Artist Advocate: Can you share the story of how your grandfather and father got into the art gallery business?

Howard L. Rehs: Our story starts back in the mid-20th century. My grandfather, M. Edwin Schillay, an accountant, had an antique dealer as a client. This dealer suggested, some time in the 1940s, that he consider entering the antique or art business and was very helpful getting him started. The dealer recommended that he travel to Europe, buy a group of paintings, and have them crated and shipped to the U.S. Once here, the containers were brought to a space he rented at the Manhattan Storage Warehouse and sold in bulk. He never opened the crates, each of which held 400-500 works.

This "business" continued until the mid-1950s, when his wife decided she wanted to work. They rented a space at 303 Park Avenue South and started to bring the crates in on a more regular basis and open them up.

In 1960, the business moved to a larger space at 386 Park Avenue South. By this time, they were bringing in 12 shipments per year, each containing 500-600 works of art. When my grandfather became ill, his son-in law, my father, Joseph B. Rehs, also an accountant, went to work in his accounting firm — but it did not take him very long to see that the art business looked like a better opportunity.

By 1961, my father was working in the art business full-time. He remembers the good old days: buying paintings by the British Victorian artist Oliver Clare, framing them, and selling them for $10. He even went out on a limb and bought a major work by Frederick Morgan for $225 (75 pounds sterling) and sold it for $450 -- a huge profit. Of course, that same painting came back on the market not too long ago and sold for about $1 million!

My grandfather passed away in January 1963, and that same year the firm's name was changed to Schillay & Rehs, Inc. It wasn’t until 1991, when the last of the Schillay family left the business, that the name was changed to Rehs Galleries, Inc.

Artist Advocate: When did you enter the scene?

Howard L. Rehs: I think I was brainwashed at an early age -- art, art, art! And I have tried that with my kids, but with little success. I guess some of us are more susceptible to the powers of persuasion. I spent many a summer working in the gallery. During the real early days, that consisted of me playing in the packing material. As they say, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.

I majored in art history at New York University, which has one of the finest art history programs, and I had the added benefit of studying with many of the top professors: Rosenblum, Sandler, Janson, Sullivan, etc. For me, this education was priceless.

Artist Advocate: What are your keys to success in the gallery business?

Howard L. Rehs: Be as knowledgeable as possible in the period of art you deal in and realize that even an expert cannot know it all. Be open and honest, treat every customer as a friend, and do your best to make your customers happy.

Dealers who really care about the art they sell, and only offer works of the highest quality, build a loyal client base. Those who help educate their clients to see the differences between the good and bad works will have an easier job building their business. We always say that the paintings we deal in sell themselves -- we just need, at times, to fill in some of the art historical blanks.

Artist Advocate: You are known for historical European paintings, but you also carry some living artists. Can you explain why you mix the two?

Howard L. Rehs: Anyone who deals in the historical art that we do, knows there is a limited supply of high-quality paintings that are not only good examples of their respective artists' work, but are in great condition and from the right period. As this supply begins to dry up, prices are pushed up, and certain people are forced out of the market. In order to cater to some of those individuals, and people who want a nice painting but do not want to spend a great deal of money, we have looked to include contemporary artists whose work is in the same vein as the 19th-century art we show -- high-quality art by artists who we believe will stand the test of time. Some of the more established contemporary realist artists include Allan & Holly Banks, Gregory Frank Harris, John Kuhn, and Sally Swatland. We have also just started representing the work of Katie Swatland, an amazing new talent; and as a slight departure, we have begun showing the abstract works of Chris Pousette-Dart, the grandson of American abstract expressionist Richard Pousette-Dart.

Artist Advocate: What is the best way to maintaining excellent relationships with collectors? 

Howard L. Rehs: Keeping your clients well informed, offering the best works possible, and catering to their needs. If you have a large client base, this can be difficult when a number of clients all want the same thing, but we manage to make it work.
 
Artist Advocate: What strategies do you employ to keep your business healthy?

Howard L. Rehs: Work, work, work, 24/7/365. I answer every e-mail that comes in. You also need to be out there, advertising, both in print and on the web, as well as participating in those exhibitions that relate to your business. This year alone we have participated in the Los Angeles Art Show (January), The Palm Beach Jewelry, Art & Antiques Show (February), The D.C. Spring Antiques Show (March), and the International Fine Art Fair, New York City (May). While the economic climate is a challenging one, we have been doing relatively well. I am not going to tell you that business is like it was 16 months ago, but we still have many people buying, and considering, works of art. In the past few months we have sold important works by William Bouguereau, Daniel Ridgway Knight, Louis Aston Knight, three by Julien Dupre, Paul Trouillebert, Louis Valtat, Edouard Cortes, and numerous paintings by our contemporary artists -- Sally Swatland, Katie Swatland, Gregory Harris, Holly Banks, etc.

Artist Advocate: Tell me about the Fine Art Dealers Association. What is its purpose?

Howard L. Rehs: The Fine Art Dealers Association was formed in 1990 by a small group of California dealers and over the years has grown to be an important internationally respected art association.

Like any similar association, we were created to help further the growth and notoriety of our members, and I know we still hold true to our mission statement: … our members are dedicated to promoting and maintaining the highest degree of professionalism, scholarship, and integrity in all business conducted with colleagues, institutions, and the art buying public. The need to instill confidence in potential buyers is extremely important, especially in the unregulated art world. The more confidence people have in the dealers they intend to work with, the more rewarding the experience will be for all involved.

In addition, we are able to secure group advertising rates; we created a fabulous website (www.fada.com), and 14 years ago we started the Los Angeles Art Show, which has become one of the preeminent art shows in the world.

I was elected president 12 years ago; there were 16 or 17 members then, and now we are 55 strong -- and still growing.

Artist Advocate: How does one judge quality? Is it a know-it-when-you-see-it kind of thing?

Howard L. Rehs: That is a very interesting question. To begin with, membership is by invitation only and we require three current members to sponsor any potential new member. So before any gallery is proposed, there is some level of vetting. From that point, additional information about the gallery is requested, and then the membership committee starts it due diligence. Once a potential member has cleared these hurdles, the general membership is asked for their comments/opinions, and finally all the information is brought to the board for a final vote.

For the most part, quality is quality regardless of its style, so even a dealer who specializes in 19th-century Academic works, and has been in the art world for many years, will have a handle on what makes one abstract work better than another. I do think that an eye for quality is something you develop over a period of time, and being able to pick the good from that bad is what separates the best dealers from the rest.

Artist Advocate: What trends are you seeing in the art business?

Howard L. Rehs: Since we specialize in 19th-century Academic, Barbizon, and Impressionist works, the buyers who work with us are still looking for the same things: high-quality art that is in excellent condition and fairly priced. This is the way it has always been. While there are instances when someone is looking to fill a specific spot, for the most part, our clients buy what they love and then find a place for it.

Even with our contemporary artists, people are looking for works that speak to them, and that is really the main reason to buy a work of art.

Artist Advocate: Will the art gallery as we know it be the same in five or 10 years, or will everything go online?

Howard L. Rehs: I cannot imagine the art gallery going the way of the typewriter. The Internet is a great tool for information, but artists need space to display their new works and buyers want to see and, at times, touch works. There are also many wise people who want to know that the galleries they are dealing with actually exist, have stood the test of time, and will be there in both the good and bad times. It is easy to make yourself look good on the Internet -- images and information can be picked up anywhere -- but it is another thing to make your physical gallery look good. Here, the proof is hanging on your walls. There will always be a need for the traditional gallery, but that goes hand-in-hand with the online experience. If you are not using the power of the web, you are still in the Dark Ages.

Artist Advocate: How important has the Internet become to your business and to FADA?

Howard L. Rehs: Today it is very easy for a person in some remote corner of the world to find you and hopefully purchase or even sell you something. Art professionals also need to realize that the Internet will not, on its own, change their business. You still need to work your website, constantly updating it with new information and giving people a reason to come back. You also need to understand that many people will land on your site looking for little more than information. All of this is very time consuming, but the rewards can be great -- you just never know when being a nice guy will pay off.

As for the Fine Art Dealers Association's website, that is always evolving. During the years, we have changed it from a very simple group site to one that is now somewhat interactive, allowing people to sign up for e-mail alerts whenever a work by a specific artist is added to the site. And keep an eye out for our next version. In this instance, change is always good!

Artist Advocate: What advice do you have for gallery owners who want to grow?

Howard L. Rehs: You need to spend a great deal of time building your reputation and expertise in your chosen field. There is nothing better than knowing that people are coming to you because of your reputation. It is also important to remember that while it takes years or decades to build that reputation, it only takes one stupid move to destroy it. In the end, it is your eye and your reputation that will either make or break you.

Artist Advocate: What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in the art business?

Howard L. Rehs: Work hard; be nice; be accommodating, and work for the benefit of the whole, not just yourself. I have been president of the Fine Art Dealers Association for more that 12 years now, and it is not just because I am a nice guy. Over that time, I have always worked for the benefit of all our members; if the group benefits, then I benefit.

Artist Advocate: If you were starting to collect today, what would you buy?

Howard L. Rehs: That is a tough question, because my tastes run the gamut. I own 19th-century paintings and both contemporary traditional and abstract pieces. I have always told people that you need to buy what you like, what you want to live with, what you love -- and nothing will change that. What is the point of owning something if you do not like it?

Artist Advocate: Who are your personal favorite artists?

Howard L. Rehs: When I was young, I used to tell my family that one day I would have a room with a swivel chair in the middle and on one wall there would be a Vermeer and on the opposite wall would be a Van Gogh. So far I have not accomplished that goal, but I am working on it!

Howard Rehs is director of Rehs Galleries and president of the Fine Art Dealers Association.

Artist Advocate Gallery Interview: 
Morris & Whiteside Galleries
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

In the interest of offering our readers insights and perspective into galleries, we plan to feature discussions with a successful gallery operator in each issue of Artist Advocate.

Artist Advocate: What are the essential elements for running a successful gallery?

Jack Morris: Access to a consistent and adequate supply of high-quality art; proximity to affluent traffic; an attractive, clean, well-lit space with adequate work and storage areas; knowledgeable staff with a passion for connecting collectors-art-artists, and access to adequate operating capital.

Artist Advocate: Can you share the story of how you got into the art gallery business?

Jack Morris: I attended the University of South Carolina on a football scholarship and received a BA degree in fine arts with a major in drawing and painting and a minor in American art history. In 1970 I received a certificate in arts administration from Harvard University. Following a 15-year career as executive director of the Greenville County Museum of Art (1965-1980), I accepted the position of executive director of Period Gallery West,in Scottsdale, Arizona, a commercial gallery specializing in museum-quality paintings and sculpture by deceased masters of the American West. In 1981 I opened Morris Fine Arts in Scottsdale.

Subsequently, I have had galleries in Houston, Dallas, Santa Fe, and Hilton Head Island. I have also been in the art auction business for 25 years and am currently a principal with Scottsdale Art Auction and Charleston Art Auction.

Artist Advocate: What practices differentiate an average gallery from an exceptional gallery?

Jack Morris: An ability to distinguish between good, better, and best; and an aggressive, proactive marketing, advertising, and sales promotion combined with a service-oriented attitude that pays attention to detail when working with collectors and artists.

Artist Advocate: In this economy, gallery owners are having to examine every element of their operations. Can you share your thoughts on strategies to employ in these difficult times?

Jack Morris: Review sales history and manage inventory to maximize sales potential. Stay current with all vendors, especially artists, and make the difficult decisions necessary to eliminate nonessential expenses.

Artist Advocate: What is your strategy for working with visitors who have limited time in the gallery?

Jack Morris: Limit the visitor's choices. Pre-select your highest quality work and assemble it in a compatible arrangement that invites contemplation, comparison, and contrast.

Artist Advocate: What do you see as the process of a successful art sale?

Jack Morris: Record it for accounting, deliver it safely, collect payment, and pay the consignor.

Artist Advocate: What trends are you watching?

Jack Morris: One tends to trend to their own comfort zone, and real artists have the capacity to tempt us out of that zone into new experiences. Figurative realism is an important aspect of much of the art we offer, and it is deeply rooted in thousands of years of human history. Also, throughout history, collectors have trended toward peaceful subjects in stressful times (such as our current economic climate), and pastoral landscapes and majestic vistas offer ready escape.

Artist Advocate: What are the major differences in the art business today vs. five years ago? How does a gallery owner need to act differently as a result?

Jack Morris: The Internet and easy access to as much information as one might desire to make an intelligent purchase decision; a receding economy; tight money supply.

Artist Advocate: If you were advising a new gallery owner on the most important lessons you’ve learned, what would you recommend?

Jack Morris: As with any business, make sure you have adequate working capital, a good location, high-quality inventory, and an informed staff with a customer-service focus.

Artist Advocate: What is your process for bringing a new artist into the fold? How do you introduce them to your collector base?

Jack Morris: Expose a few pieces to a selected base of collectors and record reactions. Next, present a selection of pieces to a broader base of gallery visitors. Finally, prepare a show supported with advertising, brochure or catalogue, and website.

Artist Advocate: What will the gallery business look like in five years?

Jack Morris: It will probably look a lot like it does today. Most industries have periods of dramatic change followed by extended periods of steady development. I believe the impact of the Internet over the past five years has dramatically altered how galleries operate, and the next five years will be absorbed by development and tempered by a stressful economy.

Artist Advocate: Are showrooms no longer necessary because of the Internet?

Jack Morris: Real collectors will always want intimate contact with the art of their passion, especially in the courtship phase, when they are making the decision to acquire a new work or new artist; or during the exploratory phase, when they are on vacation or otherwise in a hunt mode.

Artist Advocate Gallery Interview:
Jim Janes and Mark Smith, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, Texas
 
In the interest of offering our readers insights and perspective into galleries, we plan to feature discussions with a successful gallery owner in each issue. —The Editor


Artist Advocate: Can you share the story of how you got into the art gallery business?
Greenhouse Gallery: The beginning of our gallery business was totally unplanned and unintentional. We had a small but successful framing gallery, and we had admired some original watercolors that one of our regular clients continued to bring in to frame. One day he asked if we would like to hang some of the artist's work on the wall and see if it might sell. We looked at each other and said, "Why not?" That was the beginning of our gallery business — one watercolor artist from Floresville, Texas.
We have always been guided to do what we need to do, when we need to do it. I often say "It was meant to be," because things constantly happen that were not consciously planned by us. And the rest of the story is 27 years of history.
 
Artist Advocate: What are your keys to success in the gallery business?
Greenhouse Gallery: The reasons we've been relatively successful will sound rather simplistic and trite. Our formula is long hours, hard work, common sense, and good judgment. However, there are some key underlying components in that formula. Honesty, integrity, and quality have been an important part of every decision we've made and each question we've answered. Never do anything you can't afford, but be willing to take risks when the odds are strongly in your favor. Our working philosophy is to welcome everyone and take advantage of no one. Our artists and clients are our friends; they trust us and know that we'll be fair and honest with them. This philosophy will work for any business, individual, family, city, state, or country.
 
Artist Advocate: What are the keys to marketing a gallery?
Greenhouse Gallery: Good marketing for any business should include developing a recognizable image and keeping in front of your audience as much as you can afford.
 
Artist Advocate: What drives your advertising philosophy?
Greenhouse Gallery: The philosophy that drives our advertising is derived mainly from these two questions: Who or what do we need to advertise? and Where can we afford to advertise? When planning a specific ad, we ask: Can we afford not to do this ad?
We also factor in the possible short- and long-term returns from the ad. We need a reasonable amount of sales and cash flow from an artist before we can make a commitment for ads. If an artist is spread too thin in too many galleries, then we can't afford to advertise that artist. We rarely advertise to sell a specific work of art, although in some instances that is necessary. Usually, it's done for recognition gained from long-term repetition, or to announce an upcoming event.
 
Artist Advocate: What are the keys to excellent artist relationships?
Greenhouse Gallery: The relationships we have with our artists stem from the general operating procedures mentioned above. They always know what to expect, and that we will treat them fairly. They know what our payment schedule is, and trust that they will be paid on time. We encourage them to develop a pricing structure that they and we can live with and honestly justify.
We've never asked an artist to consider taking less than the established price for a work. This would be the highest form of insult; if it is not worth the marked price, then it should have been marked at the lower price originally. We require that an artist's prices be the same wherever they are represented.
 
Artist Advocate: Can you share the strategies you employ to keep your business healthy?
Greenhouse Gallery: In a tight economy, it takes a lot of courage to do what you need to do. When the forecast is doom and gloom, the tendency is to cut back on everything, and some expenses and risks should certainly be reduced. However, cutting back in the wrong areas will only make the dire predictions come true. We are advertising even more than is normal for us. Again, our advertising is based on what we need to do and what we can't afford not to do. We want to be out there in front of our audience. If they see anyone, we want it to be us!
In addition to advertising, there are two other sides to our three-sided coin of success. Artists get scared, and with good reason. However, this is not the time for them to slow down and stop production! They must be encouraged to work harder than ever to be the very best they can be. New works must be so irresistible that collectors will experience a need they can't resist. Keep a steady flow of new work coming to the gallery, because without new work we have no reason to continue to call an artist's customer base.
 
Artist Advocate: Tell me about your annual Salon show. Why do you do it? How does it benefit you?
Greenhouse Gallery: Our Salon International exhibit is a project of the International Museum of Contemporary Masters that we founded back in 2000 and is currently sponsored and hosted by our gallery. The major goal of Salon International is to encourage and challenge artists worldwide to continuously strive for artistic excellence. Both the exhibit and the International Museum of Contemporary Masters are a support system for artists and the galleries that represent them. An important part of that system is creating an opportunity for international exposure and recognition that many would not otherwise have. We are constantly thanked by artists for the benefits they have received from participating. In addition to the great satisfaction we receive from helping the artists, the exhibit provides us with a source for new artists.
 
Artist Advocate: What trends are you seeing in art sales?
Greenhouse Gallery: Collectors today are more knowledgeable, more sophisticated, and more interested in learning about the artists and the painting process than collectors in the past. Instead of decorating their walls, they're adding to their collections.
 
Artist Advocate: Can you share your proactive online strategy?
Greenhouse Gallery: Our online strategy is just another opportunity to keep our name and our artists in front of collectors. We do anything we can to give collectors more reasons to go to our website on a regular basis. Of course, the most exciting thing for collectors is a constant flow of new works. Some are known to go to our website several times a day, because they don't want to miss new artworks coming into the gallery.
 
Artist Advocate: How do you introduce a new artist to your customers?
Greenhouse Gallery: The first requirement is that we believe wholeheartedly in the artistic qualities represented by the artist's work — even when others may not.
For example, in 1995 we agreed to host the National Juried Exhibit of Oil Painters of America. The National Board juried the exhibit, but we agreed to host the event only if we could also jury the exhibit, as the success of the event would be determined by its content. That year, Mian Situ, an unknown artist living in Canada, sent an entry and was juried out of the exhibit by the Board. When we saw the entries we immediately juried him back in to the exhibit. His painting won Best of Show. We invited him into our gallery and introduced him to this country. We advertised his work in major publications without a single response — but we believed in him. The last three exhibits we held for him were sold only by draw, and all paintings in the exhibits sold within 30 minutes. Today, Mian Situ is one of the most respected and sought-after names in the art world.
How much do we believe in our judgment? How strong is our commitment? The excitement created by that sincere inner belief — or the lack thereof — will be picked up by the collector, and our success will be in direct proportion to our belief in the artist. Whether or not a particular collector will be interested in the new artist can usually be determined by their past purchases.
 
Artist Advocate: What advice do you have for gallery owners who want to grow?
Greenhouse Gallery: I would ask two questions: Are you in a position to grow? and How well are you taking care of the artists you already represent? The first step may be to do a better job for those artists already represented. The second step would be to search for artists who need representation, then add as many as you can handle and still do a good job for them. There are, literally, thousands of good artists seeking representation, as well as guidance in building their careers. Search the fine art trade journals. Search the many juried exhibits. Locate those you can get excited about and fall in love with! Do not look at other galleries for new artists; there are plenty to go around. Put in the time and find those who will fit into the personality of your gallery. Expansion doesn't mean opening a new location and multiplying your expenses, unless your situation demands it.
 
Artist Advocate: What are the most important lessons you've learned?
Greenhouse Gallery: We must have the courage and strength to stand firm on the principles, convictions, and policies that we chose as our operational guidelines. This is not an easy task, as there are always those who are determined to pry you off your position.
Even trying as hard as we can to do the right thing, we've had to realize that there are times, although rare, when it's not possible to please everyone. There are those who can't be pleased, and who don't possess as much integrity as they should. In this situation, whether it be a client, an artist, or a gallery, it becomes necessary to cut the ties and move on.