Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kerry Gates. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kerry, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I think of myself as an accidental curator. I purchased Fogue Studios in July of 2020. Perhaps the riskiest thing I have ever done. The pandemic was in full swing, I had a full-time career in tech, and I had no idea how to run an art gallery. But I love art.
I am sure at this point you’d question my business savvy, but I am a firm believer in fortune favors the brave. And I think buying an art gallery in a pandemic is brave. While running a business during uncertain times can be challenging, it can also be a time of opportunity for those who are willing to take the risk.
While I jumped in the deep end, I was not alone, the artists I represent were open and helpful while I learned on the job. They are the heart of what we do, the artists are the reason we have the gallery. The one unifying factor of Fogue Studios is all of us are over 50 years old. Nearly all of us have returned to art as a second act.
For me this second act is such a gift. I don’t know what I can’t do, so I just am doing it.
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.
Fogue Studios, founded in 2018, is a gallery based in the historic Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. Our gallery gives a voice and venue for professional artists over the age of 50. The mission is to develop and highlight these artists to a broader audience throughout the world. The gallery is home to the work of over 40 artists, art classes and special events designed to showcase the community at large.
The art curated is inclusive of nearly every medium. Traditional fine art in oil and acrylic, kinetic motion pieces, abstracts, wire, wood, metal sculptures, encaustic, mixed media and ceramics. Our approach is to make art more accessible and approachable to everyone. No artist ever made a piece of art that they did not want you to interact with in some way. You will find yourself at Fogue Studios feeling included in the gallery. Our strongest desire is to contribute to the art world as we see it, not as it has been.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The only thing you will ever regret is not trying. As a person over 50, I keep pushing myself to try new things and pursue passions, because time is finite. You cannot get more of it. Let that sink in.
My love of life and art is a burning passion inside of me. I love life and bring that to the gallery and to the community of artists at Fogue. My number one goal with Fogue Studios is to make art more accessible and older artists more visible to the world at large.
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