Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Evans.
Emily, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am originally from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where I studied ballet pre-professionally for 15 years. This intensive training in the athletic art of ballet gave me a deep sense of appreciation for the arts in general that continues to inspire me today. After high school, I went through Ohio University studying communication, with two internships in New York City at fashion houses Oscar de la Renta and Fendi along the way. Six months before I graduated, I was hired by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty as a full-time district aide. In this role, I was able to get to know my new home of Columbus in a really special way as I attended events all over our district and managed the Congressional Art Competition for over 300 high schoolers in 2015. Eventually, I moved on to inspiring other people to love our home city through work at Kaufman Development in residential real estate. During this time, I met Pastel, Gaby, and Alexia, the three founders of the now-defunct traveling dinner party series Humans of Columbus. I immediately fell in love with the concept of gathering movers and shakers from around the city and was hired on as the Communication Director of the organization. This was pivotal in my journey, as it allowed me to meet and befriend many local artists, musicians, creators, and entrepreneurs in the city. I furthered these relationships and my organizational development expertise on the core team of Cloud City, a day-long “multimedia bazaar” in September of 2019. By then, I had already had an inkling about becoming an entrepreneur myself…
In April of 2019, I received a serendipitous opportunity – to curate a for-sale art collection in the lobby of The Lincoln building at 711 N. High Street. The owner of the building knew I had experience in the art world and needed some help curating and installing pieces from local Short North galleries. This project inspired me to think of a few of my friends who are independent Columbus artists and how much the opportunity to participate in an exhibit like this would mean to them. I called one of them, the talented McKenzie Burkhardt, just to inquire if she had any pieces that would work in this space. After a mad dash to get her piece woodframed and approved, her work was included in this initial collection and her gratitude was really moving to me. This project sparked my inspiration for Art Aligned, as I realized this model of curating independent art benefits the commercial spaces, the local artists, and the community at large.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I designed the business specifically for me to operate on my own, so that has obviously been a challenge as well as a blessing. Similarly so, explaining my business sometimes takes some extra time because it’s so unique – this service is not something people have usually heard of being offered before. Like with many startup businesses, I’ve had to practice patience constantly. I have so many big dreams and clear visions about what Art Aligned could be that building slow and steady growth has been a discipline.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Officially launched in June of 2020, the mission and vision of Art Aligned are “More Access, More Impact.” Art can only be as impactful as it is accessible and I’ve discovered so much talent in our city resides in the basements and coat closets of artists, unable to impact our community. On the flip side, my eyes were opened to how much opportunity there is in the spaces we frequent around Columbus – in waiting rooms and office lobbies and apartment complexes and restaurants – that are all too often showcasing unoriginal works bought from national chain stores. I set to work closing this gap, offering my curation and installation services to give artists an audience and to give audiences in my community access to original, local art. Many in our community would never consider taking time to visit a gallery or a museum, but they may appreciate the opportunity to observe these works in places they frequent. Businesses contracting Art Aligned’s services are able to offer a really unique experience to everyone who walks through their doors. The art encountered at their place of business is able to be bought immediately through a QR code leading to the Art Aligned website, and because Art Aligned clients pay for a rotating collection of pieces, I’m able to send the local artist 100% of the profits from their sale. As of March 2022, I’ve been able to offer exhibit opportunities to over 60 local artists, many of whom have made sales through the unique framework of Art Aligned.
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking?
Launching Art Aligned has been the biggest risk of my career. I am a very logical thinker and seek to minimize risk as much as possible before jumping into anything. While launching a business carries the risk of losing time and money, the biggest risk for me was the reputation I’ve built in Columbus. My vast network of artists and community members is one of the most valuable things I’ve built over my time here and announcing a new venture sets risky expectations. One of my biggest fears is letting my people down and being unable to meet or exceed what I’ve promised to my community, losing the trust of my network.
Pricing:
- Space Consultation for an art gallery – free!
- Gallery pricing is determined by size of gallery and frequency of rotation (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually)
Contact Info:
- Email: emily@artaligned.online
- Website: www.artaligned.online
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/art.aligned
Image Credits
Tucker Gilkerson
