NCEC in the News!
Greensboro’s Marshall Art Gallery: Artist Entrepreneurs Working Together
Tracy Marshall
Researched and written by Ethanie Walentuk
Local artist Tracey J. Marshall has a diverse approach to establishing a career in the arts. She has an interest in many different areas and mediums of art and has found a way to devote her time to many of them. Her winning recipe is utilizing a co-op: she and eight others co-own the Marshall Art Gallery taking time and stress away from each to leave room for other pursuits.
Marshall has always called herself “an average artist with an above average ambition” and says that this is why she has become so multidimensional in her pursuits. In addition to operating the gallery and painting, she takes work for commission, paints faux and murals, and consults for hanging and color design. Her diversification arose not only out of a necessity to make money, but also because of her personality. She enjoys new projects and many activities. One of the biggest advantages to the nature of her business currently is that she has so much time available for her own art. Each member of the co-op works about twenty hours a week in the Gallery. Marshall spends the rest of her time painting and consulting. Her next goal is to get licensed to sell her artwork for use as reproductions, fabrics, stationary, and the like. Because she has partners, she can ensure that the Gallery is operated with care at all times, even when she’s in the studio.
Marshall Art Gallery was conceived as a way for Marshall and the other artists involved in the enterprise to engage Greensboro in the world of fine art and to provide art of all mediums at an affordable range of pricing. Each member helps to choose art from many artists both American and international to sell in the space, and several members including Marshall sell their own work there as well. The Gallery was opened in 2000, and it has taken a lot of hard work and support for it to become the success it is now. Financing was one of her biggest fears but she never received grants. She was able to rely only on business loans from the bank to cover start up costs. As the Gallery grew, she took on partners that each invested money to enhance the business. The nonprofit organization SCORE, which has a chapter in Greensboro, also helped her make decisions in the early stages of developing her plans. SCORE--the “Service Corps of Retired Executives”--is a free business counseling service whose members are business experts and volunteers. Marshall advises anyone interested in opening a business to take advantage of available options, like SCORE, and other entrepreneurs whom you know. There is much to learn from people who have been in your shoes before, and they are always willing to share the mistakes they have made along the way.
Choosing a co-op was a positive decision for Marshall and her partners, but they’ve learned to put business before fun when they have to. They have succeeded through emphasizing structure and teamwork within the company. They have arranged the management of the enterprise to committees, each comprised of two or three of the partners, that deal with a different aspect of the company such as sales, advertising, and choosing and pricing the work. At monthly meetings, each of the nine partners gets a vote for each decision. In this way, the Gallery benefits from all the owners working towards their common goals. Additionally, each co-owner has a different area of expertise. Most members are painters, but there is also a sculptor, an artist representative, and a framer who bring a wider range of knowledge to the project. The diversification of Marshall Art Gallery has paid off, and all the members of the co-op enjoy working together to improve the business.
Examining Tracey Marshall’s Gallery and her personal endeavors demonstrates that working as an artist doesn’t limit someone to a single avenue of art. Having many projects and business pursuits has become a fulfilling and profitable career for Marshall. She advises students to get involved in the art community: enter a juried show, volunteer or intern at a local gallery, or just go meet artists you admire. Choosing to explore different areas of art allows you to find the work you truly want to do.
This case study was conducted in February 2008 by Ethanie Walentuk a News and Documentary major in the Media Studies Department. Her work was supported by a special grant from Dr. Timothy Johnston, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
These case studies were compiled and archived as part of the former BELL (Building Entrepreneuruial Learning for Life) Program's Entrepreneurial Innovation in the Arts (EIA) initiative to provide a library of examples of how artists in many different fields have achieved success. The cases were researched and written by UNCG students.