Only two days left! The invitations are almost all sent. If I forgot someone, please let me know. This is due to the hectic pace and inexperience. There has been one setback: The wireless network could not be installed, because there is no internet connection in the house! Now we are looking for mobile alternatives, since we want visitors to have access to the web from the gallery. Our catalogues have just been delivered – and they look amazing. Yesterday we thought about the price list. But last calculations are still pending. Last week all the sculptures were staged once again. By the way, the cow has to be carried by six people over the steps… But we measured before: Luckily, the door is wide enough!
Time is running out: 16 days before opening, there is still a stack of invitations on the table waiting to be sent. I underestimated how much work it takes to personalise, envelope and frank the cards. My tongue is dry.
We can hardly estimate how many guests we are expecting. Therefore, we cannot yet place an exact order for the catering. After all, the dates have already been fixed: on 29 September and 3 October we will have open-door days. On these days, there will be no catering, because everyone can come. We are happy to welcome many visitors.
We are currently working at full speed on the catalogue. Photos of the art pieces have to be taken and accompanying texts have to be written. Marcus Meyer, our first artist, has retired to a lighthouse for an extra day. I complete my tasks between telephone appointments and board meetings at my desk. That’s not very inspiring – but I’m the gallery owner, not the artist.
Unfortunately, the media resonance is not quite as strong as I would like it to be. So I take care of my own public relations here on the website. But I am happy that there will be a portrait about me in the Kieler Nachrichten.
In addition, there are still some technical building sites. For example, a lock has to be replaced in order to install the alarm system. WLAN will also be installed – tomorrow the Telekom will come. I also have to consider a few apparent banalities – such as toilet signs.
Have I already mentioned that there is still a huge construction site directly in front of the building? It is said that on September 20 everything will be more beautiful than before. Since the Day of German Unity will be celebrated in Kiel on October 3, I am confident that this will also be the case.
So everything is very exciting. I will continue to report.
Nothing happened at the gallery for a long time and my preparations behind the scenes progressed slower than expected. But now the project is advancing at a pace that surprises me.
The gallery will open at the end of September and host its first exhibition until the end of the year. The opening week will take place from 27 September to 5 October. One highlight is the Open Day on 3 October, to which all those interested in art are cordially invited.
Until then there is still a lot to do: My first artist (more about him soon) will present animal sculptures in different sizes. So we are arranging pigs, cows, bulls, chickens, salmon and prawns. I discovered a few deficits in the space that I hadn’t noticed before. But fortunately, they can still be eliminated in time.
We decided to place a cow outside. In addition to the large sculptures, there will also be smaller models that can be purchased.
The invitations for the opening have arrived. Here’s a quick peak:
It’s not even a month until the opening. And to be honest: I am getting ever more nervous. Can my small gallery hold its own against the large number of other galleries? Is Kiel too far away, even for friends? But really I already knew: I will need a long breath.
Lange ist hier auf der Website nichts zur Galerie passiert und meine Vorbereitungen hinter der Kulissen kamen auch langsamer voran als gedacht. Jetzt allerdings schreitet das Projekt in einem Tempo voran, das mich selbst auch überrascht.
Denn: Bereits Ende September wird die Galerie öffnen und bis Ende des Jahres eine erste Ausstellung beherbergen. Vom 27. September bis 5. Oktober findet die Eröffnungswoche statt. Ein Highlight ist der Tag der offenen Tür am 3. Oktober, zu dem alle Kunstinteressierten herzlich eingeladen sind.
Bis dahin gibt es noch einiges zu tun: Mein erster Künstler (mehr zu ihm in Kürze) wird Tierskulpturen in unterschiedlichsten Größen präsentieren. Also sind wir dabei, Schweine, Kühe, Bullen, Hühner, Lachse und Garnelen zu arrangieren. Dabei stelle ich ein paar Defizite im Raum fest, die mir bislang so noch nicht aufgefallen waren. Aber diese lassen sich zum Glück noch rechtzeitig beseitigen.
Wir haben beschlossen, eine Kuh nach draußen zu stellen. Neben den großen Skulpturen wird es auch kleinere Modelle geben, die man käuflich erwerben kann. Außerdem sind die Einladungen ankommen. Hier schon mal ein Einblick:
Es ist nun nicht einmal mehr ein Monat bis zur Eröffnung. Und ehrlich gesagt: Ich werde zunehmend nervös. Kann sich meine kleine Galerie gegen das große Angebot an anderen Galerien behaupten? Liegt Kiel zu weit abseits, auch für Freunde? Aber eigentlich wusste ich ja schon: Ich brauche einen langen Atem.
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Spring is coming – and I like to give you a brief update on my art gallery. If you walk by my art gallery now, you can see photographs of tulips in the windows. Still no real artistic work, but at least my own amateur photography.
Overall, there’s been a good deal of real progress regarding the gallery: The professional lighting will be installed in early May, and I will start working on branding and layout with an agency in April. But most important: I now have an overall “vision” for the art that I’ll be putting on display, something I plan to elaborate on by the end of May.
I have also found an artist for the opening, which is very exciting. Their identity will remain a secret for now, but I can give you one hint: The first exhibition will focus on sculptures. The date for the opening isn’t carved in stone, but we have set a tentative date for September.
I am also looking for additional artists, as I would like to make four exhibitions per year. And it seems that one young artist already submitted his portfolio – right in front of the gallery ?. I’m also open to more traditional applications via email or snail mail.
Finding the right artists is of course one important prerequisite for the gallery. Others are more organizational, like deciding on the opening hours and writing invitations for special events such as the opening. And I am also thinking about the design of catalogues and working on other projects. The largest of those surely is my business plan. How can I actually make money with art?
So, enjoy the Easter week and the blossoms of spring – and stay tuned for more updates on the gallery!
Spring is just around the corner – at least in my gallery’s windows! I hope that I can give you an update about the gallery soon!
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So many people are asking me about my art gallery. I always feel a little guilty and even sad when I cannot tell them an opening date yet. I just haven’t been able to put as much time in as I wanted to and therefore, the project isn’t where I wanted it to be at by now.
I attended a lot of professional meetings lately for my supervisory board memberships – and this had priority. Which is of course the right thing to do.
But I do wonder: Could I not have done more for the art gallery?
At least I’ve now put some pictures and sculptures in, so that it looks more like an art gallery and less like an empty space.
The pictures you can see are my own (photography) matching the beautiful autumn days we are having. And the sculptures? They’re a mix, some masks from Africa, a seagull because they just belong to Kiel, and one two-sided face like Jekyll and Hyde, which is from my father.
In the last couple of months, I have met a lot of people who are now helping me building a network. So I am confident that, with a little effort, I can soon report more – and even announce the opening day for the gallery.
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I’m often asked how my art gallery is progressing. The process is rather slow, but I’m happy to show you the first results!
First, I had to learn how to register a business – and I succeeded! It may sound strange that this was a challenge for me, but when you’re a CFO, you never deal with such basic things. The last time I had to do something similar was in Lagos and there, bureaucracy works very differently than in Germany. However, registering a business turned out to be easier than I expected, probably because you can do it online in Kiel.
My next challenge awaited me in the basement of my art gallery and, as the photograph shows, it was a real monster: the ventilation system! Today, I had a training on how it works, though I’m not sure whether I’ll remember all the steps when I need them.
The interior of my gallery is slowly taking shape and the floor is nearly ready.
Outside, the artist Joachim Röderer has installed a sculpture of a fish. It took two men to unload the fish from the trailer. I think it fits: It’s the same material as the house and it looks a little bit like the “Kiel fish”, a local symbol which is cult here. I’ve received lots of encouraging comments from the neighbours and some think the fish should even be more prominent.
I also had many talks with experts about the general concept, that is, about artists, exhibitions, an advisory board – but that’s still a work in progress. More details will follow after the summer vacation! The official opening will be in November or perhaps even in October – I’ll keep you posted!
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Yesterday, 26 June 2018 I had the handover of the facilities for my art gallery with the owner. Now we start to work on the wooden floor. And I got the approval for a sculpture in front of the house from the owners committee. Thanks to all my neighbours! Here you see the picture of the sculpture which hopefully will be set up next week. I will keep you updated.
I am not yet much further with possible artists and exhibitions, you have to bear with me here and stay patient. I will certainly keep you posted!
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Art has always been a passion of mine, but never my profession. Now I have the opportunity to test my skills in this area with an exciting new project: I plan to open a gallery, my very own space for art.
The space itself is still a construction site, and the concept for the gallery isn’t fully developed yet. At the moment, I’m talking to the electricians and carpenters about flooring, lighting and basics like washrooms. And of course, I need to immerse myself in administration aspects like registration, taxation and regulations.
My gallery will be close to the oldest house in Kiel, next to the former city wall – quite a historical location. As it’s a small space, it’s important for me to choose how and what I want to present very carefully. And what’s the perfect name?
But – as you can see – the first artist was already there. Maybe this will offer inspiration! I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
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