Inverness BID Small Business Focus Q&A: Gallery boss's passion for art has been a labour of love
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Small Business Focus in association with Inverness BID
Q How would you describe your business to a stranger?
A I tend to refer to myself as someone who runs an art gallery or galleries. I shy away from the term ‘art dealer’. I’d say that Browns is a contemporary Scottish art gallery, specialising in picture framing. We also provide advice to collectors at all stages; from investing and curating a collection to framing and conservation, we are literally a one-stop-shop for all things art. Art is such a subjective term. It’s not always a comfortable subject and it tends to polarise people. One advantage of running a gallery is that the works on the wall tend to do most of the talking, and I like to take a backseat and allow it to do so.
This can be a short or long conversation, depending on how an individual responds to the work. If possible, I will keep quiet until the individual seems comfortable with the work and the gallery. I might then share my understanding of local art, and explain that we represent some of the best artists in Scotland, particularly the Highlands.
Q What inspired you to start the business?
A To be honest, I really didn’t want to start a business. I graduated from Glasgow School of Art in the early 90s and I found myself unemployed, trying to take my first tentative steps as an artist. It wasn’t easy to satisfy the job centre that an artist was indeed a reasonable attempt at a career path. And despite the introduction of terms such as the ‘creative industries’, I’m not sure how much has really changed.
However, I was encouraged to sign up for an enterprise allowance and the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT). This introduced me to a group of young entrepreneurs from across Scotland, all doing amazing things in their desired fields. If anything, it was this group of young people from all walks of life, that inspired me to want to succeed.
I thought I had a good business model, not in terms of making a fortune, in terms of sustaining a living through a discipline that I enjoyed. At that stage, opening a gallery was far in the future as I had a lack of finance and experience.
Q How has your business developed?
A Initially, I concentrated on being a picture framing and restoration business. In May 1993, I opened the gallery and workshop in Tain. In 2007, we extended the building into an old bakery. The addition of the old bakery as a dedicated gallery space allowed us to grow somewhat and challenge perceptions of what might be found in a gallery in the Scottish Highlands.
We were lucky enough to work closely with some illustrious names such as John Bellany, John Byrne, Steven Campbell, Adrian Wizsniewski and Neil MacPherson.
Those connections and friendships with our artists have largely driven the direction and the ambitions of the gallery. I always felt slightly embarrassed by the space and I wanted to build a gallery that would be fitting for artists of such distinction.
This year we opened the Inverness gallery on Castle Street. The project has been a real labour of love and a test of my own desire and commitment. I believe that we’ve delivered a unique gallery space for the Highlands, one the city can be proud of.
Q What are your plans to develop your business in the future?
A The Scottish Highlands is full of talented visual artists. This year we have embarked on a program of exciting new exhibitions. The plan is to roll them out as best we can and hope that the reaction of the Inverness audience and those visiting the city is a favourable one. The intention is to promote and showcase the very best artistic talent throughout both Tain and Inverness. This year we are focused on the Inverness space, but that focus will move back and forth to our gallery in Tain as we seek to re-engage with our audience there. We have developed our online presence (@browns-gallery on Instagram) and hope that this will prove valuable in keeping people informed of the shows that are happening in both galleries.
The hope is that eventually every visitor who comes to the city will be aware, or made aware of us and come to judge for themselves. A strong programme of exhibitions should develop our audience and present opportunities for us to work with other artists in the future.
Q What lessons have you learnt from your time in business?
A Enjoy what you do. Putting in the long hours is definitely easier if it's something you enjoy. You have to be prepared to work long hours while not necessarily getting paid for it.
There is never enough time in the day or week, so value your time and use it wisely... maybe don’t always answer that phone when it rings. Learn as many skills as you can. It is never too late to learn from those around you, no matter their age or history.
If you can do a job, do it yourself, most jobs are not that difficult and it costs you very little to try.
The importance of travelling and seeing how your counterparts deliver best practices around the world. The rest of the world is always watching and forming an opinion ‒ poor service is very rarely acceptable.
Be passionate about the things you do, most people respond well to this and look
for it in others. When dealing with the public it is important to keep your sense of humour.
Q What’s your vision for Inverness city centre?
A Ultimately, I hope for a more confident city, one that prides itself in representing all of its voices. I want to encourage as many people to come back to the city centre. It is already a beautiful place, but for people to return we need to be at our best, welcoming and adding value to their experiences. That pride in our city should be reflected in the buildings and the quality of what we offer the visitor. In the case of Browns Gallery, this is the curation of some of the most exciting art in Scotland.
Q Can you tell us something interesting about yourself?
A The gallery in Inverness is possibly one of the achievements that I am most proud of. There were times during the project when it looked impossible to move forward, I thought it might just get the better of me. I am grateful to all that helped and supported me along the way. To a degree, this is represented by the list of names at the front door.
