We were lucky to catch up with Anita Marie Conkling recently and have shared our conversation below.
Anita Marie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Everyone has crazy stuff happen to them, but often small business owners and creatives, artists and others who are doing something off the beaten path are often hit with things (positive or negative) that are so out there, so unpredictable and unexpected. Can you share a crazy story from your journey?
Every new business focuses energy and resources on the “Grand Opening”, and we were no different. After 4 months of remodeling and a soft opening period, we chose the date of March 13, 2020 for our big day. It was Friday, the thirteenth, but we were undaunted by superstition, Yes, we had an unforgettable party, huge crowd, yummy buffet, open bar, and a band to introduce our new art gallery to the Springs, We sold six paintings that same night, and saw a gleaming future. Then, two days later the world shut down for …. the COVID Pandemic! We closed for 14 months,
Coming out of the pandemic haze was slow. Gallery events were quiet and art sales, in general, were very low. Apparently, during our isolation, we got creative. The results were an exciting inventory of new paintings, with deeper introspection, but the challenge was and still is, getting people to visit the gallery.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have always been a lover of fine art. I treasure the history and marvel at the incredible talent of the “great masters”. When I had the occasion to meet master artist, Chuck Mardosz, and see his work, I began to understand that genius is still alive and right here in Colorado Springs. Through Divine Intervention, Chuck and I decided to work together to offer fine art classes (which he had been doing for years) and exhibitions under a new name, Anita Marie Fine Art. This was 2019. Soon, he brought in Richard Dahlquist, another master artist to join our team.
To be able to feature TWO master artists is unheard for a new gallery / curator. If I had written this in a business plan, it would have been laughable, but here we are. I wouldn’t recommend “good luck” as a core business model, but it sure helps!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I started out as an actor in New York City in the late 1970’s. I wasn’t getting enough opportunities in front of the camera, so I moved behind the camera and into the business side. I worked hard, very hard, taking every small and large production job I could get and my energy was recognized by the right people. I worked with MTV and Nickelodeon, and soon landed an opportunity to create American-style cable television channels in Japan. I said “yes”, which many said was a step away from my career goals. It was the mid-eighties, and cable television was still in its infancy for programming, and cellular networks were just being built. I saw the move as a way to learn the industry from the ground up, including the engineering, financial, and legal sides that facilitated programming channels. These lessons were available because the industry was small and I could not have learned it in a University class, as it was just being invented. After a few years, I was officially a “programming executive”, negotiating with film and television distributors to put together new custom channels in countries (Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Israel, Indonesia, The Philippines, Venezuela, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, and Dubai) that were beginning to offer cable channels. I was very lucky to have such a departure from my original career goal, and I attribute much of it to faith and the courage “to say Yes”.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
I try to create the kind of work environment that I would want to work in. Showing respect, providing opportunity, and giving consideration are key factors for managing people and helping them to feel valued. Training an employee is one of the most costly exercises of a business, so keeping an experienced employee is a financially smart decision. Regular merit raises are always important, but recognition, over and above a monetary raise, is very important. I try to take note of individual skills and interests and find ways to use those skills in our business. It helps the employee grow and further personal career goals. A final essential goal is to have fun; a sense of humor can win over the worst of days.
Contact Info:
- Website: AnitaMarieFineArt.com
- Instagram: @AnitaMarieFineArt
Image Credits
Photo: Anita and Martina (best friend and co-worker for over 30 years)