Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Tucker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In 2014, I formed a fine art consulting firm called Resource:Art with two other female independent gallerists. Together we were involved in lots of projects. We organized a variety of creative events designed to take art out of the traditional white box gallery and engage new and diverse audiences. We have popped up in countless homes and offices with contemporary art exhibitions and opened galleries in development projects across the city of Buffalo.

In the midst of that ongoing programming, I have to say the most meaningful project to date was the creation of an immersive art experience in an old high school that we branded PLAY/GROUND. It was a place for artists to play without commercial constraints and get paid to create a dream project. These installations were in view for one Fall weekend only, and created for interaction with the public.

The initial location for PLAY/GROUND was really special. The school offered classrooms in a variety of sizes as well as stairwells, locker rooms, bathrooms, gymnasiums and theaters. We activated each of these spaces and filled the entire second floor of the school with immersive art. Roughly 30 artists from across the country and Canada participated each year.

The school was located n a small rural town called Medina. This charming NY State village in Western New York is on the map right between Buffalo, NY (where we are based) and Rochester, NY.

In PLAY/GROUND’s inaugural year, 2018, we brought 3,000 or so folks to Medina. In 2019, that number more than doubled to almost 7,500 people. We were able to reach those numbers largely based on word of mouth and social media. Our budget at the time was quite small so we couldn’t afford much in the way of PR or advertising.

In 2020, Resource:Art was gearing up to do the event again in the same place, with more sponsorships and new partners when the pandemic happened. We realized bringing that many people together over the course of 48 hours was unsafe. We made the decision to transition the event to all outdoor installations, which were spread out across WNY and able to be accessed in one’s own time and with social distance. It was like a scavenger hunt for art.

Now that it feels safer to gather in large numbers again we are looking to reinvent PLAY/GROUND yet again, and take it to the next level. It was amazing to watch people who wouldn’t think to step foot into a gallery or museum having these really meaningful experiences with contemporary art.

Our team selected proposals that were not only “instagramable” but that had substance. We worked to select installations from a juried pool of applicants that would be successful and thought provoking. Our VIP opening party always sold out with about 700 people traveling to the site. We organized shuttles from Buffalo to Medina so people could enjoy some drinks without having to worry about driving home.

It really felt like it was important to our regional art scene. Plus our team had walkie talkies and code names so that was fun. ha!

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 was raised in a gallery that my parents founded many years before I was born in 1970. Both my brother and I ended up being a part of the family business, dealing in a wide range of art, presenting it in a variety of different ways.

I had an interesting trajectory coming full circle back to the art world. After graduating from Tulane University’s Business School with dual degrees in Finance and Marketing I moved to New York City and spent the early part of my career working in Finance at Morgan Stanley and a Hedge Fund called Highview Investment Group. Eventually the arts called to me and I got a great job worked at a fabulous French Art Nouveau gallery on the upper east side of manhattan. When I worked there as an associate it was located on Madison Avenue across from the retailer Barney’s. They had celebrity clientele I got to meet, and I learned a lot from their sales and marketing staff.

In 2010, my parents asked for my help with the family gallery. I settled back into my hometown of Buffalo, NY with a mission of finding new audiences for the inventory we had collected over the years. I found a terrific partner in the online marketplace site 1stdibs. We sell at least one work of art a day and ship unique pieces all over the world. At the moment I think we have about 1000 things listed ranging from $100 to $100,000.

While working on reaching new markets, I also became interested in the regional contemporary art scene. I was blown away by how many talented curators and artists were living and working right next door.

In 2014 together with other female gallerists we formed a fine art consulting company called Resource:Art. We have consulted on large public and private projects. We work closely with individuals, companies, and government agencies to outfit their entire space with a wonderful mix of site specific and ready to hang original artwork. We have launched gallery spaces inside hotels, event center, and mixed use projects across the city. In late 2021 my partner Elisabeth Samuels and I also opened a brick and mortar gallery on Buffalo’s West Side that we have branded The Raft of Sanity. Its based on a quote by female surrealist painter, Dorothea Tanning. She said, “Art has always been the raft onto which we climb to save our sanity. That has always been true for us, but felt especially timely in the face of a pandemic, political unrest, and social injustice in our country.

Through our gallery and consulting company we host a special series of events we call Art Invasions inside unique residences across the city. We take down the home owner’s collection, hang our own exhibition, and throw a cocktail party. The event host gets 25% off any work they want to keep, and together we invite a great group of people to the private exhibition and party. It has been especially fun to hang contemporary art in turn of the century Victorian homes. We get to show people that the two can coexist with incredible success.

During the holidays we host an event called All Wrapped Up for our clients. We buy 4o works of art from our artists and wrap them in holiday paper. We sell 40 tickets to the event and everyone draws a number from 1- 40. The lucky duck who draws number 40 has their choice of 39 other works or the mystery piece still wrapped in the middle. While the pieces are unwrapped by the event participants we give an overview about the particular artists and more context about the piece itself. We sell out every year and its a great way to give our artists a little holiday bonus, while also opening up collectors to a wide range of fresh curated ready to hang works of art

In all of our programming what we try to do is to make the act of acquiring contemporary art more fun, and meet people where they are. By taking art outside of the white box, and conceptualizing unique events, we can hopefully make it all less intimidating and more enjoyable.

I believe that art should surround us, and be a part of our everyday experience. Art and creativity have the power to transform spaces and make lasting social and economic impact on an area. The best part of this job is finding just the right work of art for a client or project and seeing how it transforms and improves the space exponentially.

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

I am going to be brutally honest about this next question and I hope I don’t offend anyone. I am not sure if this is a Buffalo specific issue, but if other smaller markets have similar experiences, but here it goes.

I think one of the biggest challenges we face as gallerists in Buffalo is that there is not a lot of support for commercial galleries in our area. Our collecting scene is not robust enough, which is why our gallery needs to focus so much on our online presence.

Here, people are very interested in supporting artists directly, or buying works of art at auctions which benefit museums and other non profit organizations in Buffalo. I think ALL of that is wonderful, I do, truly…BUT it would be amazing for people to make an effort to support galleries and independent curators as well.

In Buffalo, savvy collector’s have the ability to cut out the gallery by going right to the artist, or waiting for a deal on a piece at an auction…wouldn’t it be amazing if they paid a little premium to support the folks who are truly invested in the artist’s career and will be a huge essential part of building a viable arts ecosystem. Without us, the artist you love won’t have anywhere to present their work. Just some food for thought and something I struggle with.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

So so happy to see them fall out of favor. I hate to be so old farty on this, but I can not stand them.

I want my art IRL. I want to smell it and see the textures. I was shocked how many people were willing to buy real physical works of art from me online without ever seeing them in person! But, we work hard to present the pieces accurately in photos and videos on our listings, and we give people TWO weeks to return something. That is a lot of time to LIVE with something and I think thats fair.

Speaking of, I love that expression and I use it often. I want to LIVE with my art, and I think other people should as well. It shouldn’t be trapped in a computer, but hanging on your wall, or from your ceiling or on your floor…or on your body…it should just be REAL…tangible even though you probably shouldn;t touch it too much…you know the oils on our fingers and all!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.1stdibs.com/dealers/the-benjaman-gallery/shop/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resourceartny/