I had the honor to meet with Cheryl Hazan, a successful art gallery owner whose store is located on N Moore Street in Tribeca, in New York City. She initiated this business 12 years ago, in 2001 when her infatuation with art was peaking. She also owns a mosaic business in New York City. She provides beautiful mosaic pieces for any setting. As stated on her website, She focuses on representing all types of artists, whether they are emerging, mid-career, or established artists who produce abstract, contemporary, and process based works. Her team specializes in finding the right piece of art for any type of setting, including residences, corporate offices, hotels, and public spaces. They also participated in art fairs such as the Houston Fine Art Fair, Art Hamptons, and Bridge Art Fair.
What was your first experience with art?
When I was a little girl, I purchased a Jasper Johns print and I hung it up in my bedroom. I was just inspired to buy it, but I don’t particularly know why. I think it was because I found it was really interesting. It was very colorful and caught my attention. The many beautiful different colors inclined me to purchase it.
How did you know art was for you?
It was starting to become more and more part of my everyday life. I was looking at art all the time. I was so attached to all the different types of work and it was the only thing I could focus on. That was when I knew this was something I definitely wanted to pursue in my lifetime.
Once you knew you wanted to pursue it, how did you approach getting started?
I started by putting a few pieces in my furniture gallery. I had another company before this one (art gallery owner) selling furniture, and I decided to put a few pieces of art above the furniture to make the furniture look more appealing. The interesting thing was, the art was the product that sold. And it sold fast. I tried to use it to attract customers to the furniture, but they were attracted to the art. That was when it all started, that was when I decided to focus more on selling art.
What style of art inspires you most? Why?
I like all different kinds of art. I really do like everything, and it is so hard to choose. But to narrow down my point of view for the gallery I focus on a little bit of street art and graffiti. I am inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat. I also like feminine art very much. There is a huge range of art types, and I cannot narrow it down to just one, they are all exciting in their own ways.
What motivates you?
I want to bring art to the public. I want to show people art and expose them to things that they have never seen before. I want people to experience art, and not just see it as a painting or sculpture on a wall. It is much more than that.
How do you accomplish that? What is your biggest challenge?
Being seen. That is really the toughest of them all. Being seen is what will get people to enjoy art, and of course it brings in business. We also try to differentiate the art we display compared to all the other art galleries in NYC to get more people into the gallery. You have to stand out and display pieces that will catch people’s attention. You have to be unique to become successful in this business.
How do you overcome that challenge?
We work on it everyday. We do a lot of advertising in magazines as well as newspapers, and we send out a ton of e-mail blasts. We try to entice people to come visit the gallery through persuasive e-mails and advertisements.
What was your greatest achievement?
There was this one collector that I just had to impress and please. He wanted the best art out there and trusted me to find it for him. I went with my gut and purchased a lot of art for this collector that I thought were most valuable. It turns out every single one of the pieces I decided to buy for him doubled, tripled, or quadrupled in price within a year. He was very happy about that, as was I.
Do you have a dream artist that you would love to represent?
I would love to represent all the artists that are dead… (Chuckle). Joan Mitchell is an artist that I love very very much. I just do not think there is anybody or will ever be anybody like her and who had that stroke like she did. Her brush stroke was one of a kind, and will never be duplicated. A lot of the old timers inspire me. Their pieces speak to me and I feel a distinct type of connection them.
Describe your dream artist.
My dream artist for the gallery would be one who is flexible and understanding. One who is able to take criticism, and willing to change things if need be. One who has great character and believes in the same thing I do in relation to art. Also, I obviously must like their work. At first sight my attention should immediately be caught. Their work should be innovative and always changing and evolving to create new beautiful pieces of art.
Describe an event at the gallery?
We try to keep it formal and friendly. It usually consists of a gathering of a small group of people and we put the art that we think will best serve their liking on display. They spend time analyzing it, talking about it, and enjoying it. We try to do the best we can to take care of our customers and make them happy.
