Today we’d like to introduce you to Peter Vale.
Peter, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always enjoyed making art and looking at art, ever since childhood. My favorite classes in high school were Art History and Ceramic Sculpture. After receiving a BA in History, I worked as an instructor in museum education programs for a few years before starting graduate school in Art History. My graduate program included courses in Museum Studies, and I was able to earn credit working on an exhibition of contemporary American crafts for the university art gallery.
After receiving my Master’s, I returned to Chicago and began thinking about starting my own gallery with a focus on contemporary fine craft. I also started taking ceramics classes again. My mother was an artist making jewelry at the time, and my aunt and my cousin were in the gallery business. With support and encouragement from my family, I rented a small space in the River North gallery district, and opened Vale Craft Gallery in the fall of 1992. I contacted artists who I had met at art fairs and craft shows about showing their work.
Although I had no business background or sales experience, I learned by doing. After three years in the original location, I was fortunate to be able to move the gallery to a larger space with great visibility at the corner of Superior and Franklin. Vale Craft Gallery celebrated its 25th anniversary in November, 2017.
Has it been a smooth road?
My business was very slow at first. I started out with no employees, and could not keep the gallery open during regular hours if I was not there. Business picked up after I moved to a more prominent location in a building that had other galleries. After a few years, I hired a sales person and was able to take a vacation or a day off without having to close my business.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Vale Craft Gallery story. Tell us more about the business.
Vale Craft Gallery exhibits and sells contemporary fine craft including works in clay, fiber, metal, glass, wood, and mixed media by over 80 artists. We show an eclectic and affordable collection of decorative, functional, and sculptural artwork mostly from Chicago and Midwestern artists. The gallery specializes in one-of-a-kind glass objects, unusual ceramics, whimsical sculpture, and unique jewelry. Many of our artists produce a limited amount of work and show exclusively with the gallery.
Our focus on accessible and decorative objects sets us apart from the other fine art galleries in the neighborhood.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
There is a big shift towards customers choosing to purchase artwork online from artists, auctions, or gallery websites. In the coming years there will be increasing competition, but also new opportunities to reach customers through the internet and social media.
Although some people may choose to shop for art on the internet, I feel that an image on the computer does not offer the same experience as seeing and touching an original object in person.
Contact Info:
- Address: 230 West Superior Street
Chicago, IL 60654 - Website: www.valecraftgallery.com
- Phone: 312-337-3525
- Email: valecraft@sbcglobal.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/valecraftgallery
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/valecraftgallery
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