Professional mentoring for arts organizations and artists
Serious Play, located in Santa Fe, NM, is a transformative consultancy, mentoring, and creative coaching service designed by Ivan Barnett for creatives, artists, and gallery owners seeking to elevate their artistic careers while maintaining a balance between artistic integrity and commercial success. Lift your creativity through play. Serious Play is owned and led by Ivan Barnett, a visionary with over five decades of experience in the art world, they offer a unique blend of creative mentorship, strategic business insights, and personalized guidance tailored to each client’s needs.
“Play is the exultation of the possible.”
— Martin Buber
Meet Serious Play’s founder and leader Ivan Barnett
Ivan Barnett, born in Pennsylvania, is an esteemed artist, former gallery owner, and arts consultant based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With over five decades of experience, Ivan has become a significant figure in the art world, merging creativity with strategic business expertise helping artists and galleries. Influenced by a family of creatives, he developed a lifelong passion for the arts.
“Be yourself.”
— Ivan Barnett
Organizations that Ivan Barnett
Has Collaborated With
Serious Play Consulting
and Creative Coaching Services
Truly nothing has changed in the minds and brains of artists over time immemorial. You want to make and do what you are feeling, what’s peaking your creative curiosity and interest. “’Truth be told,’ most of us as artists want to be lost in the creative process rather than in the business side of things. You will do your most brilliant and personal work, by not focusing on ‘sales.'” –Ivan Barnett. Yet all artists carry this burden, famous or not so famous, and all career levels in between. We are all in great company from Van Gogh to Dali and Warhol. Money still does make the world go round. Let’s work together to initiate new passion and newfound curiosity in your studio life with Serious Play.
“People forget that play can be serious.”
— David Hockney
Consulting for Businesses
Strategic Support for Sustainable Growth
Serious Play’s consulting for art organizations provides a structured, customized approach to supporting galleries, museums, and nonprofits achieve their objectives. We specialize in helping emerging and mid career professionals. Art organizations face unique challenges, from navigating the intricacies of the art market to building sustainable practices that balance creativity with financial success. As your consultant, Ivan Barnett, I work closely with your organization’s leadership, offering expertise, strategic insights, and actionable solutions tailored to your organization’s mission, challenges, and aspirations.
Creative Coaching for Artists
A Path to Personal and Professional Growth
Serious Play’s one-on-one mentoring and creative coaching for artists is a unique, highly personalized approach to developing both the artistic and business sides of an artist’s career. In this format, an artist works closely with me. I have a passion to see that early and mid career artists are able to attain the next level of their career. I provide dedicated, disciplined guidance tailored to your unique vision, challenges, and goals. The aim of Serious Play coaching is not only to help artists improve their creative skills but also to build a sustainable career, develop business acumen, and foster personal growth.
Serious Play Case Studies
These case studies show previous projects Ivan Barnett worked on with an artist as well as from organizational perspectives. They are a breakout of objectives and challenges undertaken to achieve solutions and results. These showed a significant change in the artist and organization on completion of the collaboration. The conclusions are specific to the case study alone and not in general. They show Barnett’s working ability to collaborate, motivate, and transform an individual or an organization.
