What goes into making a gallery a world class destination

All eyes were on 131 West Palace, Santa Fe.  Image by Ivan Barnett

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
— Vincent van Gogh

Building a great gallery—a world-class gallery—is not for the faint of heart. It’s not for those chasing trends, settling for “good enough,” or waiting for clarity to arrive before taking action. It is for those who are resolute, unspoiled by excuses, and relentlessly focused on excellence. 

When I co-founded Patina Gallery in 1999, I began with a single idea: to represent the finest makers in the world. That idea was not poetic—it was precise.  I deemed “soul stirring works” as the gallery’s mantra.  Jewelry artists, painters, sculptors, photographers, textile visionaries—I wanted to gather and curate them under one roof to uphold their work with the reverence and clarity they deserved.

And I did. Not because it was easy. Not because I had all the answers. But because I lived by a single principle I’ve followed for over 50 years as a creative: never compromise.

From that first day until my closing days at Patina in 2023, I brought a mantra into the gallery like breath:  “We will hold to an unwavering standard of excellence—every day, every moment, every month, and every year.”

That was our heartbeat.

In the gallery world, if you are not holding yourself to the highest bar, you are falling behind. If you are not constantly asking, “Is this the best we can do?”—then you are already too far from great to matter.

“Good enough” is mediocrity dressed in polite clothing. 
“Very good” is a quiet exit sign. 
Only “great” matters.  And even great must evolve.

Channeling Man Ray, Santa Fe.  Image by Ivan Barnett

The Anatomy of a Great Gallery

A great gallery is not just a building. It is a declaration.  It’s not a space for things to be hung and priced. It’s a place where conviction lives.

To build a gallery that people remember—and return to—you must maneuver like a conductor, a steward, a strategist, and a sentinel. You must:

• Cultivate artists, not just inventory.
• Set an aesthetic tone that is unmistakable.
• Train your staff to reflect the gallery’s values at every turn.
• Know your collectors as individuals, like the back of your hand, and know what they love and cherish.
• Tell provocative and personal stories with precision, not excess.
• Honor your personal curation as a form of choreography and remember that you are selling an experience as much as you do anything else.

I’ve stood in rooms where the air changed because of how we presented a single necklace, one of a kind. I’ve witnessed clients being moved to silence—not because of luxury, but because of sheer authentic honesty in the work.

That is what great does. It reaches people.

In the Midst of Crisis, Be Unshakable

Now, in 2025, we find ourselves navigating unprecedented uncertainty. The global economy is on edge. Cultural programs are disappearing daily. Artists are increasingly unsupported. Clients are cautious. Tension hangs in the air for millions. And for many, fear is taking root.

We are not in a moment of simple retraction. We are at triage level status.
This is an emergency.  This is a crisis.  Fires are burning behind us before the ones ahead are out.

And yet—this is not the time to lower your standards.  This is the time to raise them.

When chaos surrounds you, clarity and brutal honesty become your currency.
When others freeze, you lead.
When the path is blocked, you dig, remove the boulders from the roadway.
This is what leadership in the gallery world looks like now:  Resilient. Resolved. Fierce in your commitment to excellence.

I have been through several major fires in my long career—real and metaphorical. In 2008, when the financial collapse threatened our future, I barely flinched.  I called every artist. I re-curated the entire space. I wrote personal notes to clients and artists. And we made it through.

Not by hoping. But by deciding.  And acting.

The Younger Generation Needs Context—Not Coddling

Let me speak to something important. The younger generation of gallerists and curators have passion. They are bright. But many have never faced a crisis of this scale or this kind. The rug has been pulled out from under them—and they are looking up, waiting for sanity to return.

But here’s the truth: it’s not coming.  You have to build it.

This moment calls for bravery—not branding.  It calls for the long game, not fast answers.  It calls for mentoring—not management.

We are at intense odds with distraction, with noise, with good-enough thinking.
And in this battle, you must offer more than survival—you must offer vision and you must offer hope.

Let there be more light, Santa Fe.  Image by Ivan Barnett

Serious Play: For Those Who Refuse to Settle

Through Serious Play, I now work with gallery owners and directors who are ready to raise the bar—not just maintain it. We talk through the hard questions. We clarify what’s working and what must evolve. We study the culture of your gallery, your client experience, your artist relationships, and your curatorial point of view.

Because if you’re not aspiring toward great—truly great—then what are you building?  In these new times, only great has a chance for survival.

I can help you rise to that challenge. I know what it takes to go from a single idea to a world-renowned destination. I’ve lived it. And now I’m here to help you do it.

Because great becomes so much more than a word.
It becomes a feeling. A reputation. A force.
People know when they walk into it. They know when they see it.  They know when they can feel it.
They trust it.  They talk about it.  And they come back for it—again and again.

Dos and Don’ts for Building a World-Class Gallery

DO:

• Uphold a clear aesthetic vision at all costs.
• Curate every artist relationship as if it’s the last one you’ll be judged by.
• Train your staff to be as knowledgeable and respectful as you are.
• Document everything with precision—photos, bios, statements, sales.
• Know your collectors deeply; they are your greatest advocates.  Know the names of their children and their grandchildren.
• Reassess your standards regularly; what was excellent five years ago may no longer be, and never assume that “you’ve got this” over confidence.

DON’T:

• Settle for “good enough” because budgets are tight.
• Copy what another gallery is doing—define your own language.
• Undervalue artist relationships; they are the soul of your gallery.
• Treat online presence as an afterthought.  The fifteen percent of sales you may have had from the internet in a given year could be a lifeline.
• Allow burnout to creep into your business culture.
• Confuse popularity with excellence.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

© 2025

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