By Insider Staff - Mar 28, 2017 | 2 comments

Sarah Chaffee, owner of McGowan Fine Art, talks with one of her many artists, Sandy Wadlington, about some of her new work at the gallery last week.

Sarah Chaffee (right), owner of McGowan Fine Art, talks with one of her many artists, Sandy Wadlington, about some of her new work at the gallery last week. Facing page: Orange Ladder by Susan Jaworski Stranc is one of many pieces you’ll find in the latest show. And you should see it in color.

Sarah Chaffee, owner of McGowan Fine Art, talks with one of her many artists, Sandy Wadlington, about some of her new work at the gallery last week.

Sarah Chaffee, owner of McGowan Fine Art, talks with one of her many artists, Sandy Wadlington, about some of her new work at the gallery last week.

Orange Ladder by Susan Jaworski Stranc is one of many pieces you'll find in Twenty Years of a Singular Vision.

McGowan Fine Art owner Sarah Chaffee has been a mainstay at the downtown gallery for two decades, and that is a reason to celebrate.

So that’s exactly what’s happening – with a new exhibit, of course. “Twenty Years of a Singular Vision” opens this week and will run through April 28. And on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., there will be a big party at the gallery.

But before she’s the toast of the town, we caught up with Chaffee to talk about anything and everything from the last 20 years.

What have you enjoyed the most about the last 20 years?

I like all of it, and I think that’s a reason I’m successful at it. I enjoy the nitty gritty, getting the paperwork done. I love talking to people, I love talking to artists, I love making sales. I find that to be exhilarating, and I love art. But if I could break it down, I love doing studio visits. I love to see how artists live, what they hang on their walls, what they’ve got stuck to their refrigerator. It’s really fascinating, and it’s an insight into their world.

What do you look for in a piece of art?

For one, it has to be intriguing, and there’s a lot of people out there making art – or pictures I would say – and I look for those qualities that elevate a piece to make it more unique, more special, more engaging. So I will often times respond to the imagery, and at the same time I’m looking at how the artist uses the medium. The two of them together make for a good piece of art.

How long were you at McGowan before taking over?

I can’t remember if it was my first or second year here, and Mary (McGowan, the original owner) asked me, “Would you like to be partner?” I unthinkingly said yes, not thinking about what it meant. I kept it quiet. A few people knew I was a business partner, but I don’t need that limelight. I don’t need people to recognize me for my title so I kept that quiet. Mary actually made me announce it, I think it was for our 25th anniversary and we’re now in our 37th year.

Was it always your dream to own an art gallery?

You want to know something? Yes it was. When I was in college I used to joke that I wanted to own a convenience store/art gallery because I thought that would be a good way to deliver the art and make it more accessible. You know, pick up your beer and painting at the same time. I said that jokingly, but it’s something I thought about. I actually tried for this job three times before I got it. Took me five years to get this job with Mary, and I just knew it was the right thing for me. It was a match. It just took a while to convince her.

How do you go about choosing artists/art for a show?

I’m driven by sales, so I look to make sales. So picking a popular artist or an artist I think I could sell a lot of work for, or an artist that I’d like to start building an audience for . . . Sometimes it takes a couple of years before I can find the audience.

How did you decide which artists would be a part of this show?

I couldn’t include everybody. I just started making a list of artists I really wanted to put out there again. I think there were some people that I didn’t include but should have, but their work will probably be up in the gallery, just not in the main gallery. I have some artists that I’ve had long-term relationships with that were here when I came on board.

When did you decide to bring Henry along as a partner?

The day I adopted him. A lot of people don’t remember that I had a dog before Henry. Her name was Lady and she was a golden retriever, and I’m a little obsessive by nature and it was like, this dog, I can’t leave it alone, so I started bringing Lady to work. I used to transport her crate back and forth every day. It just happened organically and she was a big part of the gallery. I didn’t have a dog for about six months and then Henry happened. He’s also turned into a big part of the gallery. He’s been here for 10 years.

What are some of the major challenges involved with owning an art gallery?

Money, but that goes without saying and is probably true of most small businesses. Probably the best way to get an art gallery is to get an existing art gallery that has a reputation. This was handed to me and I feel so fortunate that Mary picked me. I already had this list of people to count on as buyers, but you’re always trying to cultivate more people to become buyers.

What’s the best approach when someone comes in to look at art?

The regular people who walk through the door I know, so I don’t have to start that conversation all over again. I know that there are a lot of people that all they’ll ever do is come in and look at the art. I look at them as my messengers who will go out and tell other people how wonderful it is – if they like us enough. Selling somebody that first piece of art is the hardest, so it could take years. I never begrudge people for coming in and looking, it’s part of the community service that I do. If somebody walks through the door and I don’t know them, I ask them about how they heard about us, give them the quicky tour. I usually allow people to go through the space before I accost them. I just ask if they have any questions, and if they’re like, “I’m thinking about a piece for my living room.” I love teasing out the details. What kind of art did you see? Anything you like? Do you have a price range? Do you have a medium? Do you have a particular subject that you collect? It’s never a hard sell, it’s more of a conversation and it happens very organically.

Do you have a favorite exhibit or even work of art from over the years?

I remember when I did the 25th anniversary show, and this was when we owned another floor. That space up there was Mary’s office, and a lot of people didn’t go up there. I hung work that I really liked in a way that I would have hung it for myself. It was I’d say some of the most sophisticated pieces. It was beautiful and Mary agreed. She used to drag people up there. It was just such a pretty space, and all the pieces just went together perfectly.

What about a favorite artist, employee or Insider?

I love Tim Goodwin. But I don’t have a favorite employee, I love all my employees. This is such a good team right now. For artists that’s so hard. It’s like picking your favorite kid. I like them all for different reasons. I always say being with an artist in a gallery, it’s like a marriage, it’s a relationship. Sometimes it’s difficult and you have to deal with hard stuff, but sometimes it’s like woohoo, it’s really good.

What do you like to do when you’re not at McGowan or schmoozing the public on walks with Henry?

People always tell me I’m a very serious walker. Not my downtown walk – that’s when I see my peeps – but my morning walk, because I walk about three miles in the morning with Henry and that’s my thinking time. That’s one of my most favorite things to do. But I like being outside in all weather, all times of the year. I just think it’s a good way to keep in touch with the cycle of the seasons, which sounds a bit woo-woo, but that’s just me.

Do you enjoy going to other galleries either in Concord or when you go out of town?

I try to see shows that are interesting around here, but I definitely go to museums. I love the gallery at St. Anselm’s. The show down at the Currier right now I’ve been to it three times and I’ll probably go at least one more time.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

If I weren’t allergic to gluten, sesame seed bagels. I love them but I can’t have them anymore. It’s a toughy because I like food. You’ll laugh, but I love peanut butter, I love spinach salads. I go through a big bag of spinach every week.

What do you expect out of the next 20 years?

I can say that honestly over the course of my 20 years here, the quality of art has continued on this onward trajectory, which is always a little hard. Concord is a small town and there’s not a lot of art buyers here, so I definitely count on a larger circle of buyers, so as my tastes grow, I kind of force along my regular collectors and hopefully attract new ones. I’m really proud of the quality of art that we show here and I’m hoping I will continue on that trajectory. Finding new ways to do business in this digital age. I can’t see that I’d ever paint the walls any other color but white, but my accent wall up there, one of my artist friends has been trying to convince me to paint it black. Maybe I’ll try that? It’s been a trending color. I’m going to have to train the next Dread Pirate Roberts because that’s what Mary did for me. She spent all that time training me and then took off. Retirement is at least 10 years away, and probably more, but that’s about the right amount of time to train somebody because there’s so much to know.

Are you looking forward to this big celebration of you?

It’s embarrassing, it’s really embarrassing. But it is a milestone. I haven’t done anything for 20 years. I haven’t had a car that long, I haven’t lived in a place that long, I haven’t stayed at a job that long, none of those things. So it’s like, “Wow, 20 years, that’s a lot.” But it feels like it went like that. This job is so fun. It’s got it’s stressful moments, but it’s really a lot of fun.