Today we’d like to introduce you to Reed Horth
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The first gallery I managed was straight out of college. There was little real management or guidance, and we were in a low traffic area of Tampa. So, while I knew a lot about art, I had to read a ton about sales and try to figure out the right combination of information and salesmanship would lead me to increased sales. It was a dose of reality to go weeks without sales. So, I quickly realized that following up and writing was going to be my entre into more than floor sales. I created a database of clients and began accumulating email addresses, phone numbers and data points for when artwork of interest arrived. And I started to find some success. The approach allowed us to transition into a fully online model earlier than most galleries, around 2003. By 2006 we had more sales online than in the brick-and-mortar gallery locations we had throughout Florida. So, when my wife and I left the company and started our own online gallery and brokerage Robin Rile Fine Art in 2008, all the pieces were set for success. But it was anything but easy. Long days and nights gave way to gradual successes, and bringing in reliable partners, shippers, insurers, and scouts worldwide. We were able to grow sales from prices around $10k each to well over $1M with practice and repetition. After some time, we decided we wanted to “send the elevator back down” proverbially and founded a nonprofit, Comic Kids, to give back to our community. We began teaching vulnerable children in hospitals, low-income areas, foster care and shelters how to draw comics, cartoons, and books characters. We kept the lean model for Comic Kids as well, conducting many classes on video and Zoom, and have been able to teach classes and supply art curriculum not only to youth in Miami, but also recently expanding to children’s hospitals in Atlanta and New York. We always strive to educate our clients, and now kids, about art, and elevate our collective discourse in society.
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?
Very few entrepreneurs have a particularly smooth road. There is always instability in having to chart your own path. When we started, it was under duress after leaving my old gallery during the start of the 2008 recession. So, we had to innovate and be more organized in our approach to art sales. During the pandemic this lean-and-mean approach served us extremely well, as other galleries had to play catch-up, and we already had an infrastructure in place. We have to continue to innovate, learn what works for others and adapt it to our own needs. We tend to think that people are generally good and will work in good faith but we have certainly run into some unsavory characters along the way as well. Experience has taught us this is not always the case, so we tend to work with a very few, very trusted people worldwide.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We have specialized in the “Big Spanish 3”: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dali since 1996. So, we’ve become well-known for sourcing original paintings, drawings, and sculpture from these masters, for private collections, museums, investors, and institutions worldwide. We also have developed a robust market for other 20th Century masters like Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol, Wifredo Lam, Roberto Matta, Robert Indiana, Marc Chagall, and others.
Since 2008 though, we have delved more into Contemporary Art with artists like Banksy, Damien Hirst, RETNA, Mel Bochner, Julian Opie, Mr. Brainwash, Harland Miller, INVADER, and others. We tend to really like colorful street art, which is ironic considering our house is pretty neutral. But, these artists are relatively affordable and appeal to our own aesthetic.
We are a bit different because we have not kept a brick-and-mortar gallery space since 2008. Back in the late 1990’s, we were not getting enough foot traffic in the galleries we managed, so we started using email more and more. By 2003, we started doing online marketing and by 2006 we were making more sales online than all four of the galleries we managed combined. So, when we started Robin Rile Fine Art in 2008, we did not need the gallery space in order to flourish. So, whether we are working in Singapore, Canada, Spain, Tokyo, Geneva, London, or elsewhere, we do the bulk of our work online or via text message, and save travel for when it is needed. Although, it’s really nice to be able to travel for a lot of the placements we are honored to work on. We’ve been able to curate full collections on the other side of the world, often in other languages, only through the use of modern technology.
Another thing that also sets us apart is how heavily engaged we are in community work via the non-profit we founded, Comic Kids. My background was as a reluctant reader, and comics were my entre into reading, and ultimately building a career in fine art and writing. We figured, if I could do it, maybe other kids could too. So, we began working with Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2018 in a volunteer capacity, founded the nonprofit in 2020 and since then have taught in-person and virtual classes to thousands of children. Additionally, we created a line of Comic Kids children’s art books, have created art books for other organizations, and we send free weekly art curriculum and drawing sheets for organizations teaching at-risk kids. We work with organizations such as Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Girl Scouts, Chapman Partnership, Lotus House Shelter For Women and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta among others. While I know we are not the only art dealers who do community service, this unique approach got us a feature on The Kelly Clarkson Show last year after she heard about our program. Not many people can say that!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I’ve always been in a position to have to do things for myself, as opposed to having a mentor or apprenticeship. That self-reliance has been both a blessing and a curse, as it probably delayed me in certain ways. But there are also a lot of benefits. When I was in high school, I worked as a meat cutter in a butcher shop in Tampa. It taught me the value of getting my hands dirty, customer service, and that I did not want to smell like my job when I went home. It was one of the most formative jobs of my life because there was no easy way to do it well. My career has been one long learning curve where I try to always learn new things with every transaction and client. Refining my skills, learning what news skills I have to develop in order to advance. Thankfully, I have been able to pick professionals in my craft who I glean bits of information from, techniques, and things which make me more efficient, as well as seeing attributes that I want to avoid. On some level, I feel like I will always be that 17 year old kid in the butcher shop, trying to learn, trying to get a bit better each day, and working towards building a better life for myself, and now… My family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://robinrile.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robin_rile_fine_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinRile/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReedHorth
- Other: https://www.comickids.org/
