We were lucky to catch up with Andrew Jacobson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andrew, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Recently, I’ve opened up a salon in my former Capitol Hill home. My company, Balmoré Art, was initially a private client art advisory service but evolved into an art media company. Recently, we have incorporated a social practice of programming. The Salon serves as a space for academics, creatives, business leaders, journalists, politicians, and members of the community to convene and hold space through the arts. We use a combination of visual art, music, and video works to curate an open space for this dialogue. Now, we have even had brands, like Ten to One Rum and Blackleaf Organic Vodka, reach out and support us. The outpour of love from the community has been tremendous!

Andrew, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I just fell into the creative space. I started out as a financial advisor, working for Morgan Stanley then Wells Fargo Advisors. With no access to wealthy individuals, I had to get creative to source clients for my burgeoning wealth management practice. I turned to a friend who introduced me to art world. I became fascinated with the economics of contemporary art.

I started reading books like the $12 Million Dollar Stuffed Shark, and others, trying to get an understanding of what drove collectors and what made specific works distinguishable as an asset. Then, I fell out of love with securities and fell in love with contemporary art.

I began working as a curator around 2015. I did a group show in DC. I also started buying works around that time. From there, I started working with clients. I helped people source works and start to build their collections.

Over the years, this business transcended working with individual collectors and I got my first institutional client. I started working with private museums, art spaces, and even curated a public museum exhibition for one of my clients in South Carolina.

In 2021, or maybe 2022, I launched an online iteration of Balmoré Art (Instagram: @balmore_art) with two collaborators. The company started as a means to educate people on the business of art. We made videos and interviewed artists, curators, museum professionals, gallerists, dealers, and people in the business of art.

Today, the company has evolved into an agency for programming and reimagining vacant retail and commercial real estate spaces for art-centric programming, post pandemic.

I believe what really makes us special is our ability to reimagine spaces from the lens of what the community needs. I think being able to bridge authenticity and community needs with a place-based approach is the future of real estate and economic development.

My hypothesis is that it will work much better than landlords merely taking the tenant willing to pay the most. I’m betting big on community and voting with my wallet! Curated spaces, that are authentic to community needs, are the future of retail.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think that pursuit of what you love is challenging and a constantly evolving process for most people. Most adults probably couldn’t tell you what they want to be when they grow up. Few of us are fortunate enough to have been called to our professional occupation, and even fewer of us have the resources to execute! I’ve had to constantly refine myself. Through a never-ending process of refinement, I’ve reexamined my passions and skills and match them to opportunities.

This is why I didn’t start right out in the creative space. Initially, I was making music. I was making beats at my mom’s house since I was 15. But, when I realized I had to sell weed to support my music habit, I realized that I would likely need to find another profession.

Shortly after changing my major from Music to Business in community college, I got a job working at a car dealership. I quickly comprehended that car sales were not for me, and pivoted to telecom sales. I tell this story to illustrate how many frogs I had to kiss before I found my given talents.

The unrelenting desire to be great, coupled with opportunity and work ethic, produced the opportunities which I have now seized. I meet so many of my peers who are unhappy in their line of work. Conversely, I am ecstatic to have the privilege to do what I love every single day!

Sometimes, it just takes time, and trying many things that don’t work for you, to find the things that do. Don’t be afraid to “fail.” My non-linear path is a testament to that. Even when I felt like I was doing horribly and wasn’t keeping pace with my peers, it turned out that I was just pursuing a different path to a greater destination for my spirit.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I am always trying to remain true to myself, my family, and God. I love my life and the people in it. I don’t have friends – I have family. Chosen and otherwise.

I love everybody who is on this journey with me. I love my son and family so much.

The name of my company is Balmoré Art, which my son’s middle name (pronounced bal-more-aye). This is a legacy thing. All of my operating companies, whether in real estate, consulting, art, or whatever, have this name.
I intend to build and grow this with him, and my family, as the intended beneficiaries.

None of this work is about me. It’s about passing down information, helping the community, inspiring others, and building security and a legacy for future generations. I teach at Georgetown in their Masters in Real Estate Program, and I’ve lectured at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) on the business of art. I think being able to pay this information forward is really critical work.

I’m also grateful for how expansive art is. It’s a largely unregulated industry, with few major market participants, in a $70bn global industry. The opportunities it affords me to travel, experience other cultures, and meet new people is second to none.

If I could articulate a goal, it would be to continue to learn and grow while thriving.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @balmore_art
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjacobson
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPeDLiPC2gV6RWWQtntFwQ
• Other: Personal instagram: @andrewsjacobson

Image Credits
Gloria Nauden; Ada Pinkston; Serge Maruani