Arts Professional Story: Britton Bertran

Britton Bertran, Director and Founding Owner of 40000

An interview with Tom Burtonwood.

Tom: What questions do artists ask you, a gallery owner, most frequently?

Britton: That's interesting. Artists don't necessarily ask me questions up front but make inquiries by giving me their artist's packet. However, many artists who would like to curate exhibitions at the space have approached me. Other questions, from mostly younger artists, revolve around the business of running a gallery.

Tom: How did you get started running a gallery?

Britton: I got started running 40000 from a number of different angles. At first it was from my frustration at attempts in independent curating " finding quality venues and institutional support. I also was fed up with working with the inanities non-profit sector as well as working for someone else where there was little freedom to explore my own ideas and grow. Then I had an a-ha moment, started saving all my money and found a great l location in the East Village. A year and a half later I've moved to the West Loop.

Tom: How do you select artists to show?

Britton: I represent 6 artists at this point. These are all artists I have admired for a while and am thrilled to be working with. The other artists I exhibit come from lots of research, other artist's recommendations or guest-curated exhibitions. I also make a concerted effort to show non-Chicago-based artists by maintaining communications with collectors, artists and curators living outside of Chicago. This is a reciprocal kind of exposure that benefits both the gallery and the artists.

Tom: How many shows do you do a year?

Britton: I did 13 shows my first year. This was probably too much, but each exhibition was successful in their own right. I'll tone it down a bit this year but still have lots of energy. I'm looking to do some more outside projects in collaboration with some other galleries in Chicago as well as taking the show on the road to these now ubiquitous art fairs that have become essential.

Tom: How important are art fairs to your business and to galleries in general?

Britton: So yes, the art fairs. Somewhere along the line somebody decided that instead of collectors traveling to see exhibitions in galleries that the galleries should come to them. It's all in the name of commerce, nonetheless, and a very necessary part of the structure. I've heard the stat floating around that galleries make at least 65% of their yearly income doing these. The problem now is that there are so many that the quality has declined. The pressure for a gallery to get into one of the "better" fairs is akin to an artist getting representation at a "better" gallery. At the same time, galleries get to be choosier about which fair they will apply to. I can't help but wonder what will replace the art fair " this is bound to happen and happen very soon.

Tom: What advice do you have for new / emerging artists trying to find a gallery to show their work?

Britton: 1.Do research on the gallery. When I receive submissions to the gallery 85% of the time, the artist's work clearly does not jibe with my past exhibitions. 2. If you can, show up at the gallery " during openings or gallery hours, whenever " and just be seen. 3. Have a website. 4. Concentrate on first showing with non-profit and DIY spaces. 5. Don't be an asshole. There are plenty of artists with the same intentions as you " why waste time with someone who is uncooperative or unwilling to compromise? 6. Realize that this business is mostly about connections and networking. Be sociable and approachable.

Tom: How important is community support for a healthy gallery scene?

Britton: I think community support is incredibly important for a healthy gallery scene. But we need to define who that community is and what we can do to continue to maintain its health. The contemporary art community is not just artists, galleries, curators and collectors. It also includes arts administrators and educators, various young professionals, lawyers, the local alderman, and not to mention the health insurance industry. This list is endless but still lacks any sort of symbiotic relationship. That's where the healthiness comes in. I equate this kind of health with an understanding of art as a result of education. Educated artists, lookers, buyers and curators. The majority of this task seems to be falling to the media " local and national - and not just the Tribune or Sun-Times, but bloggers, alternative media, art magazines, and the like. Quite a task, but I hope they are up for it.

Tom: What types of resources do you draw upon for assistance running the gallery?

Britton: Chicago is full of people in the art world that can put their own agendas aside and help out - whether it's asked for or not. This is part of the reason why this venture of mine can even happen in the first place. The resource I personally rely on the most is the artists I work with. I also rely on past experiences in a variety of different fields " whether working and volunteering for various non-profit entities and government-based cultural programs or consulting for philanthropic entities. Working outside your immediate field is always rewarding. Maintaining those connections as resources is also extremely important.

Tom: Why is Chicago a good city to run a gallery in?

Britton: I lived in multiple cities around the country before coming to Chicago. This is the first place that I have lived, without being too corny here, where the sense of community trumps other people's agendas. This is not just in the art world. As a businessman, the potential is increasingly bright, as a curator the number of talented artists is staggering, and as a guy living here its flat, the landscape that is. Plus, as all my friends from NYC who come to visit just can't get over how clean Chicago is.

Britton Bertran is the director and owner of 40000, a commercial gallery recently relocated from West Town to the West Loop. Born in Syracuse, NY he received a BA from Hobart College, lived and worked in New Mexico and Texas and obtained a Masters in Arts Administration from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.