We were lucky to catch up with Larry Winn recently and have shared our conversation below.

Larry, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

There wasn’t ever a lightning bolt hitting me saying, “Hey! You’re going to be creative.” It’s the 10,000 hour rule. I began selling prints out of my VW van, became an art publisher, art director and a creative director (self-anointed) as the company grew. Like most things in life, it was a process that took many years to figure it out, so to speak. Not sure that ever really happens. More like OK, I’m getting my butt kicked doing it this way, maybe I should try this instead.

After graduating from college and prior to the art business, I was a stockbroker working for a New York firm.. It was a great learning experience from both a sales point of view and understanding financial aspects of the world. I certainly didn’t hate it. I was reasonably successful but knew this wasn’t something I wanted for the rest of my life.

I happened to be at a party in San Francisco and met a guy getting into the “art business” which was really the poster business. . He told me about this art supplier in Chicago who would consign $25K of art if I put up $5K, then pay him weekly on what sold. It intrigued me. I went to Chicago and made a deal with him. That was how it started. I was fascinated by the idea of art as a business. At that point in my life, I had no idea where the path of creativity would take me and who I would “become”.

For the first couple years it simply was a matter of making enough sales to stay in in business, but while doing so, I became obsessed with educating myself through art magazines, gallery and museum visits, as well as artist studios. With the knowledge and exposure to the “art world” in general, subliminally I was developing an aesthetic point of view-not just with paintings or sculpture, but architecture, design, and fashion. Meeting with artists enlightened my understanding as to the creative process, and there are many, began . Like most endeavors, the more you work, the more you learn, and you become better at your job. The more successes, the more you enjoy it, until it no longer becomes a job, but a way of life. I was not only loving what I was doing, I was also struck with clarity of purpose-this is who I am, and this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Creativity and being unique and different is so important. And being able to present that in an intelligent, artistic, aesthetic and clear manner is where good business begins.

Larry, 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?

My family hails from Montana, and I spent a great deal of my boyhood there. After grade school my family moved to the very rural Spokane Valley in Washington. I played all sports as a kid and basketball in college at Rice University. I still love the game. I am an outsider when it comes to the art world as in my youth all I really cared about was sports. I have no professional training, nor did I take any art classes. Art and aesthetics simply became what interested me most.

Grand Image provides our clients with aesthetic direction, then curates and provides the artworks required for their projects. I like to say both projects and artworks can range from beer to champagne (commissioned paintings to archival prints, depending on their budget, but it should always look unique and carry the wow factor).

There is a myriad of places to find art- galleries, showrooms, online companies (and artists direct ) – so supply isn’t the issue. What differentiates Grand Image is our large stable of talented and inspiring artists coupled our vast “product” offering. Three hundred artists with 60000 exclusive images that have been curated specifically for our clientele. We are seen in the industry as the go-to place for really unique imagery on multiple levels. The clients that come to us want more than whatever is “out there for everyone.” Our obsession with aesthetics and artists not only brings us clients, but employees, too. We have an amazing team of people who care about artists, aesthetics, and delivering great work to our clients- on time and on budget. We have successfully straddled the art and commerce conundrum.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve been in the art business for 45 years, the last 25 with Grand Image. Prior to Grand Image, I sold my first art business to a public company. All businesses face challenges and there are no easy deals. I’m sure most CEOs/founders will answer, big picture (pun intended), just hanging in there every day. You can’t give up. Because it is really, really hard. But if one stays with it, it can also be immensely rewarding in all aspects of life. Specifically, the most difficult times have been the recessions, bank crisis 2008-9, and most recently Covid.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The most significant pivot occurred when the digital revolution took place. During analog time, there were a lot of art publishers working the old-fashioned way. They attended shows and sent out hard copy catalogs and took orders over the phone. With the advent of the internet, publishers had to be nimble and willing to invest 100% into new technology to thrive. Before digital printing, all published prints were one size. I’d have to print a minimum of 1500 pieces of one image, one size, to have an economy of scale for my cost. This meant an enormous warehouse storing hundreds of thousands of prints- each being just one size. Margins looked great until inventory write-down took place.

With digital printing, all of that changed. You can print on demand at any size and on any substrate. There was a big investment in digital printing, printers being the start. Capturing the image and proofing the image and labor associated with that added to the investment, plus materials- inks and paper. And then a robust website to support the work. With the help of a spectacular team, we pivoted Grand Image into the digital world, and are now the largest art publisher in the country.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.grandimage.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandimageltd/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandImageArt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grandimageltd/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/h9pdTckKWE4?si=hSf9_O5UlgJVsSKq