We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexandra Arata. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexandra below.
Alexandra , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
After years of planning, I was able to open my own studio-gallery in the heart of Washington, D.C. I acquired a 100+ years old building and renovated trying to keep the original materials as much as I was able to. The name for the space is Beyond Art as I plan for the gallery to become a place where patron cannot only find art and beautiful creations, but I envision to offer a place for connection and interaction, where you can learn something new, meet a new friend and come back for more.
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 am an artist, originally from Argentina and living in Washington, D.C. for the last 22 years. I hold degrees in business and Interior Architecture and now I work full time as an artist. I am mostly an abstract artist and I paint on canvas and wood. I specialize in really large works, like 25′ wood installations. I do residential work but I do many commercial projects as well. I like working on new developments, hospitality and health institutions. I studied how colors affect our moods, psychology and even our body. I apply all this knowledge into my art with the goal to bring joy and happiness to any space. I love when people smile looking at my paintings. People ask me what it is my palette but I don’t have a favorite color or a favorite palette. I love all the colors and I can work on very colorful pieces and with more monochromatic combinations and I love them all. I have recently opened a studio-gallery in Washington, D.C. where besides exhibiting my work, I hold meetings to discuss commissions and large projects.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
As a new gallery owner, I have started an “Artists Critique Group” with the mission to share, learn and connect. As a seasoned artist with a solid business background, I want to help other artists to gain confidence thought sharing with others. I wish I had a group like this years ago when I started! Being an artist can be very isolating sometimes, and it is hard to meet people who honestly can give you feedback for your practice and a good advice. I hope with this group we all will benefit, not matter if we are already stablished or a beginner.
How did you build your audience on social media?
This topic is always difficult to approach. We feel we ‘must’ have social media accounts, but we all dread it. Many artists are shy, or prefer to be more private, but today we are expect to be out there, sharing our creations and our lives with everyone. And to make it even more difficult, the platforms have murky algorithms that keep changing, and it is virtually impossible to learn and master them. In my personal case, I only post once a week, something that feels important to me and want my followers to see it. I use it almost as an ‘updated’ version of my website, don’t check how many likes I get and don’t stress about comments. But it is an amazing, free tool, so I keep doing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.AlexandraArata.com
- Instagram: Alexandra_arata
- Facebook: Alexandra.Arata
- Linkedin: Alexandra-Arata