How One Woman Is Elevating Other's Voices And Growing Alongside Them
Giving back – whether it be through giving to your community, sharing knowledge, helping others, or monetary donations to charitable organizations – always requires investing time and resources to help others. And this simple act can lead to more genuine connections, people reciprocating the sentiment, and even success in business.
Nicole George, a young, vibrant founder and curator of the Nicole Tamer Art Gallery in Detroit, found incredible success by elevating the voices of artists before her own. Her background in social work and counseling has helped artists gain national attention through e-commerce and in-person art sales.
Her strategy is a personal one – a people-first mindset. And that mindset has helped grow her own business alongside the businesses of the artists she has helped. Let’s take a look at what we can learn from her strategy and growth.
Organization Is Key
She uses her organization skills and industry knowledge to uplift artists and grow their revenues.
One artist, Andrew Blake, had an amazing art education but preferred to focus on his craft and was missing opportunities to monetize it. Organization became George's main priority, ensuring that every piece in Blake's already massive body of work was photographed and cataloged. What they found was people were waiting for an opportunity to buy his pieces and they were able to create a bridge to those collectors of fine art.
Put A Value On Your Work
Many people have a tough time putting a price on their work, or realizing the full earning potential of their own work. Sometimes it can be eye-opening to get an objective opinion from someone who is one-step removed from the subject.
That is exactly what George was able to do with artist Mattie Armstrong. She saw a magnetic man who needed the confidence to put himself out there after years of dealing with personal issues following the time he spent in the military. He was giving his work away, but needed to put a value on it.
Instagram has been a key avenue for the sales of Armstrong's work. The community that he has built through the social network is seeing the incredible man that George saw early on. Now, he's crushing his goals and is a full-time artist. "Nicole has a vision and direction where we are headed. I trust her with the business side, and she completely delivers. My business has grown significantly in the first year. With her direction, I have been able to immerse myself completely into art, and my craft has gotten better since. Her kindness makes good business, and her savvy makes my business thrive,” says Armstrong.
“It is important to amplify and elevate others' voices, because they are the future of the city,” says George. “Seeing the magic in others' visions and celebrating those voices provides purpose.”
Accessibility And Giving Back
Outside of a high-touch, personal approach, accessibility has been another key tenant of George's strategy. Her gallery has long hours every day, making the space accessible to people even into the late evening hours. And offer perks that make it convenient for guests to spend time in the space, such as free wi-fi. Since its located in the heart of downtown Detroit, people gather in this space to have meetings, and paintings have been known to sell in unexpected digital ways. One art buyer from Texas was on a Zoom call with a colleague in Detroit and was in awe of the sophisticated works of art in the background. The buyer tracked down the gallery online and purchased multiple high-value pieces.
With every sale, George says it’s important to take it one step further to donate a portion of revenues to charitable causes.
On her approach, George says “Artists' works are a part of who they are, and when you affirm and celebrate those works you are affirming and celebrating a part of who they are." Sales can be personal. People, especially today, want to purchase things that reflect who they are or who they want to be. And, many people see parts of themselves in the art that we share.
“When I celebrate and amplify the voices of those I work with, the business attracts more customers and talent. What is a business if not the people who embody it and make it so? When you act from a place of authentic passion and love. it grows and prospers,” says George.
