Today we’d like to introduce you to Ari Goldman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Since I was young, I’ve always had a deep respect, interest, and admiration for art. While I was studying for my Bachelors in Political Science at NYU, I first became a collector.
I was walking past a gallery in New York City and I saw a really unique Disney sericel from a short called ‘Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip’ – something in that piece really spoke to me. Looking back now I can see that it was a pivotal moment in my journey as an art dealer, with a specific passion for animation and ultimately in the founding of Choice Fine Art.
Since that time we’ve been extremely fortunate to grow Choice as a company. Along the way, I’ve been blessed to have come into contact and work with wonderful mentors and colleagues such as Stan Lee, as well as each team member of the Choice Family. All of which has made an amazing impact on our growth.
Currently, things at Choice are steady given the troubling circumstances of the last couple of years due to the global tragedy of COVID-19 and the current geopolitical tragedy of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine.
We’ve embarked on some ambitious projects that we’re extremely optimistic about, such as the Choice Contemporary Gallery, which opened this April in Brentwood.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting out as a totally self-funded art dealer in the early nineties definitely presented its challenges, namely getting paid on time.
Back then, there was no PayPal and I certainly didn’t have a credit card processing system, so it would come to a point where I would be sending out self-addressed, stamped envelopes with invoices so that there wasn’t an excuse not to drop a check in the mail (it seldom worked!).
When you start out with very little capital like I did ($6,000), it’s incredibly important to get paid in a timely manner. What often happened was people would create their own payment terms. I was selling to galleries that made big mark-ups by dealing directly with collectors. Yet, I would have to wait to get paid, brutal.
Getting paid on time was a perpetual problem in the beginning; even though I owned the art, I had no leverage. It was during that time I learned how important owning the “final mile” – that direct contact with your consumers – is.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Choice Fine Art stands apart by taking the beauty and refinement of art and making it welcoming and accessible to everyone.
We love to blend the nostalgia of characters and properties that people grew up with in conjunction with cutting-edge contemporary artists of today. Whether you’re a new or experienced collector, Choice has something unique and beautiful to add to your home and life.
Choice has one of the largest animation archives in the world and at our new Brentwood gallery Choice Contemporary, we’ll be curating fine art exhibitions in a welcoming neighborhood environment. I believe what sets Choice apart is our mission to make art a part of your everyday life in an unintimidating, receptive way.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
I have learned that other people don’t always have better business ideas than us. Early on, I made a lot of investments with people that were lost.
At the time, I thought they had better ideas or a better way of making money than I am. I learned to trust and have confidence in myself. Every entrepreneur should.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.choicecontemporary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choicecontemporary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChoiceFineArt
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChoiceFineArt
Image Credits
Victoria Elida
