The Canvas Monthly with inside look at the mega-gallery editorial arms race, top art PR firm roundup, and Tony Karman of Expo Chicago
Publishing on Friday
As August fades into mere memory and September rears its ugly head, we at The Canvas find ourselves in a state of mixed emotions; not sure whether to mourn the passing of another summer or to celebrate the beginning of the fall New York arts season. We have a feeling we’re not alone.
It feels almost as if the collective New York art world is caught in a suspended period of stasis, paralyzed like the shark in formaldehyde in Damien Hirst’s ‘The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’- not sure whether to move forward and embrace the impending onslaught of openings and previews, or to pause and soak up every last second of sunshine.
Alas, The Canvas doesn’t have the luxury of frolicking in the Hamptons for a few more days, sharing pizza caviar at Larry’s house like the rest of you. We march onward, toiling away on fresh articles and interviews for you to enjoy over the Labor Day weekend.
This edition of The Canvas Monthly therefore has a back-to-school feeling to it. We know that your time is precious, and we’ve endeavored to include thoughtful and valuable insights designed to help serious arts professionals like you succeed in their jobs.
We of course included the usual industry job listings and hirings and firings. We’ve also compiled a roundup of the top art PR firms in the city- and the inside baseball details you need to know about each. We spoke with Tony Karman, the president and director of Expo Chicago about what we can expect from this year’s iteration of the fair, his thoughts on the dogged international fair circuit, and why (and how) he feels Expo Chicago can distinguish itself from the Basels, Friezes, and TEFAFs of the world.
And finally, we’ve put together an exclusive, inside look at the in-house editorial operations at the five international mega-galleries: Pace, Perrotin, Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, and David Zwirner. Speaking with Aimee Drummey, Chief Marketing Officer at Pace, and Vanessa Clairet, Director of Communications at Perrotin, we explore the different strategies being perused at each, and discuss what the galleries are trying to achieve by creating so much content themselves.
This edition of The Canvas Monthly will be published on Friday- just in time to print out and enjoy by the pool with your last rosé or two. As always, we kindly request that you subscribe by clicking below. We’re worth it- we promise!