Role: Director
Company: ArtisAnn
Track Record: After exploring a variety of jobs Ann McVeigh decided to take the plunge and follow her dream of opening an art gallery.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
Back in the days when jobs were plentiful, I worked as a shop assistant, a sales rep. and a bar maid among other things, while training and working as a dancer. In my thirties, I returned to further education and completed a degree and then a doctorate in Economic and Social History. This led to a position at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, where my role included making life easier for the users. While there I wrote, among other things, a guide to ‘Art in the Archives’. For the past ten years I have run my own part-time business, Belfast Unbound, which hosts dance events and I’ve also opened an art gallery, ArtisAnn.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I loved art and English.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so what did you study and where?
I went to Queen’s University as a mature student and studied Economic and Social History. I graduated with a 2:1 and continued studying to earn my doctorate. My PhD thesis looked at the child and juvenile migration schemes to Australia. Recently my thesis was used as background information in the important Historic Abuse Inquiry, held in Banbridge.
How did you get into your area of work?
While at Queen’s I met my future husband Ken, whose grandmother and brother were both artists. After graduating we both worked for the Civil Service; me in the Public Record Office (PRONI), Ken at the Arts Council, which deepened our connections to the arts and cultural sector. We had numerous friends who were artists, or who were connected with the creative industries in some capacity, and through our work, we both came to know many more of the leading artists from a range of genres.
Away from work we were keen collectors of contemporary art and our house featured as a pop-up gallery in the Household Festival. Not content with just collecting, we have exhibited our own artworks at a range of venues, from the Ulster Museum (as part of the Royal Ulster Academy show) through to being included in group shows at both Tate Britain and Tate Gallery in London.
Having built up relationships within the arts sector, and having a considerable degree of knowledge about the modern arts scene, we decided to put that experience to good use, take the plunge, and open our own gallery.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
This has been a ‘when my numbers come up’ dream for many years. We love going to art galleries in our spare time but we find some can be very off-putting, even intimidating. I hate it when the curator follows you around as if you’re going to steal something, and I am annoyed by artworks that have no information – I especially hate it when they don’t display the price. It’s embarrassing to have to ask and discover you can’t afford it!
Our dream was to create a modern contemporary art gallery that people would feel comfortable walking into. You can just nip in to view a new artwork, browse for a while, or stay for a chat. There is printed information about the artwork and the artist, though I’m very happy to give lots more background information. With ArtisAnn, there’s absolutely no obligation to buy, you can just enjoy looking at some great art, but if you do want own a piece, you will know how much it costs without having to ask.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
Obviously a love of, and knowledge about, the arts in general is essential and it helps that I have a background in working with the public while Ken is an IT expert. but having a good eye is the best qualification. It’s that certain something that helps you sort the wheat from the chaff so that only the best is presented.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
Like most businesses, there are many routes into it. Having a love for the arts is critical. After that you could come from an arts background, a business background, or even a science background, like my husband and business partner Ken.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
People skills is the obvious answer but I’ve never been quite sure what that means! Personally, I think if you love your job and love what you do your enthusiasm will shine through, and being passionate about anything rubs off on other people and so, hopefully, they can share your love of your subject.
What does a typical day entail?
It starts with a coffee. I don’t have coffee breaks any more, I drink coffee continuously throughout the day!
Once that’s sorted, I’m at my desk in the gallery. I’m either writing up press releases, artists’ bios, reviews of other art events, or designing a brochure for the next exhibition. In the morning I normally contact the various artists to discuss sales, shows or artworks. I also arrange the hanging of the artwork in the gallery and the window displays. Afternoons usually involve meetings with prospective clients and artists and planning what will work best for them. Occasionally we will make an evening call to a client to discuss their requirements.
Throughout the day, I chat to the people who drop in to the gallery, I take appointments for private viewings and, when we make a sale, I make sure the artwork is wrapped securely for transport. We now have a professional hanger so I no longer need to install the artworks myself though I’m a dab hand with a drill and screwdriver!
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
The best thing is the most challenging; I love to match the right artwork not only to the right client but also to the right space. I’m a great believer in everything having its niche. The most wonderful picture in the world will look like nothing if it’s hung in the wrong environment. Conversely, a drab, uninteresting space can come alive if you place the right image there.
Why is what you do important?
A thing of beauty is a joy forever and matching a client with the right art work will bring them joy. And we all need a little more joy in the world.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Move to New York! The art world there is thriving, people think nothing of spending tens of thousands on a painting and new artists are welcomed with open arms. Here in Northern Ireland we tend to be a bit more conservative, wanting a name we’ve heard off and shying away from newcomers. To my mind, that’s ridiculous considering that, just like in sport, acting and music, artists from Northern Ireland punch well above their weight on the world stage.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
If I wasn’t working here, and money was no object, I’d like to be a writer. I enjoy writing and I’ve completed a novel (not yet published) and have ideas for a few more, so maybe when I retire, that’s what I’ll do.
If you could go back, what is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Don’t be afraid to say no. There is an awful lot of art out there but not all of it suits our gallery. In order to keep to our standards and values, we’ve had to turn down some offers of artwork that, while good, didn’t fit in with what we wanted to sell. I always hate hurting people’s feelings, but in the long run it is for the best – artists, gallery and customers all need to come together with the same vision for a gallery to work for everyone.