The Art Registry Gallery. Photo by Julie LaPorte.
“The Art Registry is all about a new paradigm for selling art,” says Erin Mackay. “The original concept was just private consulting with art buying cocktail parties that we did in private homes. The private homes evolved into elaborate spaces like vacant loft buildings or apartment buildings or the lobby of a big hotel.
And now we do those twice a year, big shows with six to eight artists. At the same time we have the shows at the gallery.”
At the gallery, the artist currently on display is Denise Duong, from San Francisco, whose mixed media pieces are charming and unique, “colorful and whimsical compositions,” and would be a wonderful addition to anyone’s private collection. Next month, Erin and Jill are planning an innovative installation of works by Gene Fischer, a photographer from New York.
“We have an education process that goes along with the buying of the art,” said Erin.
“We always talk about the artist’s history, their creative process, their exhibition history as well as their theory or concept behind the work. We give our clients talking points for when they have friends and family over.”
With price points for most of their pieces in the $1,000 to $5,000 range, the Art Registry’s clients range from art students buying their first piece to middle-class families starting a collection for their home to some of the biggest art collectors in town. While the collecting scene in D.C. has traditionally been more conservative than other large cities in the U.S., the women feel that the city is loosening up a bit, getting younger and hipper, and the trends in collecting are moving in the same direction.
The Art Registry’s next multi-artist event is in June and will feature all women artists. The gallery is partnering with Dress for Success, a non-profit that helps disadvantaged women enter the workplace, and a portion of the art sales will be donated to the organization.
For more information on the gallery and their upcoming events, visit their website.
The Art Registry Gallery. Photo by Julie LaPorte.
The Art Registry Gallery. Photo by Julie LaPorte.
