We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Judith Rinehart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Judith, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

After more than a decade of working in and managing two successful galleries, learning every aspect of the business and loving every minute of it, I hit a moment where I knew that I was doing the work I was meant to do for artists, and my next step had to be to launch and promote my own vision for a fine art gallery. The catalyst for launching my own gallery came when I had a list of about 15 artists that I wished had gallery representation in Seattle and I couldn’t think of an existing gallery that made sense for any of them. Taking a step back, I realized that this cohort of artists would be my launchpad to create the environment that I wanted to see realized.

I knew how to run a fine art gallery, but starting a business was another story. I immediately went to work learning all I could about the necessary steps to take to open a small business. Working with a free business coach through the Small Business Administration, I took as many classes as I could to figure out everything from how to apply for a business license, finesse my business plan, how to apply for small business funding, and what kinds of insurance and taxes are required of me. The SBA is an incredibly valuable tool.

From there, networking and building relationships with the artists that I wanted to work with, with clients I had known for years, with other galleries and colleagues became part of my normal daily and weekly activities. I carried a notebook that every idea, every thought, and every contact was jotted down. I asked everyone I knew in the industry about their experiences, what pitfalls to avoid and what worked for them. This was such an important activity, as many of those who gave advice and were supportive of my idea have become some of my closest friends and valued colleagues.

The actual launch of the gallery happened at the Seattle Art Fair in 2019, which provided me with the first physical space and platform to show the work of the artists I began to represent. This successful fair led me to open our brick and mortar location in the historic Pioneer Square neighborhood of Seattle, which has been long recognized as the gallery district in the city and will be designated as a Washington State Creative District early next year.

Now 5 years in, we have thrived in our location, learned to stay flexible and meet our clients where they are at – especially in our ever-changing world, and have stuck to our mission to create an environment where anyone can feel comfortable visiting the gallery to explore and discover works of art that speak to their personal values and style.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My love of art and art history really began with my high school art teacher. His love of art and intense interest in history was just brilliant to me. He taught an art history course that opened my eyes up to how art becomes the cultural touchstone of any society. This experience led me to getting my BFA in Art History in 2005 and a drive to pursue a career in the art world.

While I never developed as an artist myself, working around art and contemporary artists was a bit of a dream. My career began as a gallery assistant, answering phones, prepping for exhibitions, photographing artwork, and often mopping the floors and painting walls – all necessary tasks for running a gallery. I began selling works of art and watching how people fall in love with the art they want to live with, and watching how art and the artists they collect would become part of their individual stories. I went on to fully manage a gallery, planning and executing exhibitions, curating show, visiting artists and selecting work for shows. Working with clients to build their collections, and securing museum connections and public projects with artists.

So often I would hear prospective clients tell me that they love art, but feel intimidated by galleries that feel inaccessible and exclusive, or they imagine that fine art is only for the extremely wealthy and must be out of reach for them. Often, the galleries I was working in would feel this way, just by virtue of the space they had, and the business models they followed, no matter how friendly or inviting the staff was.

In conceiving of what my gallery could be, I took the pros and cons I learned from my decade plus of gallery experience and created a business model with a sincere belief that everyone can and should experience the joy and pleasure of discovering original fine art, falling in love, making it part of their home and connecting them to a greater community.

J. Rinehart Gallery launched in 2019 with our mission to create a gallery environment where anyone can feel comfortable visiting to explore marvelous works of art whether they are an art aficionado or not. The Gallery has grown to represent over 30 mid-career and established artists, hosting exhibitions of new work each month, inviting anyone to visit and chat with us about art.

Over the past 15 years in the industry, I firmly established myself in the gallery community, not only as a fine art dealer, but as an arts advocate. I served for three years as treasurer of the Seattle Art Dealers Association, was the curator and panelist at the Seattle Emerging Arts Fair in 2018, the lead organizer of the Seattle Deconstructed Art Fair in 2020 & 2021, and is one of the founders of Art + Culture Week, an initiative to celebrate Seattle’s visual arts, performing arts, and cultural communities launched in 2024. I am also a member of the Board of Trustees for Artist Trust, the longest-running arts organization in Washington State that supports and encourages artists of all disciplines that enrich community life, and on the Board of Directors for the SOLA Awards, which recognizes and celebrates mature female artists in Washington and am aa member of the Association of Woman Art Dealers (AWAD), an international network of women art dealers committed upholding professional standards and positively impact the enterprise of each member.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I pride myself on being open and honest in all of my dealings with artists and clients alike. In an industry that is incredibly opaque, there are those who choose to be underhanded to benefit themselves rather than the artists they represent and the clients they serve. I hold myself to a high standard of honesty and integrity, and I hope that this has benefitted my business. My artists and clients have said that they appreciate the transparency and openness that I offer as an art dealer.

While I am not naturally outgoing, I am genuinely excited when talking about art and am beyond thrilled when a new collector, or even a long time collector finds a piece they love. This moment of celebration for the client, and the artist is what drives me to help clients find what is right for them.

Any advice for managing a team?

The best way I have found to manage my team is to give them the tools to do their job and clear goals for what you want accomplished and let them do it without micromanaging how they get there. I make sure they know that I am always available for questions/brainstorming/bouncing ideas off of each other, etc… and available if assistance is needed, but the ownership of the task belongs to them.

With my small team, we also have very defined rolls but will always have each other’s backs when needed. One task may be one person’s ‘job’, but we are all able to pitch in if assistance is needed.

We have cultivated an environment of transparency among the team when it comes to the needs of the business and our individual needs. Respecting the time and the contributions that each employee provides and giving them the latitude to manage their own time will only result in respect in return.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jrinehartgallery.com
• Instagram: @jrinehartgallery
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrinehartgallery
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-rinehart-89b648183/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvKWO3dxXdCi9D3BGVa4AdQ

Image Credits

All images Courtesy J. Rinehart Gallery