Gallery Name:Â Gallery Diet
Owner: Nina Johnson
Artistic Director: Â Nina Johnson
Opening Date: Â November 2007
Location: Â 174 NW 23 St Miami Fl 33127
Website: www.gallerydiet.com
· How did your interest in the business of art start?
It started at a fairly young age though in a very different manifestation from what I do now. My aunt used to have an artist come and give me painting lessons over the summer when I would stay with her and my grandmother in Guatemala. Since then I always knew I wanted to be involved in the arts in some capacity.
· Is this your first gallery? Do you have a history of gallery work? If so, what other galleries have you worked for or owned?
Gallery Diet is my first gallery. I have a history of gallery work; I started interning in commercial spaces when I was 15 years old and was Assistant Director at The Bernice Steinbaum Gallery for some time prior to opening Diet.
· What made you decide to open a gallery in Miami?
I am from Miami and though I left for school, coming back just felt like the right decision. This city has a tremendous amount to offer and as the art scene continues to grow there are increasingly greater opportunities. It’s a pioneer city and I am glad to be a part of it.
· Do you have a specific artistic vision or style for your gallery?
That’s a very particular thing to try and define. My main goal is to show relevant, interesting work that will spark dialogue and keep the audience engaged. It’s also key for me to push my artists beyond the local audience and get their work into major institutions outside of the city. Right now we have two of our exhibitions traveling to museums: Brian Burkhardt, whose Bi(h)ome is traveling to the University Of Wyoming Art Museum, and Andrew Mowbray’s Tempest Prognosticator which will be re-installed at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Garden.
· Who is your favorite artist ever? Who is your favorite current Miami artist?
There are no favorites, just a long list of artists whose work has contributed to and changed the way I see the world around me.
· What are your goals for the gallery?
My goals for the gallery include continuing to present relevant work in Miami through our invitational programming, carrying the work of the artists I represent out to an international level and sustaining a level of dialogue about their practices. It’s also important for the gallery to provide a support system for the artists represented, financially, professionally, and sometimes even personally.
· Have you seen any effects of the economic downturn this past year?
Luckily, I have not seen any effects directly. We see people suffering on a larger scale but the gallery has been able to maintain its client and audience base.
· Do you show at any art fairs, either locally or in other cities? If so, how have those experiences gone for you?
I will be exhibiting next month at NEXT. One of our younger artists, Daniel Milewski, was invited to participate with a solo exhibition.
· What would you say is the one most important idea for an artist to know when it comes to getting recognized by a gallery?
I think context is everything. You have to be able to see your work fitting into the context of the other work shown in that space.
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