The arts and culture world, like so many industries, was forced to make shifts in order to survive the pandemic. With museums closed, galleries shuttered and international events cancelled, the marketing and comms pros in this field had to think fast to help their clients evolve. We spoke to five leaders in the space, gaining intel on everything from strategic comms to how the art world is evolving as a whole.
Blue Mountain Cloud, 2013 Mountainside Cave, 2019 Canyon Clouds, 2010 © Wayne Thiebaud _ Licensed by VAGA at ARS, New York
Australian transplant John Melick started his NYC-based firm Blue Medium two decades ago, catering to the arts and design communities. A move precedented by years of PR work in art, cultural tourism and public affairs, Melick’s clients have included some of the world’s leading museums, festivals, biennials, foundations, colleges and galleries. And the company keeps innovating: in 2013, Blue Medium launched a division specializing in PR for architecture and design clients. Then, in response to the rising demand for digital content and social media in the art and design sectors, Melick launched Bower Blue in 2017, a sister company that provides digital content strategy and production of videos, podcasts and other social media assets. Blue Medium is also affiliated with Fremont Blue Events that specializes in lifestyle, art and design event concepts and production.
On the client roster: Acquavella Galleries and Galerie Lelong in New York; the Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia; The City of Miami Beach’s Art in Public Places; and the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution in DC. The company’s architecture and design division counts clients including Beyer Blinder Belle, Friedman Benda Gallery and RISD.
On how the art world is evolving due to the pandemic:
“I’ve always found it paradoxical that one of the most creative, innovative industries on earth is often slow to adopt new technology. But some great virtual experiences have emerged during the pandemic with museums and galleries closed and access to some of our clients’ sites being heavily restricted. Our clients’ interest in the virtual, digital experience accelerated within weeks in many cases (in order to stay visible and relevant) and today many of our clients are a lot more digitally fluent. I firmly believe you can’t replace the in person visit to experience art and design, but the quality of videos, media previews, walkthroughs, talks and podcasts in our sector have markedly improved, allowing our clients to extend their reach demographically and geographically. And as for Zoom, it’s been a lifesaver, but it’s also super performative and impersonal and perhaps unsustainable in terms of building or maintaining substantive business relationships. I really miss my team too. I’m even looking forward to a conference room Power Point presentation. OK, maybe that’s going too far. See, I’m unhinged!”
Takashi Murakami (b. 1962) Mushroom Boom titled and inscribed 'MUSHROOM BOOM TM-0248' (on the reverse) computer printout, pencil, and pen on paper 11 x 167⁄8 in. (28 x 43 cm.) Executed in 2000. From Christie’s Latest x Greatest auction.
Jennifer Cuminale joined the Christie’s team in 2015, and currently heads up communications for the Luxury and Asian Art portfolios at Christie’s Americas, where she represents ten distinct business units in addition to working with external clients for major collections. In her time at the storied auction house, she has also overseen PR across fine art and decorative arts with campaigns ranging from Presidential and celebrity collections to modern and contemporary art, interiors, technology and new category positioning. The PR maven’s resume lists top names in luxury and art, including Ralph Lauren, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Assouline Publishing. Outside of Christie’s, Cuminale is on the Advisory Council for the American Friends of the Louvre, Board of Directors for the Art Therapy Project, and Board of Fellows for Trinity College.
On how the art world is evolving due to the pandemic:
“It has truly been a year of learning, collaboration, and innovation. In normal circumstances, the art world is a very social industry. Collecting is just as much about art as it is about people. When many of these events shut down, we realized the importance of maintaining that sense of community and supporting industry partners dealing with unforeseen challenges. At Christie’s, we worked hard to create digital offerings to meet those needs spanning virtual events, free educational content, and charitable collaborations. It also goes without saying that the pandemic fast-tracked our push toward online sales. While live auctions were largely suspended, Christie’s immediate acceleration of our digital strategy ensured business continuity across the year. Online-only sales were up 262% in 2020, marking a record total for the channel. With more than 200 sales in 2020, this channel contributed more than 10% of total auction sales. What’s most exciting is that these online sales expanded our global reach exponentially. Registrants from 104 different countries participated in online-only sales by year end and more than 1 million combined viewers watched Christie’s live-streamed marquee week sales.”
Radical Love Installation view Ford Foundation Gallery Photo credit: Sebastian Bach
Amani Olu has earned the endearing nickname as the “King of multi-tasking.” The founder of Olu & Company is also the co-founder of Detroit Art Week, a five-day festival celebrating contemporary art in the city; and founder of IMG SRVR, an all-in-one visual media center designed to help creative professionals collect, organize and share information with ease and elegance (more on that here). What gives Olu a particularly unique perspective is his background, having worked as an independent curator and arts writer. His career underscores the power of imagination and innovation; accomplishments include (but are not limited to): he co-authored Humble Art Foundation’s The Collector’s Guide to New Art Photography Vol. 1 and 2 (2008, 2010); launched his ground-breaking Young Curators, New Ideas exhibition series; and wrote about artists William Eggleston, Rashaad Newsome, David Benjamin Sherry, Elad Lassry, Zoe Crosher and K8 Hardy. He also launched the digital version of Whitewall. In 2014, he contributed a short essay on Zarina Bhimji’s work for PROSPECT.3. In 2018, as part of the inaugural edition of Detroit Art Week, Olu organized Rhythm, Repetition, and Vocab, an exhibition of abstract works by Allie McGhee and Carole Harris at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
On the client roster:
Detroit Institute of Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Hank Willis Thomas, Eaton Workshop, Pioneer Works, Ford Foundation Gallery, Dario Calmese, Wide Awakes
On how the art world is evolving due to the pandemic:
“Due to mass closures to stem the spread of COVID-19, many arts organizations and businesses have moved online. In the case of art fairs and galleries, it has ushered in an era of transparent pricing and sales reporting, which in the past has been murky, at best. One could also argue that there is a new level of collective cultural consciousness, yet, the question remains, what will be the lasting impact if we're not addressing systemic institutional racism?”
Gardenia Collection: Atelier Caracas x Studio Boheme
Ellie Hayworth is the woman behind Hayworth, a strategic consultancy committed to intrepid ideas at the intersection of art and design based between Miami and New York. The Cuban-American entrepreneur hones her extensive experience in developing, managing and executing strategic communications for arts institutions, galleries, artists, designers, project spaces, and organizations in the contemporary arts and design sector. The team’s approach combines the quality and sustainability of large, institutional corporate communications with the curiosity, energy, and agility of an independent consultancy. Beyond her client work, Hayworth holds a leadership role with Aperture Foundation's young patrons group: Connect Council. She contributes to Art Frankly's Frank Fridays IGTV program as moderator and will host a series of Art/Talks with the Miami-based nonprofit, Code/Art in 2021.
On the client roster: Powerhouse Arts, artist Suzy Kellems Dominik, artist Josh Harlan, design collective Studio Boheme, Pegasus Prints, Sidel & McElwreath, the Filipino non-profit organization Pintô International, interior design showroom SUITE NY, and art advisor Electra Projects.
On how the art world is evolving due to the pandemic:
"The challenges associated with COVID-19 precipitated a shift away from the decades-long grind of the crowded, demanding model largely dictated by the international art-and-design fair circuit. In an effort to adapt and stay abreast, many artists, designers, galleries, and institutions reevaluated the importance of their nuclear relationships, the dexterity of their marketing channels, and the strength of their local community. Needless to say, digital has factored into this communication strategy significantly. This has pushed the definition of "local" to new implications, where geography factors less and proximity can be defined through a digital nexus as well.”
Kenny Scharf, Infusion. Joshua White/Courtesy of Almine Rech
A true leader in this space, Sara Fitzmaurice’s name is synonymous with the art world. For over 25 years, her firm FITZ & CO has been providing bespoke creative strategies for top names in arts and culture, tech, hospitality and luxury brands around the world. With offices in New York, Los Angeles and London, Fitzmaurice’s team is held in high regard and has developed brand strategies for more than 200 international galleries, museums and luxury brands engaged in the arts. FITZ & CO is included in Observer’s list of The Most Powerful PR Firms of 2020 for the third consecutive year, and Fitzmaurice is on the board of New York City's Public Art Fund.
On the client roster: Almine Rech, Alserkal, American Friends of Fondation Beyeler, Art Basel, Artfizz, BMW Group Culture, D'Lan Contemporary, Eric Carle, San Francisco Art Institute, Storm King Art Center, Wilshire Boulevard Temple
On how the art world is evolving due to the pandemic:
"Pre- pandemic, the art world was built around in person connectivity—including seeing art firsthand and making art world connections through traveling to art fairs, biennials, openings, and events across the globe. The art world has been trailing the consumer in terms of engaging with and marketing to them online. When the pandemic shut the world down, some leaders in the art space began to emerge and innovate, connecting with audiences in new ways. My prediction is that there is no 'going back to how it used to be' or 'getting back to normal' as there is now a 'new normal.' Leaders in the art space recognize this and are swiftly prioritizing digital marketing, a service our agency has been offering to a reluctant art world for many years now. Art Basel’s Art Market report showed us that during 2020, core art buyers who are Boomers and older mostly sat by the sidelines, while Gen X and Millennials actively engaged with and bought art online. Younger generations of art lovers and buyers don’t think of art as a commodity but as an experience, and will be looking for that experience both online and offline. I believe it will always be true is that the magic happens when we gather around art and artists in person—that’s not going away. But those in the art world need to catch up to the consumer and to the luxury market and put resources behind digital marketing and fast or will slowly lose market share and brand relevance."
