We were lucky to catch up with Tj Templeton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tj, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’m going to respond to this question from the perspective of both a gallerist and a fine artist. I would not be able to be a gallerist were I not originally an artist and I would not been able to support myself as an artist in the early years, had I not been a gallerist. Interestingly, it was a separate skill set that allowed me to be successful as both an artist and a gallerist.

My previous roles as a business and property manager, as well as a freelance handyman and a freelance web designer have allowed me to build a foundation on which I could literally build a gallery and studio from the ground up as well as manage and promote it. The struggle of supporting yourself as an artist when you’re first emerging is monumental and prohibitive for so many artists. I was lucky enough to involve myself in the sales of other people’s art as well as my own, which helped me establish contacts in the world of collectors and also build a name for myself.

I had never realized that being a handyman with my own tools and having experience with online promotion and property management would play such a vital role to my career in the arts. But here I am managing a 10,000 square foot Art Center with my own studio and a robust career.

The question of what skills are essential and what I could have done to have speed up my development professionally could probably be answered as “time”. More time to Time to network, more time to attend arts events, more time to promote, more time to balance between studio time and business management time. So I guess the most important skill to have is time management.

Tj, 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 am a gallerist and professional fine artist. I am the Gallery Director at the Bunker Center for the arts in Kansas City, MO and also the curator for the Firehouse Gallery (also in KC). In addition to this I am a professional intradisciplinary artist who works typically in 2 dimensional formats. If I can find an item that will make a mark that is archival, I will likely use it to make art. Painting, printmaking, and all forms of dry media are my specialty.

As the director of the Bunker Center for the Arts, I am an arts advocate. Part of my daily routine is promoting the artwork and career of other local and regional artists. I also manage a facility that houses ten artist studios with 12 tenants. I curate the 10,000 square foot space and rotate out exhibitions every two months from our front galleries.

I have been a gallerist since 2014. December 1st of 2023 will be my 100th 1st Friday reception.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

NFTs are this generation’s Beanie Babies. Actually the NFT is more like the tag, but without the baby itself. NFTs are virtual art without ever getting a significant thing. They are probably good for money laundering, too.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As both a gallerist and an artist, the biggest reward of both of these careers is to see the joy on the faces of the audience who comes to see the art. Sales are great, but just getting someone in off the street to come in and look around and to see them connect with a piece of art is extremely rewarding. My personal favorite is when it’s somebody who’s never been in an art gallery before and doesn’t understand that it’s free and that the things are for sale. It’s not uncommon for people to ask if there is an entry fee just to come in and look around. So taking someone like that and then introducing them to a piece of art they never would have seen before… and seeing them truly connect with it and feel a sense of awe… I absolutely love that. That’s what I live for

Contact Info:

• Website: tj@templeton-arts.com
• Instagram: @Tj_templeton
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omgtjartist
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/t-j-templeton
• Other: Instagram for the Firehouse Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/firehousegallerynumber8/
  Instagram for the Bunker Center: https://www.facebook.com/bunkca/