It's hard to believe that I've already started my third week down here. In some ways, though, I feel like I've been here a lot longer. I already know my way well around Charleston (I'm learning the way through West Ashley and Mount Pleasant). I know where all the best places to eat are, and I know which streets to avoid in the morning because of slow carriages. All in all, I'm starting to feel at home--like I'm no longer a visitor, but a resident.
Things are a little slow at work this morning (It's cleaning day; we can't move around or get much work done Tuesdays until about 11--when the maids leave). So while I've got some down time, let me fill you in on the logistics of the gallery. As far as appearance, the gallery is situated at 103 Church Street, the virtual center of early Charleston. The building is a three-and-one-half story, Flemish-bond brick structure constructed by George Hoffman on a site purchased from the then US ambassador to Mexico. Mr. Hicklin purchased the building in 1996 and spent the next two years restoring it. The building won the 1999 Carolopolis Award from the Preservation Society of Charleston in recognition of its outstanding exterior rehabilitation.
The first floor houses a two room gallery, viewing room, work/packaging room, a storage hallway, two offices, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The second floor houses Mr. Hicklin's two-room office, the library, a kitchen, a bathroom, two more offices, two rooms of storage/frame bins, and another viewing room. The third floor is residential, housing two rented apartments. There is also a courtyard serving as a beautiful sculpture garden.
The structure of the company is simple. Mr. Hicklin is the owner of Robert M. Hicklin, Jr. Inc. Kim runs the gallery's finances from the Spartanburg office. Holly in Spartanburg helps with publications. Lisa in Spartanburg is our editor. Tom is the gallery director. Jane Harper is the gallery manager (and my "supervisor"). Meredith is the archivist. I am the intern. Only the four of us (plus Mr. Hicklin) work in the actual gallery in Charleston. Everything else gallery related happens at the Spartanburg office. Consequently, a lot of our communication happens via email or telephone. I thought it might have been difficult at first to run a business from so far away, but Kim actually does a stellar job handling everything, and the gallery has a great system set-up to ensure that everything that needs to get to Spartanburg actually gets there.
Our clients come from all over the US (the majority coming from the Southeast). Because we focus on Southern art (especially that of the Charleston Renaissance), many of our clients hail from South Carolina or have ties to the state. There are, however, exceptions. Since I've been here, I've seen people from as far west as Texas and as far north as Maryland. I know the gallery has clients as far a the West coast and just as far North.
The gallery is a member of the Fine Art Dealer's Association (FADA) and a founding member of the Charleston Fine Art Dealer's Association (CFADA). In addition to its wide range of exhibitions, the gallery also has a long standing commitment to the advancement of Southern art through scholarship. The gallery has published four major volumes on Southern art and regularly releases literary catalogues. The gallery's library and archives are unrivaled in the region.
I highly recommend visiting the gallery, not only for the beautiful art it displays, but for the beauty of the building itself. It's a wonderful place to get to work everyday!
Things I am Thankful for Today:
My wonderful job!
My brother Jonathan
The rain last night
The absence of rain this morning
Getting to see Trevor this weekend
My Dad's emails
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment