PODCAST Batch 1 — THE REMIX

WELCOME TO THE REMIX PODCAST. We're talking about crowdfunding, commercial projects, streaming platforms, alternative spaces, and all things new with gallerists, artists, curators, art directors, critics and founders. We hope you enjoy our experiment.

Introducing The Remix Podcast
10:49

The first batch of a new, 15-episode podcast series hosted by The Remix co-founders Heather Bhandari, Courtney Colman, and Steven Sergiovanni explores the challenges of creating and sustaining a business and career in the visual arts. The Remix is seeking answers to questions that are often asked in private. Topics include the struggling galleries, rising rents, a lack of patrons, a lack of diversity, and how we're all surviving and redefining our definitions of success while still remaining passionate about art.

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ELLIE RINES, gallery owner & director
29:04

Ellie Rines tells the story of transitioning from showing work in an unstaffed window space to her current gallery space at 56 Henry. She talks candidly about the jobs she works to support her gallery, the fact that the gallery is her apartment (not a secret), and the love she has for her gallery community. She’s breaking traditional gallery rules with her choice of gallery staff, the small group of artists she represents, and the unique opportunities she gives to bigger-named artists who are represented elsewhere.

MICHAEL FOLEY, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF FOLEY GALLERY
44:12

Michael Foley wants to be excited about art again! He turned a bi@!% session into a 10-panelist (!) discussion about what is wrong with the art world and what can be done about it. He talks to us about showing work that can’t be shown elsewhere, how honesty allows for change, how art fairs and the ease of buying work online have changed the business model and “sunk the ship” of many dealers who stick to traditional sales methods. And we attempt sound effects. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t go well.

magda sawon, founder & director of postmasters gallery
42:05

Magda Sawon talks with The Remix about Postmasters’ history from the East Village to Soho to Chelsea to Tribeca. She is candid about her decision to use Patreon to address the gallery’s sustainability and the urgent need for greater transparency in the art world. We also talk about the value of what a brick-and-mortar gallery brings to the community and the challenges related to being relevant and risk-taking in the current climate. There is also advice on how to make a delicious DIY margarita.

patton hindle, director of arts at Kickstarter
21:56

Patton Hindle is a facilitator and ardent advocate for artists and their projects. She explains the importance of community, the difference between funding through Kickstarter and funding through Drip, and what kind of projects are good for each platform. Patton firmly believes artists should be paid and we should all be patrons. How does she balance all of this while she also runs a gallery? She shares her model for getting it all done.

Tze Chun, Founder of Uprise Art
transcript available

Tze Chun went from being a choreographer with her own dance company to running a successful online gallery in less than a decade. Her dedication to artists, collectors, and technology is revealed through this transcript. Even without hearing her literal voice, her business perspective is crystal clear: she believes in transparency, clarity, and efficiency. And she can be a purist. Read to find out when!

rachel raphaela gugelberger, curator at no longer empty
32:22

Rachel Raphaela Gugelberger is Curator at No Longer Empty (NLE) and the Director of the NLE Curatorial Lab. There, she uses art as a creative tool to address social, cultural, and political issues. She talks about following her passion for site-specific work, education, community engagement, artists, and curating. She talks about nonprofits--why they exist and how they may evolve. She explains why No Longer Empty is NOT a pop-up and how NLE’s exhibition-making model is changing. She also has fantastic ideas on what cities should do with vacant spaces.

larry ossei-mensah, independent curator and cultural critic
57:37

Larry Ossei-Mensah’s IG handle is @youngglobal and he’s truly on the move. Larry discusses how and why he’s using his MBA to work in the arts and support emerging artists. We discuss his travels outside of his hometown of NYC, his multiple overlapping projects, how he supports community in tangible ways, and how he engages institutions while remaining independent. Relevant advice to artists and curators pushed this podcast well beyond our poorly enforced 30-minute cap!