Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Hulett.
Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’m originally from Tulsa, OK and moved to Los Angeles with my wife back in 2009. My time in LA, as most transplants, started slowly and arduously but I eventually found myself as a Studio Manager for two legendary photographers in Los Angeles, Estevan Oriol and Neal Preston. From there, I eventually made the jump to the fine art world and landed at Peter Fetterman Gallery where I cut my teeth as both a collector and an art dealer. My wife and I are about to welcome our second child into our family in September.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is anything ever a smooth road? Haha. Long before The Hulett Collection was conceived, I had inherited a passion for collecting fine art photography from my mentor and then employer, Peter Fetterman of the eponymous gallery located in Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station. So I definitely had a head start in the way of inventory as I’ve been collecting for more than a decade now, but that is where the advantages end. Opening a fine art photography gallery during the pandemic was tough as it is a very niche audience of collectors which seemingly decreases yearly, but my idea behind the gallery was to merge iconic 20th Century photography with the best of emerging artists in a venue that supports the education of timeless analog craftsmanship and appreciation for the dedication to creating objet d’arts. Coming to the decision to leave a well-sought-after position with a preeminent gallery to create my own from the ground up was tough but in the end, I am ultimately excited to make my own mark on the ever-evolving art landscape of Los Angeles.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Hulett Collection?
The Hulett Collection is a fine art gallery specializing in classic 20th-century and contemporary photographic works. Native to Tulsa, Oklahoma, Michael Hulett started in the fine arts world more than 10 years ago in Los Angeles as the Director of the world-renowned Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica. He has curated more than 85 exhibitions across Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris and San Francisco. Michael brings his more than 20 years of knowledge of the medium’s history and its foremost photographers to The Hulett Collection.
The Hulett Collection recently relocated the gallery space to Tulsa, Oklahoma in the historic Cherry Street district, but has its roots in Los Angeles where it was conceived with a satellite gallery in Santa Monica. Classic masters ranging from Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész, Garry Winogrand and René Groebli will be shown alongside contemporary artists such as Sebastião Salgado, Albarrán Cabrera, Noell Oszvald, Kit Young and Luigi Vegini among others in a boutique personal setting.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Best – hands down the selection and variety of food readily accessible along with an incredible art scene. I guess you can throw in the weather, people and countless events and activities to do inherently of Southern California.
Least – not to sound cliché but I think that the traffic may have finally broken my spirit.
Pricing:
- $800 – $35,000
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thehulettcollection.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehulettcollection
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehulettcollection
Image Credits
Josh Huval Aaron Ralstin
