We recently connected with Anderson Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Anderson, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My mission story is to provide an entertaining and welcoming environment in my galley. I opened the gallery with this in mind, I wanted my aesthetic to fit my style and what I like and to share this with the public.
Anderson, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
A little about me. I am a self-taught artist originally from Chicago and have been living in Atlanta for 27 years. I got into art as a kid and it has been with me all my life. I moved away from creating art early on in my life around high school and focused on sports. It wasn’t until I met my late fiance in 2010 that I started to create again. She was the springboard to my art career taking me to NY for the first time. This is when everything changed for me. We got back and I started to focus on art again. It was mainly after she passed that I really opened up and realized that this is who I am and what I have always been. Being in the art scene here in Atlanta, I quickly made a name for myself and worked hard at my craft. After a few years of being represented by galleries in the city, I decided to branch out on my own and open my first gallery in the heart of Atlanta’s Buckhead community. I have been selling art for years, but now get to do it in my own space and love to engage and interact with customers to help them find the right piece for their home or space. I am most proud of this accomplishment and well as now looking to open my second location after a year of success at my first location. What I would like fans, people, and others to know about me and my brand is that I keep it true and honest about who I am. I stand behind my work as well as the various artists that I represent. I love what I do and I am blessed every day that I come into my gallery and be surrounded by great work from great artists.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Growing up in the inner city of Chicago raised by a single mother has made me into the person I am today. Watching how hard she worked and the sacrifices she made for us showed me a lot about toughness and adapting to your situations and surroundings. I carried this throughout my life and still to this day. It has shown me that anything is possible if you work hard at it.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The one story that I can think of is the time I sold cars when I first moved to Atlanta. I sold cars for many years but I always knew that there was something more. After some time I became worn out by the business and was simply just tired and knew that God had a bigger plan for me. I knew the morning I woke up that it would be my last day selling cars and working for someone else. I remember walking into the sales tower that morning and telling the sales manager that I was done, that I quit and shook his hand and thanked him and jumped in my car and never looked back. That was 2009 and I have worked for myself ever since.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://galleryandersonsmith.com
- Instagram: @galleryandersonsmith