat
14-Jan-2009, 16:27
It amazes me to think that someone I never heard about is outselling Gursky, Damien Hirst, or several other artists that are often in the news. How is it that Peter Lik is under the radar of the art world, yet pulling in multi-millions? Somehow I think the numbers are part of the marketing hype, or maybe the IRS will be visiting him this year.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

QT Luong
14-Jan-2009, 17:24
>It amazes me to think that someone I never heard about

I, and others, have mentioned Lik's name in several previous posts.

> is outselling Gursky, Damien Hirst

As far as I know, he hasn't sold a picture for millions.

It is not uncommon for a successful photographer to make more money than a photographic artist, esp. since the high prices that are often talked about are obtained at second-hand auctions that normally do not benefit the artist (Hirst being an exception).

> How is it that Peter Lik is under the radar of the art world, yet pulling in multi-millions?

Simply because the art world does not care much for the type of photography he does.

Maris Rusis
14-Jan-2009, 22:24
The last photographic gallery I was associated with as a sometime exhibitor, curator, and director was configured with a smaller floor space than the total rented area could have accommodated. The key reason was that the photographs were offered as personal expressive art rather than wall decoration.

Wall space was limited to about 30 photographs 20"x16" in size. This enabled the gallery to concentrate its promotion on a small number of high value works. More than 30 also prompts "gallery fatigue" and "buyer indecision".

A smaller gallery also offers reduced opening night costs, a better targeted mailing list, and exhibitions can be turned over more regularly. Pictures that hang for weeks or months get "stale" and tend not to sell. Small gallery patrons tend to call in often in case there is something new on offer. The opposite seems to apply at Peter Lik's local gallery here in Noosa. I look in maybe once a year and nothing seems to change.

It is often asked "What sells in the art world?" and the answer is usually "Whatever galleries promote!". If I wanted to market my photographs I would first look to a busy small gallery than a "photo-barn".

Brian Stein
14-Jan-2009, 23:59
The opposite seems to apply at Peter Lik's local gallery here in Noosa. I look in maybe once a year and nothing seems to change.

I expect that the gallery is catering far more to the tourist/visitor trade so they dont need to turn over often--presumably they just hang the 'big sellers' from the catalogue

John Voss
15-Jan-2009, 07:38
It amazes me to think that someone I never heard about is outselling Gursky, Damien Hirst, or several other artists that are often in the news. How is it that Peter Lik is under the radar of the art world, yet pulling in multi-millions? Somehow I think the numbers are part of the marketing hype, or maybe the IRS will be visiting him this year.

Here's a pretty thorough list of NYC photography galleries. If you spend some time on their websites you'll soon realize that the kind of warm, glowing scenic photography that Peter Lik does is almost antithetical to the desaturated, quotidian, scratch-your-head-and wonder-why work that is being offered here. You can also call these places and do some very direct research on their square footage (which will invariably be rather small) at least, although I doubt many will be more forthcoming about more 'intimate' business data with a stranger over the phone. It might be worth a trip here to meet with some of these gallerists in person. Or, go to the AIPAD show this spring (late March I think), and chat up as many gallerists as you can...they're all under one roof during the show.

http://art-support.com/galleries_ny.htm

bglick
15-Jan-2009, 11:52
> you'll soon realize that the kind of warm, glowing scenic photography that Peter Lik does is almost antithetical to the desaturated, quotidian, scratch-your-head-and wonder-why work that is being offered here.


This is hilarious!!! :-) I wonder the same thing myself in many photo galleries. We all have different ideas on what is art. I think the general public enjoys the Grand Scenics the most, hence the success of Lik, Lough, Mangleson and others like him... all the other successes are more niche based.

Gordon Moat
15-Jan-2009, 16:18
Damien Hirst is definitely on the odd fringe of things, and I cannot find anything of his that I find of interest. However, he has some strangely huge sales success.

A search through the Peter Lik Corporation reveals another abstract painter who now mostly runs that company. It is more like the Wyland galleries of whale and sea creature images, than it is of the rest of the art world. As Thomas Kinkaid indicated, there is money to be made selling to the masses. I don't have any trouble with this, other than I find little of interest in the works being sold. Oddly enough Z Gallerie is the number one selling "art gallery" in North America, though Wallstreet considers them a home furnishings company.

I suppose if one threw a lot of money and some nice looking images into a well located mega-gallery, then there is money to be made. It seems only to prove that careful marketing and location, combined with a large starting investment, could create a successful art retail business. Reminds me of a day trader I knew that liked to take pictures. He researched and found that many tourists liked beach images, flowery landscapes, and pleasant escapist (his wording) images. So he set about photographing lots of these things, researching the price levels people were willing to pay, and then set-up a location with affordable prints. He made money for a while, but never enough to move it to the next level of a bigger experience. So I think there is a sustainable business in this direction, but the level depends upon initial investment.

Art is not just about pretty pictures. Like or hate the works of Damien Hirst, he has found an odd niche. People find Gursky, Burtynsky, et al works quite boring, though they too have found audiences and admirers. I have been to a couple Mangelson, Wyland, et al type of galleries, and nearly always leave bored, but obviously these places have found willing buyers too. To what levels should we (dare we) aspire with our own works?

Ciao!

Gordon Moat Photography (http://www.gordonmoat.com)

Nathan Potter
15-Jan-2009, 16:21
A lot of good comments here but no surprises. I've always classified photographic galleries as more or less of two types. One is the fine art gallery, small, usually intimate and containing photography that requires some introspection on the part of the viewer. The second type is photography for decorative purposes; the Lik type gallery for instance as well as others mentioned. Of course there are blends of both (hybrids so to speak; often bglicks vanity gallery) but I believe, in general, they are less successful economically due to seeking a more diffuse clientele.

If we would study the successful galleries I have a hunch that the two basic types are the most successful because they drive to a specific type of customer where that client is interested in either decorating or real photographic art. Picking a gallery location, then, requires an understanding of the psychology of the potential customer obtained only by interacting with locals, tourists and visitors to the area.

The other key factor for success is the gallery location. It's gotta be where the money is, in both cases. Generally I can't see that the size of the gallery is a dominant factor with success.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

nathanm
20-Jan-2009, 09:26
Why are rich people so silly? For $125 million you could have farms, cows, giant brass aquariums and all the formaldehyde you could ever want. You could have a calf-embalming business! Besides, for $125 mil I want my calf suspended in the middle of the tank, not standing on the bottom. And it should have remote controlled, surgically installed servo motors which move the eyes and limbs so you can frighten passerby.

Drew Wiley
21-Jan-2009, 20:24
Nathan - rich people aren't silly - they'e showing off. It's called conspicuous consumption. It tells everybody at the cocktail party, Hey, look at me, I can afford this C-print that costs more than your house, and can even afford to replace it every
time the drapes fade (or visa versa). It also broadcasts to everyone just how trendy they are with the latest fashion, and that they can afford an overpriced interior designer to substitute for their own lack of discernment. Personally, I go out and take photographs precisely to get away from this type of neurosis. I have already met too many of these kinds of people and most of them are miserable. There's
nothing new under the sun. Artists were thumbtacking roadkilled animals to framed canvas in the 1920's. I don't give a hoot what the flakes in NYC are doing. Give
me a mountain breeze any day. Life is too short for pretense.

D. Bryant
21-Jan-2009, 23:06
Nathan - rich people aren't silly - they'e showing off. It's called conspicuous consumption. It tells everybody at the cocktail party, Hey, look at me, I can afford this C-print that costs more than your house, and can even afford to replace it every
time the drapes fade (or visa versa). It also broadcasts to everyone just how trendy they are with the latest fashion, and that they can afford an overpriced interior designer to substitute for their own lack of discernment.

What presumptuous prittle-prattle!

Don Bryant

John Brady
22-Jan-2009, 05:24
As an update from when I started this thread. I have built my gallery inside of a retail business I own in Naples Florida. I have named it the Everglades Gallery. I have made it much smaller then first planned, its about one thousand square feet with a four hundred square foot studio. I am really happy with the design I came up with. The space although not huge has sixteen foot ceilings so it has a large feel. I figured I would start small and see how it goes. Just getting the studio out of my house has been wonderful.

I have not opened yet but will put up a post with pictures in the announcement section when I do. Thanks to all who weighed in on this thread.

www.timeandlight.com

atruse
6-Jul-2009, 18:03
This brings up a photographer from Midland, Ontario, Canada (Bud Watson). He told me his one customer spent another $30k to redecorate her room for a theme to better fit the $9000 print she bought from him. He has the biggest private gallery in North America (according to an article from Kodak I read around 1987). He died back in 1988, but the gallery is still open I assume run by his son (a converted YMCA totalling 35,000 sq/ft). You walk in the main doors and right in your face is a 10ft print of an island shoreline on Georgian Bay, Ontario. Most images were with 8x10, and printed often to 8-10ft range). His enlarger was 2 stories high, sticking out through the second level floor. His son would focus on the second floor, while he would check focus on the lower floor. He was using a huge homemade 10ft tray, poured in 5 gallons for each solution. Digital sure makes it easy today.
.

hi there, im from Midland :)
unfortunately the gallery is not open anymore. it was turned into a restaurant a little while ago.
Im only 22yrs old, so i never knew Mr. Watson, but his Camera Shop downtown is still open and still named after him, but you can't find his work their anymore, the local museum has his work, but you have to make an appointment just to see.... very silly...
Midland actually has a pretty rich photography history, it also had the only Leica Factory in North America from the 1950's to 1990's until William Mandler (the man who created much of Leica's best lenses) retired. but unfortunately has also died in 2005

sara_criss
25-Aug-2009, 10:17
thanks for the guidence

Kirk Gittings
25-Aug-2009, 10:40
As an update from when I started this thread. I have built my gallery inside of a retail business I own in Naples Florida. I have named it the Everglades Gallery. I have made it much smaller then first planned, its about one thousand square feet with a four hundred square foot studio. I am really happy with the design I came up with. The space although not huge has sixteen foot ceilings so it has a large feel. I figured I would start small and see how it goes. Just getting the studio out of my house has been wonderful.

I have not opened yet but will put up a post with pictures in the announcement section when I do. Thanks to all who weighed in on this thread.

www.timeandlight.com

You have some beautiful work there. Good luck with the gallery.

Leines
19-Sep-2009, 17:55
Hey Guys...

I found this site randomly by googling bud watsons name... but believe it or not... i was out at a garage sale his widow and i believe her daughter were having this morning.. and i purchased a few hand signed bud watson photographs... one poster sized...and three smaller 8x10 sized.. dated 1972-1980. she even had one that was written as a factory reject from 1981 that looked more like a painting then a photograph...however once she realized it was a reject... she refused to sell it to me..
to quote her " bud wouldnt want that being sold to anyone if it wasnt what he wanted it to be" even tho it was very very beautiful.. i didnt press.. i was very happy to purchase the ones i had purchased from her..and also to talk to her about his work.... she said she really wished bud would be able to hear how much people loved his photographes..... they will be framed and never leave my possession thats for sure...

Ill post some digital pictures of them tomorrow if i have a chance...

Cheers