Small mART

Small mART

The economy may be in recession, but Richard Sullivan still expects to see crowds at the art shows he organizes. One key to success: Tying each event with a nonprofit organization.

With an economic slowdown, you'd think that art shows would feel the pinch, too. But Richard Sullivan's art-show business is doing quite well thanks to a growing network of nonprofit organizations.

Here's how it works. Sullivan's company, Naples-based Boulderbrook Productions, agrees to let a nonprofit collect the gate fees on all its art shows. In exchange, the nonprofit helps generate publicity for Sullivan's events and encourages its donors to attend. The nonprofit raises thousands of dollars from the art show and Sullivan gets more foot traffic for the festivals he organizes.

"They don't need another petting zoo," he says. Anyhow, he adds, "many artists won't do private shows."

Sullivan takes no cut of the gate. Instead, he charges artists up to $400 for space at the shows. A one-man operation, Sullivan outsources all the show's functions, from security to porta-potties. He organizes fewer than a dozen shows so he doesn't get overwhelmed.

Boulderbrook specializes in smaller art shows, he limits the number and quality of artists and he picks the right zip codes, such as Boca Grande, Sarasota, Naples and Sanibel. Most of his shows are near the water. "Smaller shows can withstand an economic hit," he says. Although he expects show attendance to decline about 15%, he says shows in other parts of the country are faring worse. A big art show in Ann Arbor, Mich., didn't do well and artists told him "they're never going back to Ann Arbor again."

Sullivan, 46, knows what is selling now.

"Higher-end pieces are doing very well," he says. A $5,000 glass sculpture would fit in that category, for example. Pieces of art that sell under $100 do well, too. By contrast, items in mid-range prices aren't selling well now as consumers trim purchases. Artists whose sales are doing well despite the current downturn include jewelers and ceramic artists who create functional pottery.

Boulderbrook spends roughly 30% of its budget for an art show on advertising and promotion, though that varies on the show. That's in addition to the promotional efforts that a nonprofit does separately. Unlike other shows, Sullivan doesn't hand out cash awards to "best-of-show" artists, preferring to spend the money on promoting the event instead.

Sullivan runs his shows with military-like precision, a skill he learned in his prior life in film and television production. He's worked on videos for bands such as Aerosmith and James Taylor and coordinated video and photo shoots for Nike, Reebok, Lexus and Fleet Bank.

Sullivan starts planning a year to 14 months in advance. A former Naples art-gallery owner, he requires artists submit applications to participate in a show, insures that their art is original and limits the number of artists to about 250. Ample parking, good security and a marketing plan are essential to a successful show, which average 6,000 to 10,000 people in attendance.

Sullivan declines to cite revenues or other financial information, but he's expanding into other areas, including one he's planning in Nashville. Planning a distant event from Naples isn't a problem because the nonprofits he works with can refer him to reliable sources for subcontractors. "It's a very cookie-cutter business," he says.

-Jean Gruss