We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jodi Reeb and Anita Sue Kolman, owners and partners of Kolman & Reeb Gallery in Minneapolis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JODI below.

When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

JODI: At the age of five years old, I realized I wanted to be an artist. My friend and I spent an afternoon making crayon drawings of animals on large sheets of newsprint. The drawings were the largest I had ever made and I decided to try and sell them. This was the 1970’s when door-to-door sales were prevalent, so why not me? I rolled up the drawings and fastened them with rubber bands. I went about pulling them around the neighborhood in my wagon, knocking on doors, offering them for sale at a dollar each. Success! I went up and down the block and two neighbors bought the drawings as well as one person gave me a $1.00 donation. I was so excited about this new possibility! It started to rain before I got home and the remaining drawings got wet, but I was inspired. It was in that moment I knew I wanted to be an artist and thought that it was possible. Since then, I have become an artist, partner and curator at the Kolman & Reeb Gallery in Minneapolis.

ANITA: In 1977, I completed my formal education achieving a Ph.D. in Sociology. For the next 24 years, I engaged in multiple activities using my professional skills to conduct research, teach undergraduates, and evaluate mental health, social service, and educational programs. Although these activities were personally rewarding and financially successful, I realized that I needed a change.

One day, while having lunch with an artist friend, I told her about my change of heart and that I was looking for something new and worthwhile to do. My friend said to me “Why don’t you help me sell my art?” I laughed and said, “I don’t know anything about selling art.” After thinking about her suggestion, I realized that my passion was sharing art with others as a Docent at the University of Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum. I also realized that despite my lack of formal art training, I had transferable skills that could help artists sell their artwork. I accepted my friend’s suggestion to help her to sell her artwork and have never looked back!

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc., what type of products/services/creative works you provide, what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others. What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.

The Gallery is a unique collaboration between Anita Sue Kolman, arts patron, and Jodi Reeb, artist and curator. Kolman & Reeb Gallery holds exhibitions celebrating the evolving aesthetics of the established artists it represents, with an eye toward placing those works in the homes and businesses of discerning collectors. The Gallery also mentors emerging artists whose work demonstrates prowess and promise. Kolman & Reeb Gallery has become an integral part of the Twin Cities’ visual arts community. The Gallery hosts and participates in open forums to advance the public’s understanding of the value of art and collecting, and to advance artists’ professional development. It’s a community resource that invites everyone to discover the most singular artistic voices working in Minnesota today. What we are most proud of brand-wise are activities that have expanded the Gallery’s reach beyond Minnesota. We have also participated in international art shows in New York City and Miami Beach where we have connected to and sold artworks to national and international art collectors. In the spring, we celebrated the 5-year Anniversary of the Project Space Grant initiative supported by my partner, Anita Sue Kolman. The goal of the grant program is to provide artists with the funds, space, and support they need to create an important project that will significantly impact their artistic careers. Additionally, the Gallery’s aim is to support projects that will bring powerfully engaging and thought-provoking experiences to the gallery’s followers, visitors, and to the public.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

This fall, the Gallery is celebrating its 15th Anniversary! My experience is that few art galleries enjoy smooth roads. Art sales are discretionary and volatile. In our best year, Kolman & Reeb Gallery’s gross sales were five times as large as our worst year. Of course, like other businesses, the Gallery was severely impacted by Covid-19. Before the pandemic, most sales occurred because customers visited the Gallery in person. When the pandemic started, we were forced to close for several months. During that time, we had to pivot in the way we interacted with our customers, so they would not forget us. We expanded our visibility on social media by increasing both the quality and quantity of our posts. For example, we created an illustrated post for each of our client artists showing how they crafted their work. We produced enthusiastic short videos highlighting artwork for sale through the Gallery. Finally, we initiated an online Marketplace, so our customers could purchase artworks directly from the Gallery’s website. After the Gallery was able to reopen, we continued with our expanded online presence via social media and our Marketplace. We are now reaching more customers beyond Minnesota and are increasing our online interaction with potential and actual customers.

Can you tell us the story of how you met your cofounder/business partner?

JODI: Anita and I met in 2012 when she discovered my artwork and invited me to join the roster as a gallery artist. I quickly became more involved in the Gallery as the sales associate due to my background in sales. My focus became “finding good homes for great artworks.” After 10 years of being involved with the gallery as an artist, I became a partner and the curator in 2022.

JODI: “It’s rewarding to play a larger role in the Gallery after being involved as an artist over many years. Having your work in a retail setting allows you to see how visitors experience looking at an exhibition and the individual artworks. After installing many shows of my work and other artists, I’ve gained a confidence and sense of how artwork needs to be installed. It’s very subjective but I’ve learned a sense of my own balance and how my eye sees the individual works and the show as a whole.”

ANITA: “Kolman & Reeb Gallery is a gift I gave to myself in my 60’s. It’s the best job I ever had. I realized over the last 15 years that what I did by starting the gallery was to break the stereotype, that people as they age, lose the capacity to do new things and dream new dreams. I followed my passion of encouraging and supporting Minnesota artists by showing and selling their work thereby helping them to fulfill their dreams.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kolmanreebgallery.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolmanreebgallery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kolmanreebgallery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kolman-&-reeb-gallery/about/

Image Credits

Jodi Reeb