People
An Interview with Kim Foster, Gallery Owner
By Melissa Goldberg
Unless you have been living under a rock or haven't cracked open a leading art magazine in the last decade you are aware that the name Kim Foster and the most talked about contemporary artists exist on the same page. The Kim Foster Gallery exhibits new work by nationally and internationally recognized artists working in all media
This astute art gallery owner was among the first to migrate to the Chelsea Art District in 2002, where she currently has a large ground floor gallery at 529 West 20 Street.
In 1994 she opened her gallery in SoHo where she was the center of attention. Her eye for talent and her vast experience makes her a perfect interview subject for our Ezine. We wanted to know what makes Kim Foster tick, why she chooses the art she does, and what she plans for the future.
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Kwang-Young Chun, "Aggregation 06-JN028", mixed media and Korean mulberry paper, diameter 100". Photo courtesy of Kim Foster Gallery. |
MG: When did you first realize you wanted to become a gallery owner?
KF: It is what I talked about becoming back in college. It was always a passion of mine that took me several years to finally fulfill.
MG: Who or what most influenced your decision and why?
KF: My parents as they were avid art collectors and understood how depressed I was at being a banker. They encouraged me to get into the art dealing business.
MG: If you were not an art dealer, what would your profession be?
KF: I guess that I would have stayed being a banker.
MG: What advice do you have for someone who wants to become a gallery dealer? What is the biggest mistake an aspiring dealer can make?
KF: It is like all businesses, you need to be aware of your financials. Be prudent about expenses that you can control such as overhead and advertising. The biggest mistake an aspiring dealer can make is to take on to many artists in the initial start-up years. You have to be able to devote a considerable amount of time to keep your best artists content otherwise they will leave.
MG: What do you believe has led to your success in the art world, compared to the many hopeful gallery-owners and dealers who do not succeed?
KF: I have limited the number of artists that I represent and I am very well aware of my bottom line financially at all times. I am very close with my artists and have had a business relationship with most of them for over ten years.
MG: How much does your personal life interact with your business? How so? Are you married and do you have children?
KF: That is a loaded question since I am secretively married for over ten years to one of the artists that I represent, although I think the secret is out. No, we do not have any children although at times I would consider some of my artists as my children.
MG: What are the major differences between having a gallery in SoHo, where you spent four years and Chelsea where your gallery has been located for the last eight years?
KF: I can’t go on a shopping spree and have breakfast at Balthazar. Seriously, my business has blossomed in Chelsea. People are serious about buying art when they come to Chelsea. The gallery is in a wonderful location, not on a backstreet as we were in SoHo. Chelsea is a destination for solely art collecting and my clientele has grown immensely since being here.
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Diane Samuels, "Mapping Sampsonia" Iris prints on archival paper, engraved glass, magnifiers, 18" x 48 ft. Photo courtesy of Kim Foster Gallery. |
MG: Is there a personal philosophy that carries you through in your business?
KF: I am always optimistic. I could have the worst show, but only see the positive even when it is not apparent to anyone else.
MG: Is there a dream exhibition you have in your head that you would like to put together one day in the future?
KF: I put my dream exhibitions on this fall – two large sculptures by Kwang-Young Chun with one hanging from my ceiling, and a 48 foot alleyway by Diane Samuels.
MG: How would you describe the art you show? What are the qualities you are drawn to when selecting artists?
KF: Intelligent, passionate, narrative art. I have to feel their passion for the art that they are producing. I have a deep friendship with the artists that I represent. Their success is my success.
MG: In The Complete Guide to New York Art Galleries you say your focus is on “mid-career artists.” To you what defines mid-career? Does it have to do with chronological age, years of career experience, accomplishments or other factors?
KF: It has to do with years of career experience.
MG: How influential do you think art critics, art magazines, and art journalists are in the world of contemporary art?
KF: Some things are more influential, of course, than others. Certainly it means a lot to my artists to get press. However, timely press is the most important thing to get. It is not a terrific help when the press on a show comes out six months after the show is over. The best press that really mattered in my experience was articles/reviews that appeared when the shows were up.
MG: How important is the role of art dealers in the art world? Can a dealer’s opinion shape what types of art will be successful?
KF: Very important. It is the dealer that initially discovers the artist. An artist’s success is determined by a dealer showing their work, and thereafter by clients, curators and the press.
MG: How do you think historically this current period of art will be identified?
KF: I wish that I had the definitive answer. Certainly, it is going to be identified as the beginning of computer based work with lots of video and digital photography.
MG: What is the most common misconception about being an art dealer in New York?
KF: That it is a glamorous occupation. It can be very stressful selling art.
MG: What do you think is a major flaw in the business of art?
KF: People buying because the artist is young. Age should not make the difference if you like something.
MG: In the last five years, what have been the most pivotal events for you?
KF: Seeing my artist’s get into museum collections and having museum exhibitions.
MG: What advice do you offer an artist who wants to be shown in a New York gallery?
KF: Do your homework and get to know other artists in the gallery before approaching the dealer.
MG: Who, if anyone at all, is the definitive person(s) who controls the trends in the art world?
KF: Several people including curators of the Whitney Biennial, Carnegie International, the New York Times critics.
MG: What was the most impressive exhibition that you saw in a museum or gallery in 2006?
KF: The Met’s show of the dealer that started Cézanne, Picasso, etc., and the Met’s show of Berlin art after WWI. They were both outstanding exhibitions. I will also put the Rauschenberg show of his combines at the Met.
MG: What exhibitions can we look forward to in 2007 in your gallery?
KF: Sarah Leahy’s show of ink paintings scratched into plexiglass and Antonio Petracca’s paintings of Pompeii tagged American style.
For more information visit www.kimfostergallery.com
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