Meet the Gallerist: Denise Donnelly of the Doorway Gallery
The owner of the Doorway Gallery in Dublin was determined to alter the general image of art galleries as elitist and pretentious
20th June, 2021
Denise Donnelly, owner of the Doorway Gallery: ‘I wanted to change the way galleries are perceived.’ Picture: Bryan Meade
What (and when) kick-started your interest in art?
I grew up in the art world, surrounded by my whole family, so I was always immersed in it. As a child, I was discouraged to be involved with art, because of how difficult it had been for my mother as an artist. Our means were always very tight. At that time, being an artist was more commonly viewed as a hobby, than an actual career.
Times have changed. There is a
greater appreciation for art and it has evolved into so many different forms.
Art is now more respected as a profession and artists can command respectable
incomes.
What made you choose the route of
having a gallery?
I wanted to change the way galleries
were perceived. There was always an element of stiffness, and gallerists were
portrayed as being unapproachable. I recall asking a gallerist the price of an
Arthur Maddison painting in the window. The reply was “If you have to ask, you
can’t afford it.”
That was a defining moment. It
inspired me to open a gallery with the objective to contradict the general consensus
that all galleries are snobby and pretentious. I aspire to make customers feel
comfortable when visiting the gallery, with no sense of pressure. I never make
an assumption as to whether somebody is a buyer or a browser.
I have a sign hanging in my gallery
window, saying “browsers welcome”. People have often dropped into the gallery
just out of curiosity, and returned weeks later to buy a painting they
remembered liking so much.
What do you like best about having a
gallery?
The journey art takes you on.
Paramount to me is building close relationships with my artists, seeing them
develop their self-confidence, and how their work can change direction in style
over the years.
I take great satisfaction in selling
art, as there is always a backstory relating to the piece, and seeing the
emotional reactions from customers is such a warm experience to be a part of.
Clients have cried because of the connection that a piece of art has for them.
There is also the excitement when clients are purchasing their first-ever
painting.
You can get so involved – it’s
contagious. During Covid-19 lockdowns, the gallery website was visited by many
new clients purchasing art who had never bought a piece before. People are
looking at the blank space on their walls and realise a painting or sculpture
would be nice to fill it.
What do you regard as the high point in
your career?
When I began doing international art
fairs. The costs are high and it requires a great amount of organisation to get
there and exhibit. You have to prepare months in advance and make certain to
select the artworks with the best selling potential for each show.
A show in Amsterdam is very different
to a show in New York. You need to possess a very good knowledge of each market
or you risk making a huge loss. My first exhibition fair, in London, was very
successful. It was a difficult decision to break into the international fairs.
With the amount of expenditure involved and the effort required, the risk was
enormous for me if I had an unsuccessful event. I had to take out a large loan,
but the risk proved worthwhile, and the trip was a great success.
Pre-Covid-19, I was doing between
seven and eight shows annually. Our artists are so well received abroad, which
gives you the confidence that you know your business.
What was the low point/ your worst
mistake?
A low point was certainly the
recession ten years ago, where I was still in a position that I had to pay my
monthly lease and rates, regardless of the difficult times. The silver lining
was that it made me focus on doing international art fairs, which enabled me to
keep my gallery in business with the revenue gained. As a result, I gained a
greater understanding of the international art scene, for upcoming exhibitions.
What skills make a successful gallery
owner?
You have to have a good relationship
with both your artists and customers. A number of my artists have exhibited
with me from the very beginning, for almost 20 years now. Then I have my
long-time, regular customers, who continue to buy from me, and will always pop
into the gallery whenever they are visiting Dublin, if sometimes just for a
quick catch-up.
What advice would you give to the
novice collector?
Buy what you like. If you feel that
connection with a painting, and find yourself lost in a nostalgic moment, that
painting is meant to be yours. You can ask the gallery to reserve it until you
have made a decision. We also provide our ‘try before you buy’ service to
anyone who resides in the Dublin area. We deliver the artworks to your home for
a few days (fully insured) so you can view the works in different lighting and
different rooms. The service has received a great response from buyers, and
many clients are availing of it.
What is your favourite artwork in a
public collection?
I specifically enjoy dropping into
the National Gallery, to see Hellelil and Hildebrand, the Meeting on the Turret
Stairs (1864) by Frederic William Burton. I get completely lost in this and
could stare at it for hours.
When you win the Lotto, what will you
buy?
Everything in my gallery. I can’t
sell anything that I personally don’t like, although art is subjective to
individual taste. I stand over my own artists’ work and sell what is my
knowledge of amazing art.
What, if anything, has the pandemic
taught you?
To allow the appreciation of art to
absorb your thoughts. I have also learned that to survive during the current
climate, you need to be inventive with your business direction, so I’m placing
more emphasis on the online facility of my gallery, while investing a lot of
money in the development of the new Doorway Gallery website.
The investment paid dividends, as we
received many website visits from new customers, who enjoy browsing art. We
also have a new facility, thanks to an art visualiser app, which allows people
to visualise the artworks on their own walls. It measures the exact size of the
paintings so the customer can get a really good feel of what it will look like
on their wall.
Through the pandemic I have provided
weekly online shows so my customers could get an insight to my artists. We
provided a lot of content from artist talks, studio visits and live discussions
and these online shows have been so well received. I wanted to provide my
customers and artists with a pleasant distraction from the current situation.