Art talks with T. Mari Gallery

In late 2023, I assisted a small Chicago gallery owned by local artist Tina Marie Rucker.

Drawing on my previous professional experiences at galleries and museums, I sought a flexible role where I could support a small business while staying at my full-time job in tech. I found the perfect role with Tina, where I spent the fall helping her flesh out a strategy for engaging the local neighborhood and building deeper relationships with patrons of her gallery.

A major part of the strategy hinged on in-person events — moments where people could interact with the art and artists up-close. Art & Coffee with Audrey provided a space for asking deeper questions about the pieces in the show, teaching patrons about art and their community, and making the art “sticky” so they were reminded of pieces as they walked down the sidewalk. I wrote and facilitated activities that drew connections between pieces in the show and Chicago architectural practices that had seeped into buildings they saw every day.

During this period, I also helped Tina manage a portfolio of clients. Through deep social media connections (think DMs and comments, not just likes and follows), handwritten notes, and intentional follow-ups after events, we created lasting relationships and sold phenomenal art to an intergenerational group with varying familiarity with collecting.