How to Start a Gallery - Advice from MFA Graduates and MCAD Community Members

| Written by Amanda Rose ’23 and Rosario Parker Gordon ’23 |

Something unique about being an interdisciplinary Visual Studies MFA program is that  MCAD MFA graduates can take a variety of diverse paths post-graduation. During their time in the MFA program, some students find that they gain an interest in curatorial studies and use the diverse reach and abundant network of MCAD’s MFA program to pursue this interest. We interviewed a variety of both MCAD MFA graduates and other MCAD community members about their experiences starting their own galleries here in the Twin Cities to share some insight into this interesting artist path. 

Viewpoint Gallery is located in Saint Paul, MN, and is run and owned by MFA graduate Suyao Tian. 

FOGSTAND Gallery is a nonprofit visual art program operating out of both Taiwan and Minnesota. FOGSTAND’s Minnesota location is located in Saint Paul, MN. The Operation’s Director at FOGSTAND is MCAD faculty, Wen-Li Chen. 

Night Club Gallery is owned and operated by MFA graduates Lee Noble and Emma Beatrez. Night Club has locations in both Minneapolis, MN, and Saint Paul, MN.

Viewpoint Gallery, Represented by Suyao Tian

• How did you start Viewpoint Gallery?

I have always wanted a space like this, but I decided to just go with the flow in hopes that someday something would happen. I was an independent curator for many years and worked for a gallery. I definitely wanted to have my own space. I was living two blocks away from this space, and it used to be a shoe repair store. After the walls had been repainted, I thought it looked like a cute gallery space. I did not have any connections to the former owner. I asked the neighboring businesses, and they found the contact number for me. I asked to rent the space.

It was my dream to create a gallery. This neighborhood does not have an art gallery. I had lived here for five years, and I decided that, as an artist, I should do something for this neighborhood. I love to meet new people and interact with artists. This is my passion.

When we first opened, I interviewed the previous owner and asked him about his life. The first show included some photographs of his work and the tools he used. It was important for me to acknowledge the history of this neighborhood.

• It seems like you did not necessarily plan for things to happen, but you prepared for them. Do you see this continuing with the gallery?

My number one tip is to work hard. You need to put in the work and the effort. I do not plan things, but I prepare for them well. 

Our gallery has had very successful shows. We have had over three hundred people at some of our openings. Four people work here and help me, and I would be nowhere without their help. After I started this space, my attention heavily switched to working on the new gallery. This year, I switched to solo exhibitions. Each artist gets to display their work for ten days. I also use this as my studio space in between shows.

I am always thinking about what I love to do, not how to make money. I decided that I needed to rent a studio no matter what, but I love people, and I am inspired by their amazing work. That is why I chose the ten-day solo show format. For me, making money is not the problem. It is about how to interact with artists. We have artist talks, demonstrations, and performances here. Most museums and galleries lack communication, but these exhibitions bridge that gap and allow for direct communication between artists and their viewers. It is our responsibility to educate the community.

• What advice would you give to graduating MFA second-years?

It is okay if you do not know what you want to do in your last year of graduate school. Your learning journey is a lifelong journey. Be clear about what your goals are and make a plan. Also, it is okay if people do not understand what you are doing in your critique class.

Any job that you take should be art-related, because, as artists, our time is very limited. Ask the MFA director and MCAD professors for help as much as possible, especially while you are still a student and have access to these resources.

FOGSTAND Gallery, Represented by Wen-Li Chen

• What motivated you to start a gallery? What have you learned from your experiences so far?

Darren and I were back in Taiwan when we decided to stay with my family in my  hometown, where I grew up. We figured out a way to combine what we could do  and what we were good at with enough self-sufficiency and financial support  while I was doing freelance design work in Taiwan. The place where I grew up  was a remote rural area mixed with different ethnicities of a group of people, and it did not have much in terms of cultural or art development that was more  challenging and critical. It is famous for capitalizing on indigenous people's  identity for tourism development, which I was against. Then, we returned to the states and continued doing exhibition parts in the community until now. We have learned that it took lots of effort and time to make it work with others' love, care, and help in the community. It is collaborative work with everyone since the beginning. It is like having a baby and trying to raise a kid. You need to know how to identify each person's role in the gallery and utilize each person's strengths. It also requires the ability and skills to manage, organize, fundraise, and budget. This sometimes takes too much time on top of our professional commitments and balanced lifestyle to make it work. 

• What advice would you give to MCAD MFA students, faculty and alumni who are interested in running a gallery?

Know your people and community. Understand your strengths, skills, and abilities. Work with other people who will listen and adapt to real situations. Be flexible about the possibilities, and change if needed.

• How did your time at MCAD inform the creation and running of your current space (if at all)?

I tried to share gallery opening and exhibition information with the school, students, and faculty. I also encouraged them to participate in artist talks if time allows. I took students on field trips, if our schedule allowed it, whenever there was an exhibition going on in the space.  

• How do you see your gallery space functioning within the Twin Cities arts community? What is your hope for your gallery space within the Twin Cities community?

We have tried to bring more international artists and their work from East Asian  communities, such as Taiwan, South Korea, Japan or Singapore, and other European countries. Also, we have tried to collaborate with local artists and community members, if there are any that fit who can provide new voices or conversations. They can direct the conversation towards something beyond what we currently understand. 

• What is the sustainability of an artist-run space? How does this balance with other responsibilities you have?

For me, it is hard to balance, to be honest, especially when your personal life becomes more important than before. This can happen due to life changes based on your racial background, geographical environment, and cultural background. In terms of sustainability, you must know your people and community first and find ways to navigate with resistance and persistence. Knowing how to find resources for financial and labor support is also essential. My responsibility now is being a mother, an instructor, a visual artist and designer, and Gallery Operations Director. In my own opinion, I find it extremely difficult to balance everything if I want to make it right. So there is always some give and take during the whole process. The dynamics will eventually change as time goes by.  

• How do you select the artists who show in your space?

We select artists based on the context of their locality, the artists’ intentions, and most importantly their practice. We usually spend a lot of time discussing and communicating with the artists during the process of iteration, production, and installation.  

NIGHT CLUB, Represented by Emma Beatriz 

• What motivated you to start a gallery? What have you learned from your experiences so far?

Night Club started as a school club at MCAD during our graduate program. We would host open workshops, conceptual art exercises, and other activities. The club stopped in 2020 as the school closed during the pandemic.

Later in the year, we moved into a house in south Minneapolis. We began to think about using our space for shows or something since so many other DIY spaces shuttered that year. It felt like a continuation of the practice of "hosting" workshops, etc., so we kept the name and made it officially a gallery. 

We have learned that having a platform, even a small one, is a really good way to connect with people and provide opportunities. We have made friends with a lot of great artists from around the world since starting this project. 

• What advice would you give to MCAD MFA students, faculty, and alumni who are interested in running a gallery?

No special advice — we did it without deliberating too much and have just kept going. 

• How did your time at MCAD inform the creation and running of your current space (if at all)?

We wanted to start a "club" at school since there were not any at the time which focused on art, and I do not think anyone in the MFA department had started one. We wanted to foster more space for experimental or interdisciplinary discussion and ideas. Plus, MCAD gave us a budget to buy pizza. 

• How do you see your gallery space functioning within the Twin Cities arts community?

Participation is the key to a community or a scene. We hope to contribute in a way that goes beyond what we could do with our own personal work.

• What is your hope for your gallery space within the Twin Cities community?

We are opening a second location in downtown St. Paul, and hope it all goes well. It is a huge space. Hopefully, we can get a bunch of people through the doors to see some art that we feel strongly about. We also hope that we can host more sculptural, installation, sound, and performance-based work that lends itself to a large, raw, open space.

• What is the sustainability of an artist-run space? How does this balance with other responsibilities you have

I think if we gave this question more consideration, we probably would not be running a space, but we like doing it so, we make it happen.

• How do you select the artists who show in your space? 

It is all very intuitive.