Sometimes that first college job can make an impact on the rest of your life.
For Bridgette Mayer ’96, working at the Center Gallery (now the Samek Art Gallery), as an undergraduate set the wheels in motion for a future that led to opening the Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia’s historic Washington Square neighborhood in 2001.
Mayer’s gallery specializes in young, emerging painters. As she was only 27 when the gallery opened, she felt that she "related more to what younger painters were talking about in their work," she says.
Traditionally, galleries wait until younger artists develop and have a history in the marketplace, but she enjoys working with artists straight out of graduate school. She gives them solo shows and works on advertising and marketing to present them professionally to the public.
One significant departure from the young, emerging painters represented by her gallery is Neil Anderson, Bucknell professor emeritus of art. Mayer was looking for an established painter who would have an immediate impact when she first opened the gallery.
She says, "It was an honor for me when Neil accepted the contract, he was my professor and advisor at Bucknell and I adored his work. Neil represents the ultimate painter — he’s shown in museums and is collected nationally. Neil represents the best of the best and this is the foundation I wanted to build my business upon."
In addition to new artists, Mayer is a consultant to many first-time art buyers, which she especially enjoys because of the challenge they represent. "A lot of them are professionals, and there’s no reason that they cannot purchase art. They just haven’t felt compelled or connected enough to purchase," explains Mayer.
She considers it her mission to educate people. When they come to the gallery, she introduces them to the artist, gives them background information and tours of the show, connecting them to the artwork.
Taking care of the artists she represents is an important part of Mayer’s business model. A past year’s highlight involved organizing a financial panel for artists at the Institute of Contemporary Art. The goal of the panel was to help artists shake the "starving" stereotype and realize they can create and control their financial futures.
While Mayer is the youngest, successful gallery owner in Philadelphia, she isn't resting on her laurels. She hopes to open a second gallery in the Chelsea area of New York sometime in the next two years.
Mayer was recently featured on a CNN broadcast with Anderson Cooper.
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