Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriella West.
Hi Gabriella, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Italy. My father is an artist who lives in Umbria now. I grew up on the Amalfi coast and Milan. When my parents divorced, I moved to London, where my mother is originally from. I studied fine art at one of London’s top art colleges so my background and life were immersed in art. I married an American and eventually, we moved from London to Orlando. I spent the next few decades building several successful businesses. Following my divorce, I found myself at ground zero. Having spent twenty years of my life building a small empire, I found myself starting from scratch again. I knew I had the skillset to start and run a business but I wanted my new business to be something that I was truly passionate about. I knew I could take the model applied to a successful business and apply this model to any business. I set a clear intention and wrote down all the aspects of my new business that I wanted to implement.
I was working within the arts industry in Orlando and I noticed that there were very places for artists to show their art. Having come from a world in Europe where art is everywhere I was shocked upon arrival in Florida. Where was the art? And when I walked into people’s homes often the walls would be left blank. Everyone had the latest TV’s and gadgets but it seemed that no one was exposed to art. They didn’t understand or appreciate art in the same way as people do in Europe.
Art has a way of informing us and enriching our lives in ways that help us to expand and grow in new ways. When an artist creates a piece of art, they are expressing in a visual form a part of everything that has brought them to that point in their life. It often embodies their ideas and experiences. We are all connected on a deeper level and when you connect to a piece of art, you are connecting to that part within you that connects to the idea or part of the artists’ story that you can relate to on a deeper level within the art.
Art appreciation and understanding start at a very early age. Being surrounded by art as a child in Italy helped me to develop a language and a way of reading art. One of my earliest memories is the smell of turpentine and oils that filled our home as my father worked on his paintings. I wanted my children to live in a world that was not just informed by what was pumped out of a TV but to the sensibility of others expressed through their unique art form.
Art needs to be seen. It needs to make its way out of studios and into places where people can connect to it. I often found that art galleries can be quite stark places. It’s hard to connect to a piece of art as you pass through an art gallery. It’s the equivalent of modern-day speed dating. You pass by seeing the art until you find something you desire to take home with you. I believe the process of buying art, just like the process of falling in love, is a more intimate one. I have watched people fall in love with a piece of art. There is a connection to the art as if one piece just speaks to you on a deeper level. I like to create spaces where people can connect to the artwork on display in a more intimate way.
I partner with different venues throughout Central Florida to create unique art experiences. Many of my exhibits are created in restaurants, cafes, and historic buildings. We create gallery spaces in these unique venues whereby enhancing the space with an ever-changing landscape of art created by some very talented Florida artists. The exhibitions change every few months giving the venue a new and interesting look and feel for their customers to enjoy. Artists have new places to show and sell their work. All the artwork is for sale. I have implemented an easy way for people to purchase the artwork online using a unique QR code that’s linked to each piece of art on display. Each exhibit is launched with an opening night. Many of these events are free or have an affordable ticketing fee depending on the type of event we have created. These wonderful evenings are co-created with the individual venue. We have several exciting events that are coming up in the next few months including art & stroll at Nehrling Gardens, where participants enjoy fine wine paired with individual artists work and light snacks, an event at the Orlando Museum of Art celebrating one of the new exhibitions and a unique art experience at a cafe inspired by Plein Air painting. Every event is a multi-sensory experience where art (and often wine) is celebrated and can be appreciated in a new way. Even if people can’t afford to purchase a piece of art, they can get to experience and appreciate it in a more intimate way.
My business has grown tremendously over the past year. I think people are ready to get out again and connect with others. Enjoying great art and getting to meet the artists that created it is a wonderful way to do this.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Obviously, the pandemic has been a huge setback for many businesses. From my experience, no business model can be rigid. For a business to stand the test of time it must be flexible and dynamic. To me, a business is like a living breathing entity. Our lives are not static, they are forever changing. We are forever growing and expanding. A business is no different. I’ve learned to view challenges as an opportunity to make changes that can lead to further growth. It’s like changing courses once you’ve set sail. You don’t lose sight of where you are heading, you just learn to change the course so you get there in a different way or are able to navigate through a storm safely. There are infinite potentials on how you can get to where you are going. When you learn to allow new possibilities and are open to the unknown you can get there.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business is unique. I’m sure everyone says that but it was birthed from the ideas as expressed in prior sections… There truly is no other business model like it. My intention is to take art out of the gallery and to places where people can intimately connect to the artwork. Places where people can relax and enjoy their surroundings. I collaborate with local business owners who are also art lovers to provide spaces for Florida artists to show their work whilst also enhancing their venues in an individual and unique way. All the venues I partner with have a unique vision. Their venue is an expression of who they are, from the food they create or the service they offer. We collaborate to enhance their venue with art in a way that enhances their decor or their mission, not in a way that works against it or alongside it. It’s a true collaboration so I work with the people behind those venues. I get to know them so that I can be clear on their vision and ways we can come together to create something special to enhance that vision.
I also provide educational resources in a fun and unique way. One aspect of the business that was very popular before COVID and that we aim to bring back soon is paint classes. You do not need to have any prior experience to take part as this is a fun and easy class but it’s a way of getting people to connect to their own unique creativity. Learning to play again and just having fun. Our paint classes are unique because even though people receive step-by-step instruction, everyone leaves with a unique painting that is an expression of their personality and sensibilities. Participants are encouraged to pick their own colors and get to explore how to convey their personality on a canvas. We are all unique and special, this should be expressed. There is no perfect painting, so I encourage everyone to let go of preconceived ideas of what is beautiful or perfect. These classes are held at my venues and often include a gallery tour of the artwork on display. They also include a wine tasting or some other unique offering based on the individual venue.
Retreats overseas will also be offered again once we are all able to travel freely again. These are experiences, where participants not only enjoy art classes by some very well-known artists, but they also enjoy a multi-sensory experience of a new country. They often include cooking classes as I believe culture can be experienced by its food and how this food is prepared. I grew up in Italy after all LOL…. of course, these retreats will largely take place in Europe including Italy.
Art Exhibitions, Art Events (Paint Classes), Art & Wine Retreats… these are the 3 main sectors of my business. Right now, my focus is on getting the exhibitions up and running again while the world gets back to some sense of balance…
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Orlando is a melting pot. It’s wonderful that so many different people can come together from all different parts of the globe. Obviously, I am an immigrant as are so many others who live here. I think this is what makes Orlando such a wonderful place to live. Having lived in London for much of my life obviously, the weather here is something I enjoy. In the twenty years I’ve been here I’ve seen a lot of growth. I hope we continue to honor the green spaces here as I’ve seen many of them gobbled up by new construction in order to handle the numbers of people moving here.
I think the arts community in Orlando is growing. The landscape is also changing with regard to the arts here. The Orlando Museum of Art is undergoing some huge changes under the direction of new leadership. This is exciting. They are about to open a second location in Downtown Orlando that is scheduled to come to fruition in early 2024. They are also relaunching the current museum at the end of September with some new and very exciting art exhibitions. We will be seeing works by Botticelli, Michelangelo, Jackson Pollock as well as an exhibit of Jean Michelle Basquiat’s work.
If you look at statistics it’s well understood that when a city’s arts and culture scene is thriving it directly affects just not the quality of life but also how financially stable that city is. A thriving arts community is indicative of a city’s overall success. I’m very hopeful that one day people won’t just be visiting Orlando to see a mouse they will also be coming to see our exhibitions. I think Walt Disney would be happy to see that too…
Contact Info:
- Email: info@artscapeart.com
- Website: https://www.artscapeart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artofescapes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartofescapes/
Image Credits:
Stelian Polenciuc
