Small Business Spotlight: Emma Wilson on Pivoting an Art Gallery During a Global Pandemic

Lisa Belisle: Hello, I'm Dr. Lisa Belisle and you are listening to or watching Radio Maine. Today I have with me in the studio a returning guest, and that is Emma Wilson, who is the director of the Portland Art Gallery. Nice to see you.

Emma Wilson: Nice to see you as well, Lisa. Thank you for having me.

Lisa Belisle: Well, I'm always glad to have you. I know it's not exactly something you love doing, not because you dislike me, but just because I love you.

Emma Wilson: Aw.

Lisa Belisle: That's so nice. I love you too. But I know that this isn't always that comfortable for you.

Emma Wilson: Absolutely not. You're speaking to a person that used to take propranolol before she used to have to introduce guests when she worked at the museum down in Georgia. So it has been a trajectory for me for sure.

Lisa Belisle: Well, that makes it even more impressive, though. The fact that you, I think you have needed to consistently step outside of your comfort zone over the entire time I've known you, but in particular, the fact that you're here yet again, it kind of speaks to tremendous growth.

Emma Wilson: Well, it also speaks to very much feeling the challenge and accepting that challenge of what we really want to be able to communicate and share, all of what the gallery is offering. And we ask our artists to push themselves every single day. And I would be a hypocrite if I didn't do the same for myself. So it is not necessarily something that is hugely comfortable for me all the time, sometimes more than others, but it does get better. I have noticed that, and you certainly make it much more comfortable for your guests and for people all around.

Lisa Belisle: Well, thank you. And also for you, I think you're absolutely right. The need to, if you're going to ask other people to push themselves, to be willing to push yourself as well. And I think the reason I'm specifically bringing this up now, because I could have just been like, oh, no big deal, is that I think a lot of people feel that way. A lot of people feel like doing something that's outside their comfort zone, they just avoid it.

Emma Wilson: Absolutely. And many of us, we do it in all different areas and ways in our life. But I do think that that's something that's amazing about the visual arts or any performing arts, is that artists with regularity make themselves vulnerable to public audiences everywhere. Maybe it's just privately, but when they make that decision to be public with what their art is, I have such tremendous respect for that. And I think that is something that we can all really learn from in terms of paying attention to people in the arts.

Lisa Belisle: Yeah, that's a really good point. In any sort of art or artistic endeavor, you end up putting something out there that other people then process, and then you hear their responses, and maybe they're positive and maybe they're not positive. So that actually takes a willingness to step into uncertainty and trepidation. I certainly have never painted anything that I think I'd want anybody to ever see. It's not where my skills lie. I'm not being self-critical, but I think that that's a hard thing to do.

Emma Wilson: I agree. I end up thinking also, though, that sometimes that fuels a certain competition that artists experience with each other, and not in an unhealthy way. I think it inspires and can actually fuel artists. But I also know that they wonder, you know, why would a person be drawn to this person's work, in terms of our gallery artists, for example, which I know most intimately. Why is a client drawn to this person's work as opposed to mine? Not necessarily because they're wanting to change, but they're wanting to better understand. But I think it's also a bit of a competitive environment, and I don't think people necessarily consider it to be as such.

Lisa Belisle: Yeah, that's an interesting observation. I would think that that makes it even more challenging to put your own work on the wall if you're thinking, oh, well, this person next to me, their work somehow has more people standing in front of it, or there's a little dot that indicates that it's been sold and mine doesn't. So there's all kinds of reasons why one wouldn't want to do art. But on the flip side, there's all kinds of reasons why it's important for people to continue doing art and for the Portland Art Gallery to continue making this available to us all.

Emma Wilson: Absolutely. And that's what we try to really encourage. Artists are such an amazing, dynamic group of people, and they are regularly asking for feedback or for ideas or inspiration, or they want to get a better understanding of how people are responding to their work. But really it's just such a remarkable opportunity to be able to help them and also be able to engage in those conversations for everybody to have a deeper understanding of their inspiration, of their process, and how we might be able to communicate that to our audiences. Because that also can make a big difference. If you're able to communicate with a client about the encaustic process, for example, that brings a whole nother level of understanding for the viewer and the client. And then therefore, they might have a different attachment or connection with the work.

Lisa Belisle: Yeah, you raised something that I think about a lot as a result of doing this work here, and that is that I'm continually learning new vocabulary that is in the visual arts. I know a lot more about process than I ever would have if I hadn't had these conversations. And that means when I'm standing in front of a piece of art, I now can say, oh, that's a watercolor. And I just talked to somebody and they told me, here are the reasons why watercolors are a little more challenging, and then this is gouache and this is what we can use this for. And having that background on the tools and the approaches really does make it much more interesting.

Emma Wilson: Yeah, it strengthens the understanding for sure, and people are more curious about it. I think, through programs like this and through our website and through interviews and from our openings with artists, we really encourage and try to help people understand that process, which is very personal for an artist, but it is a way to be able to make that connection. So I'm so appreciative of our artists that really take the time to communicate that as best that they can for all of us. For me, I learn all the time. Every day I have that opportunity to learn.

Lisa Belisle: I think about art in general, that it becomes this, in school, for example, you have history, reading, art, and each of those is just one tiny little bit of a huge expanse of knowledge and so many different additional things that we could know about it. So many of us just go through and we get the barest slice of each of these specific fields. But I think art is probably one that doesn't get as much recognition as the STEM things these days.

Emma Wilson: Yeah. And I think that there are definitely some school districts that are trying to create more of a STEAM approach as opposed to STEM, to be able to include the arts in it. But I just think of even my son. My son David is a second year at University of Denver, and he is very interested in art. He's going into the biochem field, that's his major, but he's trying to do a minor in art, and he's having a very hard time gaining access to classes because they're so small, or because there's not as many offerings. And I think that's sort of unfortunate. So he is going to explore perhaps an art history class or some other. He'll find his way to do it. And he's also finding his way to using mediums in this house, in the home, and creating pieces that he's enjoying, and he's remembering that he learned in high school and whatnot. But overall, I think it's harder to sometimes gain access to that. And I loved what Grog Johnson said in his interview, about really intentionally paying attention to art and culture as he was moving around the globe, because it is such the magnificent connector, and it is a way to try to really help understand each other and understand ourselves better. So I'm hopeful that there'll be more opportunities for people to get training or to pursue art education. But I think one of the responsibilities we have is to really keep it in the forefront, or keep it in front of people, whether on their computer screen or in the gallery or at events or wherever we might be.

Lisa Belisle: We recently had at the gallery the Evergreen event, which we finally brought back after a few years. It's so fun in person. What I love seeing is the interaction between the artists and one another, but then the artists and people in the community, whether they're art buyers or not art buyers. And I think when I hear the conversations that are going on, it increases that accessibility. Whether it's, oh, well, this person's just a regular person like me, and this is their art on the wall, it makes it feel more possible for me to maybe buy this art off this wall and go bring it to my wall, because it is taking it out of that rarefied air that can sometimes be a little intimidating.

Emma Wilson: Yeah, absolutely. It was such a great celebration. We really were so excited to be able to. I mean, we had one last year, but it felt a little bit different. This year people felt like they were just ready to be there and be engaging with each other, and not quite as protected with masks or whatever. But we obviously know that there are still reasons to be careful. It was just such a fun celebration. And we had, I believe, 27 of our artists show up, and we had so many of our clients and community members there. And there was just this conversation about art all around, everywhere you moved about the gallery, and just in the way in which it brings people together. It just felt, and is, an exciting time for the gallery and for our gallery community. And as we look forward into 2023, it almost felt, I was describing earlier, like 2021 to 2022 almost felt like one year, but now that was actually two distinctive years. So it does feel as though there's this moment of, we can pause a little bit, but pause with excitement for what's next, as opposed to just pausing because we have to regroup and figure out. It just has a different energy right now, or it feels different. And we had another event this week, a collaboration with Camden National Bank, and it was packed, and it was the same type of energy. We had repeat clients there that were excited to see the work, and we had new clients there and new opportunities that developed, and just really positive energy that was being generated, really because of the arts that were there.

Lisa Belisle: I've also enjoyed bringing people back into the community, which I know Emily Isaacson, Dr. Emily Isaacson, was there with her group from Classical Uprising. She's doing so much work to make music more accessible in the community. And what I have always loved, particularly here in Maine, is just that people connect, and maybe they drift apart for a bit, but then they come back into your life and they enrich it in a different way. And this continual, whether you're directly in front of somebody or not, this continual knowing that there's that connection and that it will likely emerge again at some point in the future, is very exciting.

Emma Wilson: It is. And I hadn't yet had the opportunity, I hadn't yet met Emily in person, but I certainly was an admirer of her work, and it was so enjoyable. We had an event that was actually like a salon-style musical event at the gallery. They had approached us, would we be open to them using the space, which we were very excited about. And then we had singers perform when you first came into Evergreen. And then Emily had a chance to be able to make a few remarks. But she really encapsulates this excitement and energy around the arts in Portland, and what we can be and the direction in which we can go. And we're looking forward, actually, in next year, to be continuing to work together, not only at our openings, but also when they do their Classical Uprising festival, and other opportunities where we have this beautiful space in the middle of the Old Port that has really pretty strong acoustics. So it just feels like a great partnership and we're both very excited about it.

Lisa Belisle: You're also kind of going out into the world a little bit more. I know you have a collaboration with the Cumberland Club and that you've placed some wonderful art there and had a reception. I also love that, because there is a sense of meeting people where they are.

Emma Wilson: Yeah, absolutely. That's been a fun project to work on as well, our partnership with the Cumberland Club. So we had our first viewing. We have William Crosby on view, and we have a few other locations in the Cumberland Club where there's some other artists on view, but mostly in this one room called the Buxton Room, our works by William Crosby. And so over the next year, we're going to change that out quarterly. So the next artist will be Cooper Dragonette. It was so enjoyable to meet people there that evening, members and also artists. What was another really tender part of it was that other fellow artists of Bill's from the Portland Art Gallery came to support him and to support the project and to support the partnership. So it's again, just another thing to look forward to in this coming year. We'll just see where it goes, but for right now, that's what the plan is. We're going to have those quarterly, and Cooper is up next, and we're going to keep doing it. It was a challenge to figure out how to install the pieces right out of the gate, but we got that covered. It's a very old, as you know, building, and they've got some creative ways of installing the artwork, but we made it happen.

Lisa Belisle: You've also done, you and other people who work in the gallery, a great job with helping people in their homes and the installations that you go out and do. And from what I understand, the people are very appreciative. You were recently at a dinner thanking you for the work that you did to help create this person's home.

Emma Wilson: I was just reflecting on this one week. From last Saturday when I was in Boston, actually, a client came into the gallery, had seen a Jean Jack piece, absolutely fell in love with it. And then it worked out so that I was able to deliver that to her beautiful home in Boston, right on Beacon Street. With three young kids, the excitement around them coming to see mom's decision. And then just Monday, going to this wonderful dinner where it was a celebration of the creatives that were involved with the project. There were architects and designers and a landscape architect. And it just was a really tender and meaningful moment, because the couple was really communicating to all of us the importance of the creative industry in their lives, and it really, all of those pieces tell the story of who they are as a couple. It was such a privilege to be there, really. And then the next day going out to another home and doing an installation of a 48 by 90 triptych that Darthea Cross had created. It was a commission. The client met Darthea, had loved Darthea's work, didn't see the final piece, but Missy, one of my colleagues, we went out and we installed it. And it's just such a privilege and such an opportunity to be able to see people's homes. As a social worker, I always felt this privilege of being able to go and do home visits. It's the same idea and it's the same dynamic. And then we have something completely different. We have somebody that night that sends us an online inquiry who lives in California. And so the next day a Cooper Dragonette painting, site unseen, is getting shipped to California. So all these different ways in which we're able to interact with our clients, but the in-home experience, it's really very tender and very special.

Lisa Belisle: The art gallery does do these virtual installs so that people can see what something may look like on their wall, based on essentially providing a photograph, and then often will choose to purchase the piece. Do you then have people who have never been to the gallery before, got a piece that they bought virtually, and then come in to the gallery to actually see things in person? Have you ever had that happen yet?

Emma Wilson: We definitely have had people purchase work without coming into the gallery, but I'm not a hundred percent sure that I can think of a person right off the top of my head around the virtual install connection. But they've come into the gallery because they've made an intentional visit to the gallery. But the short answer is yes. People that have taken the time to do the virtual installation tend to find their way to the gallery as well. Because sometimes what happens, I have a little bit of mixed feelings about virtual install, but I do absolutely love it as a resource. It's so tremendously important, just like our Matterport where you're able to walk through and really stand and be. But sometimes, you know, sometimes it's worth just taking the risk, whether or not it's two inches wrong. If you love the piece, it's going to work. The two inches aren't going to make the difference. And so that's sometimes where I feel like it can be a little bit of too much thinking about it. That sounds disrespectful, but you sometimes you just know, they love the piece, so you'll make it work. And so that's when I don't want the virtual install to come into play, because then they get sort of measurement-focused. But most of all, it is an absolute tremendous resource that we have available on our website. And then people get excited to come in and see the works in person as well, when they can.

Lisa Belisle: One thing that was new this time that I thought was really quite brilliant, and I think you have to be there to experience it, was the little corner area that was put together for Matt Barter's sculptures.

Emma Wilson: Yeah.

Lisa Belisle: It was such a magical little enclave. I wanted to go hang out back there with the little guys, the figures. So who came up with that idea?

Emma Wilson: Oh, Matt. So Matt has, his Can Town Company Store project is something that he's been cultivating and creating. It's a dedication and an acknowledgement of the Down East Maine community and the sardine industry and the changes that happen there. And so this is a replica of how he imagined a Down East country store to be. So there are literally fashioned cans out of wood of different products you could buy. There's Coca-Cola, there's sardines, of course, there's meat products. So he saw the space, and we were doing Evergreen, where we knew there was no designated artist. And he approached us and said, what would you think if that space could be the Can Town Company Store? And it was perfect. So we said yes, and he put it together. He came in and he'll be there occasionally to sort of man the store and be able to visit with gallery visitors. It's been a lot of fun to have.

Lisa Belisle: You've also put some additional, I guess they're walls up in the front of the gallery so that you could have more of the larger format pieces. Which is an interesting way to be creative about using space in a way that maybe was not the way that other people had intended it previously. And there's even a little, and I know this is not recent, so anybody who's been there the last year probably has already seen this, but it's almost like a little stage that is there, so that when you have your art openings, then people get to stand on the stage, and it brings you up above so everybody can see you and they can hear you. And I really like the intentional nature of the way that you're using the space, because you only get so many square feet and you have a lot of wonderful artists that you want to showcase, and you want to do things in a way that can always seek to elevate. So I give you a lot of credit for that.

Emma Wilson: Thank you. Yeah, it is definitely, we pay a lot of attention to what the in-gallery experience is from the moment the person walks in the door. And so it did feel as though those front windows, that something more could be done here. We had had easels there, and those get moved around, they can be a little clunky. We had a temporary wall there that got moved around, and it definitely served its function, but then it really was like, wow, what if we did, what if we didn't make everything go this direction, and we made some things go this direction? And it just opened up the sight lines for people when they come in. It opens up sight lines for people that are on the street. So it really created these wonderful opportunities to be able to showcase some larger pieces of work right in the window, for people to be able to walk by and be invited in by seeing that. And then also it's all going to be totally repainted in the new year. We have new lighting, which I'm personally extremely excited about, because to be able to create that consistent lighting throughout the gallery and reflect it on the artwork is just usually important. Artwork in a gallery doesn't always mimic or reflect how, what it might look like in one's home, because many people don't live in an all-white-walled, wood-floored space. But anything that we can do to just make sure the artwork is getting its best vantage point, so that you're seeing it in its best light. We'll move things around for people if it seems like it would be more in line with what their home environment is they're viewing. But it's really important to try to be able to showcase that. So that's been a fun part of this year, between the lighting, and then I'm very excited that just in the new year the whole gallery will be repainted. So we'll be heading into 2023 with a fresh coat of paint. And we all know that there's not much better than that, from a gallery perspective.

Lisa Belisle: Yes, that's very true. Anything else we should know about regarding 2023?

Emma Wilson: So we're closing in on the exterior. Some visitors that may have visited with us over the last seven, eight months maybe have seen some construction-type things happening on the exterior. That is finishing, actually, as we're speaking today. Some of the final steps are being made, new steps as well as new brick laying. And so just more attention finishing up this year, really paying attention to the exterior facade of the building. It is a beautiful building, and it's an old and historic building. So with that comes challenges when you're doing any type of new project, but we are very excited about the fact that it's getting wrapped up. So people, come on by and come on in.

Lisa Belisle: And I believe you even worked with somebody who is providing, essentially, growing, living art, which now is inside the gallery, which will go outside the gallery once that's finished.

Emma Wilson: Absolutely. It was intended to be outside the gallery already, but that's okay. We integrated it, we put a little fairy lights on it for the holidays, and now they'll be making their way out to the exterior, which is going to strengthen and enhance that experience as well. So, yeah. It's looking good.

Lisa Belisle: I think so. Thanks.

Lisa Belisle: What about you? Anything new and exciting in your life this upcoming year? I mean, you meet every challenge just head on. Just got to do it. I've seen you've moved from, you know, where we are sitting now, Yarmouth, to Portland. You changed that in your life. Your final child has now been launched. I mean, what's next for you?

Emma Wilson: Well, work creates so much excitement, and that's ever-changing. So that is something that I constantly feel encouraged and stimulated by, and just ready to look at the next thing. We're not very good at just sort of sitting still and waiting for people to find us. We really are always looking for those opportunities. So that creates a certain excitement in my life. I do have three children. You mentioned my youngest, but my oldest moved to Alaska a couple months ago. And then my middle daughter is in Uganda. And then David, of course, my youngest, is in Denver. So my three kids are really launched right now, but almost in a way that's creating more meeting. I'm paying more attention even though they're further away. So I'm hoping that perhaps a visit to see Johanna in Uganda is going to happen, but we'll see. I'm not so sure. So that may be something to really look forward to. And I know that it will just expand my life experience too.

Lisa Belisle: Yes, I've always felt that if you have grown children and they go somewhere, it's a great excuse to travel.

Emma Wilson: An excuse to travel. I don't know if I can go to all of those places, but I do think, I don't remember my parents really coming, and maybe because I was like in Boston and they were like, whatever. But I don't remember them being as interested or as involved. But it's true. It's like, why not? We're so much more global. I feel like my kids are so much more connected globally than I was as a high school and college student. So I'm very appreciative of their opportunities and that they're doing this, and I'm so proud of them. But it also sort of reminds us, okay, well, what might I do then? So yeah, I'm not so sure. It's only December.

Lisa Belisle: Yes. As we're taping this, although by the time it airs, it'll be true, firmly into 2023. So we'll have to check back in and see.

Emma Wilson: We'll have to check back in.

Lisa Belisle: If you went down the path you thought you were going to.

Emma Wilson: Oh, I know. Though, I just think that it's such a privilege to be representing the artists, to be working with phenomenal clients, and their stories really take me into different places all the time. So I just don't know what's going to happen, because we don't, and that's okay. Just sort of being present with it and staying with it and being hopeful. So how about you?

Lisa Belisle: Well, I can honestly say that one of the most exciting things about the work that I've done with the gallery is the fact that you and Kevin and actually everybody at the gallery is continually making connections with people that have an interest in art. And so I've really loved having the opportunity to interview people who have this connection to art. Because my current professional life is very focused on the healthcare field and the work that I do as a physician, to have this little space of time where I actually take time off of my other job and have these great connections and these great conversations with people, for me that has really been so gratifying. And I'd love to say that I have more and bigger things going on in my personal life, but actually, like you, I also work a lot. So I really enjoy the work that I do on both sides, whether it's for the gallery or as a physician. And I appreciate your being out there in the world, being like, oh, here's this person, he came to one of our functions and he wrote a book, would you like to interview him? I feel like you've done such a nice job making those connections that I end up benefiting from.

Emma Wilson: It's a reciprocal relationship for sure. Well, I appreciate them.

Lisa Belisle: Yeah, I think that it is reciprocal, and I think that for me is what is so important, is that there is some element of, I think when I was talking to Jill Hoy, she talked about art as kind of the process of going underground. And sometimes I feel like medicine is the process of, in a very important way, you're heading into a space that is unlike any other. So when I emerge from that space and I have the opportunity to interact with people, just to have a different perspective on the world, that just really enriches my life.

Emma Wilson: Yeah. And it enriches so many others. When I think about this, you're coming up on a hundred episodes, so that's amazing. What an amazing commitment, but amazing opportunity to get to know all these different people that are part of our community. And I think what you're saying is so important for us all to remember, because sometimes I get that way. I get so focused in my tunnel that when we have, and this is where I feel art really does offer this opportunity, to step out of that and to be able to get stimulated or just even start thinking about something maybe a little bit of a different way, it's a real opportunity for growth.

Lisa Belisle: Well, we'll have to keep doing the great job that you and I are doing with Kevin and others with the art gallery, to keep Radio Maine going and all the other wonderful things Portland Art Gallery is doing going.

Emma Wilson: Yep, absolutely. We have an amazing team. I will do a shout out to Emma Nicole Burke, our gallery manager, and to Missy Dunaway, and Emma and Missy and Nikki Fontaine and Kincaid Pearson. We've just been so fortunate to have such a strong team. And we appreciate all the positive feedback that people offer us, around there or outreach.

Lisa Belisle: Well, Emma, it's been a joy to talk with you again.

Emma Wilson: Likewise.

Lisa Belisle: As always, thank you for taking the time to spend a few minutes with me today.

Emma Wilson: Well, thank you for having me, Lisa. Always good to see you.

Lisa Belisle: I've been speaking with Portland Art Gallery director Emma Wilson, and I imagine if you've been to the Portland Art Gallery, you may have already interacted with her, but if not, you should certainly make a trip over there. She is absolutely a delight and probably one of my favorite people in the world. And even if Emma's not there, there are many other wonderful people who are working behind the scenes, and not so much behind the scenes, at the Portland Art Gallery. We appreciate your interaction with us on a regular basis. We appreciate your watching Radio Maine, Emma and I do. And Emma, thank you very much for being here.

Emma Wilson: Thank you for having me.