The Post: Gallery Manager, Charles Gilmore Fine Art
The Post Holder: Rose Murray
A passion for art led Rose Murray to a career as a gallery manager.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I worked part-time jobs in retail in Monsoon and Pandora while in school/university but it wasn’t where my heart was. I always loved art and volunteered in local galleries back home in Derry, for a few years before I moved to Belfast. It was enough to give me the bug and make me realise what I wanted to do.
What was your favourite subject at school?
Art, I loved and still love painting – having a background in art myself allows me to really appreciate the intricacies of what goes into making a great masterpiece.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so what did you study and where?
Foundation Art at NWRC, Fine Art BA (Painting) Ulster University
How did you get into your area of work?
After volunteering at art galleries in my home-town, I was lucky enough to be introduced to Charles Gilmore through a friend of a friend, we got talking and he needed help in the busy city centre gallery. It was a dream come true – to do something I love in Belfast at one of the most well respected art galleries in Ireland.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
I always knew I wanted to be involved in art as it was all I was interested in growing up. I see myself everyday surrounded by beautiful art by artists such as Jeff Koons, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Damien Hirst and I am thankful to be one of the lucky ones, making a career out of my passion.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
My degree was absolutely beneficial to the job, but not necessarily essential. It meant I had knowledge of the art world and art history. In my role there is a lot of learning on the job, meeting with artists and building an ongoing relationship with them to help them bring their creations to the public is not something you learn at art college! My role is very much client facing and having the confidence to engage with customers is really important too. My experience in galleries volunteering when I was younger was great and meant I knew a lot about how galleries run day-to-day, although working as a manager in a private art dealership is a lot different that working in publicly funded galleries with local work.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
Absolutely, an Art History degree or perhaps a managerial/ business qualification could be a great foundation – even a background in sales could work, but one point that would be non-negotiable would be an interest in art.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
Being personable, approachable and friendly. It’s important that our clients feel welcome, relaxed and comfortable, often they are spending a lot of money on an investment piece, or they are finding the perfect gift for a loved one, or the ideal paining for their home – whatever it is we need to listen carefully and help guide them in making the right decision. Something I really enjoy is working with a client regularly, you get to know them and know the pieces that work for them and their lives. It’s great seeing the joy the right piece of art can bring someone.
What does a typical day entail?
Sadly, it’s not all glitz and glamour! Housekeeping, taking deliveries, arranging shipments, hanging pictures, welcoming clients, organising events/exhibitions, answering queries online, website admin, social media admin, taking payments, stock checks, framing requests, working with other galleries to source work. Every day is unique which keeps it interesting. At the minute we are hosting the largest collection of art from global phenomenon, Mr Brainwash in Ireland. The gallery is filled with amazingly colourful and eye-catching pieces and we are meeting lots of new clients who are really loving this chaotic and fun style of art which seems to be giving many people a sense of escapism from the real world.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
Absolutely the best is when I get to see some amazing artworks up close and personal, I love the energy of Mr Brainwash and the fact that he draws us back to our childhoods with fun cartoon characters and cheerful messaging. ‘Life is Beautiful’ is a wonderful mantra to live by don’t you think? I love a good challenge, but it can be difficult when a client doesn’t have a clear view of what they want – we always get there in the end though, by keeping an open mind and always pushing the boundaries.
Why is what you do important?
Art is important to people, we see clients come in and just fall in love with a piece, or take a piece home and see how it just completes their space. Beauty, fun and happiness are the elements of life that keep us all getting up every day and getting on with it and art is really integral to that.
How has Covid-19 impacted your business/role?
Not too much apart from being closed over the lockdowns – I missed work and I missed our clients and artists, but everyone was in the same boat, it was hard for us all. We actually saw a lot of clients making home improvements and with that many of our customers invested in new art so in that respect it didn’t have an entirely negative effect.
What adjustments have you had to make?
By the very nature of what we do it is not a high footfall gallery anyway, but we decided against having an opening event for our Mr Brainwash exhibition and extended the length to make it more accessible.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
It’s not an easy industry to get into, you definitely need to be committed and passionate so if you have an interest in art make sure it’s the only thing you want to do as it isn’t always easy to get started. Be enthusiastic and willing to learn, show your drive and determination to succeed and be prepared to work hard.
If you weren’t doing this what would you like to do?
I’d like to be an artist myself and spend my days in my studio creating beautiful paintings, either that or an interior designer, a career path where my love of art and design could still shine through.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Smile, be polite, listen and learn. I think that could apply to any job.
Describe your ideal day off.
My ideal day off is a wander around the shops followed by dinner with friends and lots of laughs. It’s the simple things!
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Having the nerve to put yourself out there, be brave and be creative so you stand out from the crowd – along with an impressive good cv of course!
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