We recently connected with Jennifer Glave and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jennifer thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Owning your own business, whether in the creative field or not, you will encounter unexpected problems. You are the boss, and every decision falls on your shoulders. We opened a 3200 square foot gallery in the Fall of 2007 to much excitement from the community. While we were enjoying our success, little did we know that the biggest unexpected problem was just around the corner: the Great Recession. We started to feel the pain very early; our corporate buyers were slowly pulling back on purchases, and then our residential clients followed. One of our largest corporate clients canceled a $35,000 sale from an exhibition, disappointing the artist and hurting our bottom line. We started conversing daily with our artists about what we were feeling about the economy. We encouraged our artists to paint larger since the small artwork sales had stalled. We were looking desperately for a solution, and after analyzing the data, we concluded that our clients saw the value in large artworks. Since we worked so closely with our clients and artists, we were able to steer away from a disaster. We weathered the storm, and in 2024, we are still standing strong.

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?

Jennifer’s passion for creativity is genetic. Her father, Bill Glavé, was a brilliant engineer who was contracted by everyone from Kodak to NASA. Her Uncle, John Glavé, enjoyed many years as an Interior Designer and Artist, while her other Uncle, Jim, established the Nationally recognized Architectural Firm “Glavé, Newman, Anderson” in 1965. Jennifer had a shared love of architecture, especially the contemporary designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, and it was her intention to study the field. Still, her Uncle dissuaded her, saying the architecture world was highly competitive and maddening at times. Then, Jennifer opted for a much safer career path: THE ARTS! Graduating with an Arts History Major and Studio Minor from Randolph Macon College, she immediately launched her career as a gallerist. She worked closely with Jean-Michel Lareuse of Galerie Lareuse in Baltimore, MD, and Washington, DC, who procured the likes of Rembrandt and Picasso. Then Glavé began a 12-year run at one of Richmond’s oldest and most prominent galleries at the time, Cudahys. Jennifer became the gallery’s Assistant Director, working closely with artists such as James Del Grosso, Peter Max, and the estate of Alice Neel. In 2004, Jennifer established the Rentz Gallery, where she carried on her curation with her enthusiastic husband, BJ Kocen.

In 2007, they opened the Glavé Kocen Gallery, converting a warehouse (formerly Pepsi Bottling of Richmond) into a warm and inviting space where all were welcome. They hosted 12-15 annual exhibitions, multiple fundraisers, house concerts featuring national touring artists and Grammy winners, gallery talks, yoga, meditation, and numerous other events. This, alongside the stellar roster of unique artists, established Glavé Kocen Gallery as one of Richmond’s favorite places to gather. Many exhibits sold out quickly, mainly due to Jennifer Glavé’s knack for spotting talent and creating vibrant work for a fair price. They also took a spin at helming The Current Art Fair, which brought some of the most respected and emerging gallerists under one roof. When COVID-19 forced everyone inside, Jennifer focused on a new online business model, Glavé Kocen Consulting.

Pouring her 30 years of experience into her mainly new online venture has already proved fruitful. Exhibits on the Glavé Kocen Consulting’s website continue to delight new patrons and long-time supporters due to her expertise in curation. As the pandemic fades, Jennifer plans to include more pop-up exhibits similar to the partnership with The Visual Arts Center of Richmond in 2021. She seeks new and exciting artists to represent daily, book commissions, and source art for residential and commercial clients. Her passion for the arts has never waned and has only expanded as Glavé Kocen Consulting’s clientele has spread throughout the country.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My most rewarding aspect of being a gallerist is helping artists with their careers. Artists need encouragement and a safe place to sell their work. We consult with artists on a regular basis who are just getting started in their careers. I have over 30 years of experience and I want to share my knowledge.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot a few times these past few years due to COVID-19 and a close relative who has serious health issues. We could pivot on the day the Governor of Virginia shut down the state. The year before COVID, we did a website overhaul and added e-commerce and shipping, which was well worth the money. We were up and running and operating online immediately. We are transitioning to a smaller space, and we will shorten our hours to spend more time with our family members. Our artists and clients are very supportive, and since we have a significant online presence, we hopefully won’t miss a beat.

Contact Info:

• Website: glavekocenconsulting.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/glavekocen
• Facebook: facebook.com/glavekocen