We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jennifer Balcos a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with a fun one – what’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?
That artists have to move to NYC to become successful bluechip artists or to be taken seriously.
Jennifer , 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 have always wanted to have a career in the arts. My youth spent in dance , theater ,pageants, surrounded by the arts in the Pittsburg area, molded my future
and taught me to follow my eyes for de-
sign. I got a degree in Fashion Market-
ing and Merchandising in the 1990s
in Atlanta. I then was in the interior
design business for many years. I had a
phenomenal time placing art in exqui-
site interiors.
In Atlanta in 2016, I started my
career as an art broker specializing in
contemporary art. In 2019, my 7,000
square-foot gallery opened in Buck-
head with emerging and mid-career
artists. Hard work drove the gallery
to great success even during Covid.
Clients would show me their interiors
over the phone, then I would take the
art to them.
My success has been in building
trusting relationships. The 22 artists I
represent trust me. The art collectors
know that I am open and transparent
with the value and authenticity of each
piece. For the Secondary Market, I
track every owner to build a history
of each piece. I sell to new collectors,
educated buyers, and a number of
athletes and celebrities. I ship art all
over the world from relationships built
online, too.
While my Atlanta gallery is flourish-
ing, my dream was to walk from the
ocean, to my home and gallery. My
Palm Beach gallery opened October
2023. There is so much beauty and
talent in Atlanta, and I want to give
those artists, and the artists I represent
globally, a chance to get into perma-
nent collections in Palm Beach. Ilook
forward to building more long-term
relationships here and sharing my love
of the art exhibited in my gallery.
JENNIFER BALCOS
Gallerist
Jennifer Balcos Gallery
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I started out with very low overhead. I found empty retail spaces that would allow temporary short terms leases and that way our company could test different zip codes prior to fully committing. I also never borrowed money from any one or any source. I never had a credit card for the business and do not plan to ever. I did not want debt or high end expenses ruining the fun. I also had exisiting projects and cleints before opening my first gallery.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Making other companies jobs easier. Providing a product that was special , on time and at the right price. Many of buyers are busy professionals that have zero time for errors. I provided great pieces that completed the look and made the end user feel special
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jenniferbalcosgallery.com
- Instagram: jenniferbalcos_gallery
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbalcosgallery/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/
Image Credits
photos : Rob Brinson