Always learning something New!

This week I learned a lot about frame design. There is a lot to go through when helping someone find the right kind of frame. You need to help them keep the framing costs within there budget and because of this it is very important to know the costs of each frame before suggesting it. You must also consider other factors which are included in the costs such as mattes (do you want one or two and what kind of paper do you prefer), the type of glass (regular, conservation, or plexi glass), and the costs of labor. There are different glass types to fit different needs the plexi is used for public spaces and conservation glass helps keep the colors within a picture strong and not fade out. We recommend conservation glass to people buying limited and archival prints and lithographs or originals. Frame design has some math involved which can get slightly complicated because you are measuring the design while dealing with a customer, so it is important to know how to multitask. Frame design was exciting to learn about and I learned a lot about how different galleries differ with there designs but the Monte Dolack gallery like to keep there frame designs slightly neutral and timeless.  

Training!

This week's post is coming a little bit late. I have exciting news. A week ago I was offered a part time job at the Monte Dolack Gallery. I am very happy to be offered this job and gladly took it. I have not started the job yet since I am still finishing my internship, but right now I am getting trained. I am learning a lot more about how the gallery operates. I also decided to start coming in on Saturdays when I can to get some more training done with Kari before she leaves for Portland. I am sad to see her go but honored that the gallery has chosen me as her replacement. I have big shoes to fill. This Saturday was an important day. I learned about how to greet customers when they enter the gallery, a little bit on how to work the cash register, and learned more about there computer system and how they set up there website. I have so much more to learn before I take over this job, but I am sure I can do it! 

First Friday...

This week at the Monte Dolack Gallery there was a lot to do. First, I had to finish my project of measuring Dolack's prints and poster collection. I was finishing up the posters and discovered a lot of early work that seemed very different than his current work. His early work focuses more on figures. I saw a lot of movie posters and different promotion posters.

The Beginning...

...Of my Internship

Hi everyone! My name is Shelby Faber and am a junior majoring in art and business marketing with a minor in art history at the University of Montana. I am starting a blog to keep track of what I learn during my art and marketing internship at the Monte Dolack Gallery in downtown Missoula, Montana. I have been allowed to take part in this amazing internship by the School of Art at the University of Montana with Monte Dolack Gallery and I am so excited. This opportunity is a privilege and a chance to gain experience with art marketing, framing, and seeing how to run a gallery.

I am so excited to work with the Monte Dolack Gallery. The staff and artist Monte have been nothing but nice to me since day one. Monte is a local artists who is one of the most well-known Montana artist, and has had his work exhibited internationally. He is a painter who primarily works with acrylics and watercolor. They call him around the gallery the artists of the people and for the people. They call him this because along with his original works he mostly produces poster art, lithographs, and prints which come out to be more affordable for the average person. He is best known for his themes that center around the juxtaposition between nature in an urban setting, and his imagery of the American west. One of his best known pieces, "suburban refuge" (1984) shows a flock of ducks habituating a family bathroom. I am reminded at the gallery by Naomi Fox, manager of the gallery, that this image "went viral before things went viral"and as a result this has been consistently his best selling piece. The gallery sells posters, prints, lithographs, note cards, Monte's art and the art of his wife Mary Beth Percival who is an en plein air watercolorists.

I will be working at the gallery every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 to 2:30-3 every week. I will be learning the business side of things including filling shipments, taking inventory and measurements, learning about the galleries ethics and where/why they order from certain companies opposed to others. I will also be learning how to hang a show, the basic principles of framing, more on how to market art, and eventually working with people in the front of the house. I am very excited to learn the true ins and outs of an established local gallery from the bottom to the top.

My first day of the new semester was on Tuesday and it was a lot of fun! Since only one of the framers was working that day I was able to first do some busy work by changing their time fliers from saying hours from Monday through Saturday to hours from Tuesday to Saturday (which I learned were traditional art gallery hours) and then taking some inventory and measuring the sizes of the art. This allowed me to get to know Monte's art even more and see some of his rare older work. I also was taught on Thursday how to frame a print. This started off by cutting some glass, the gallery uses both regular and conservation glass. Next I had to cut foam core for the backing of the prints. After I cleaned the glass and print, I then sandwiched them together, and secured the print and foam core down. It was a great start to the new year and I was very happy that I am learning more about framing so hopefully I can start framing my own work. I finished up my day by shoveling snow in front of the gallery.

Next week I will be taking more inventory and maybe working more with framing! I am very excited to learn all I can and do my best to help out the Monte Dolack Gallery.