Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Park
Hi Tracy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
A little over 25 years ago I was working in a gallery in Malibu called TOPS.
It was a magical place. We primarily represented folk artists from all around the country. After working there for six years, I met a young artist named Sage Vaughn. His paintings didn’t quite fit with the genre of the work we were representing. I fell in love with Sage’s paintings and wanted to do something with him. I decided to branch out and give him a solo show. Something that I had never done before. I had a one-night show for him in a place I rented in Hollywood. Sage’s work was really well received! It was a huge success. This led me to do a series of one-night shows which are now known as “Pop-Ups.” I was doing pop-up shows all over Los Angeles before there was the term, “Pop Up”.
Eventually, after about a year, I opened my first gallery in Santa Monica on Ocean Avenue. Shortly thereafter, I went on to open a gallery in Malibu, and I did another pop-up in Beverly Hills. I’m now in my 22nd year in business!
I began by representing emerging artists, and after years of showing only emerging artists, I eventually began showing mid-career, known, and well-known artists.
At one point in my career, I was showing different painters, sculptors and photographers from several different countries.
I’ve worked in Paris, Dubai, and Hong Kong on different projects in the hospitality industry with a couple of the artists I was representing.
I live in Malibu, so it was a natural fit to open a gallery in the heart of my community. I have really focused on local artists here. We have so much talent in our small town. It’s been an absolute pleasure to introduce these artists and their works to not only our locals, but to the international crowd of tourists who Malibu attracts.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Each month, each year in this business has its highs and lows.
The challenges we face as gallery owners vary. You never know when you’re going to sell a painting, photograph, or sculpture.
Cultivating new clientele isn’t always easy.
You have to find your groove.
You have to have your own flavor.
My vibe has always been to have fun and not take everything so seriously.
I want people to enjoy their experience here. Find what works and stick with that formula! It took me a while to find my groove, but I think I know what works best for me, my artists, and my clients now!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ve always been known for the types of Art openings we have here.
I always have a fun theme.
Each year, I host a show called “Live•Nude•Girls”
Each artist submits nude photography, sculpture, or paintings.
We have great burlesque music, and we hire go-go dancers as our bartenders. It’s a really good time, a really good show. Everybody loves the female form, and it is always one of our most successful shows of the year!
We also house a collection of Never-before-seen images of The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. I’m very proud to be the only gallery that has this collection, as the Grammy Museum has authenticated this collection as the largest of never-before-seen, unguarded, and intimate images.
All of these photographs were taken by their U.S. tour manager, not a photographer, Bob Bonis, who just happened to have had a Leica m3 camera.
There are just over 9000 images, with only a handful ever published.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Constant change and, ironically, consistency.
I’m always changing the work in the gallery, but my style and taste remain the same.
I believe that to be successful in this industry, you must stand by your principles.
You can only hang work on your walls that you love.
When we have visitors walk in, everything they see is a reflection of me.
I don’t create the work. I create the environment.
If you love it, you believe in it, and believe in the artists, you can stand by it.
Pricing:
- We have a variety of works in a wide range of pricing. I love that you can buy something for yourself or as a gift. We have small works on wood panel for as low as $100.00. We also have paintings that range between 20,000-50,000.00 and life-size bronze sculptures in the 200,000.00 range. So, something for everyone
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tracyparkgallery.com
- Instagram: @tracyparkgallery
