We recently connected with Denise Demby and have shared our conversation below.

Denise, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

I think as an artist there seems to be this perception that we are always living in some state of euphoria and its super fun all the time. All things considered , being blessed with the ability to understand so many profound things in the arts is always a fulfilling situation but it is also really hard work. It takes a great deal of practice and a lot of strength to be open to reactions to the work, criticism as well as the additional effort for self marketing in our changing digital world. Artists negotiate a lot to pursue their passion especially with loved ones and relationships and the age old problem of affording the materials for work that may or may not sell right away. It is quite common for almost of all of us to ask ourselves “Why am I doing this”.
I have learned that it is important to continue to communicate in every way possible about the work and the ideas and to make friends with other artists. Those support systems keep us going and help us work through our own challenges.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a native of Colorado and also a mother of 4 children. I got into art like most artists from the time I was young eventually earning a B.F.A. from Metropolitan State College in Denver. My ” day” job was as a kitchen designer which afforded me a way to provide for my family when I became a single parent and materials for my artistic habit. During my work as a designer I eventually found myself working on straight commission which meant there was never any guarantee of income from one week to the next and I received no child support. I was happy to find a great deal of support from many people and also a great deal of adversity. As time went on I survived this situation and learned sales skills and how to build relationships with people. This helped me build a solid referral business in design where I was able to negotiate for my own retail space and start my own Company. Eventually I used that business to help support the Arts by creating two art collectives. The First was in Wheat Ridge called the Art Station which had really no art traffic. The second was at 931 Gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver where currently is today.
My experience running my own business gave me the confidence and a foundation to work my way through lease agreements and negotiating which helped me when I decided to open 931 Gallery in Denver. As an artist, gallerist and sales person I have learned the importance of understanding your own brand, differentiating yourself from the competition, building relationships and communicating your value. When I opened 931 Gallery I was determined to preserve the quality and genre of work we have become known for which is Modern Fine Art Originals, a culture of Art for Art’s Sake. Most of our work deals with the realm of abstraction and the many genres withing that realm. We pride ourselves on the maturity of the artists in the collective and the experimentation and our persistence to keep the quality of the work impeccable in spite of increased rent costs and pressures with our expensive real estate market.
One of the things I feel strongest about is representing the kind of art that seems more timeless and standing up for that when it seems to go unnoticed in our artistically conservative community. I believe that the Colorado art community is a simmering pot of cutting edge artists that struggle with having a venue for their type of work and that the community of Denver can become more informed. This is what I feel most proud of as an artist and as a gallery owner, that I am able to support the artists in some way and that we stand for a more timeless form of art continuing to put ourselves out there and communicate our vision.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

What drives my creative journey is mostly the fact that I can’t help it. I can’t live without it and I am so curious. I think what happens in the process and completion of the work is really the most fulfilling of anything. What drives the creation of the gallery is similar but also a sense that we have some purpose in our society and that art is important to a society and somehow I am in a position to help. I tend to avoid complaining and take the initiative to help change the situation. Perhaps its also a romantic notion but I think if more people understood what this is about they would be more fulfilled too!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Society seems like a broad topic which includes but is not limited to the general public, the media and government. In a perfect world the general public would make an effort to support the art and artists out there by purchasing art or donating. Often times there seems to be this perception that original art is unattainable and expensive but in fact there are countless affordable options. I am not sure people might realize how much original art work can enhance a living or work space.
The media could prioritize the arts better. Apparently its with the editors that have no priority for anyone to write about art unless it is an institution and a highly funded visible venue. Media coverage could also work to educate the general public and its readers more about the history behind the arts or a certain show as well ideally moving the art awareness forward…not just one show.
From a government standpoint our cities and state need to work harder to designate and support the arts districts. Right now in Colorado property taxes impact the lease rates and investors are buying property for extremely high prices making it almost impossible for the artists groups to afford a lease. The galleries are being gentrified and forced to increase membership to high numbers just to afford to stay. This is downgrading the quality of art being shown. Also in the Arts Districts the government could work more on zoning, creating a designated arts district. As it stands now there are no restrictions on what type of businesses can lease there or what contribution they need to make to the arts in the district so they benefit from the district but they do not contribute. Something as simple as adding a requirement in these districts for a certain amount of square footage to be available for visual arts. In my opinion, everybody has a wall to spare.
In addition, the cities need to address the types of vendors that can set up in the streets in the art districts or create a designated space for a permitted open market in the district. Currently in Denver there are street vendors that park themselves in front of the galleries selling tee shirts etc., blocking traffic to the galleries and creating a culture that is a deterrent to patrons of the Fine Art Galleries. There is no enforcement or permit regulation or standards in place to protect the efforts for the galleries who pay high leases.
All in all I believe the arts are in great turmoil right now and most of the collectives in Denver and the metro areas are hanging on by a thread. If no one in a position of power has the vision to protect the arts districts there won’t be any more and the city will lose its flavor. It takes all of us to make effort to effect this situation including the artists, the general public, the media and the government.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.denisedemby.com
• Instagram: @ddembart
• Facebook: Denise Pfau Demby
• Other: https:/www.artworkarchive.com/profile/denise-pfau-demby
  www.931gallery.com

Image Credits

all images by artist Denise Demby