50 years as CEO of the Devonish Art Gallery is a long time, gone are the days when the gallery was managed by two staff members, and my presence was at my convenience.
Increase in salaries and availability of honest, reliable staff are hard to find, today myself and wifey are the only managers of the gallery.
Wifey is a beader and makes beautiful bracelets and necklaces; her desire is to stay home and produce.
As for me, my hair is turning gray and the years are adding up, my desire also is to create, rather than manage.
To be specific, we would both love to divest ourselves of the Art Gallery, and spend our remaining working years creating, rather than as managers and sales persons.
My dream is to keep the Devonish name alive, by finding retail outlets for our entire production, marketing our work on a consignment and wholesale basis, where we would not be responsible for any aspect of the financial ownership or management of the outlet.
The 50-year journey had its ups and downs, and spanned North America, Europe and the Caribbean. The journey started out with ceramics as the focus, but gradually changed to wood carving, and now bead jewelry by the wife.
International exhibitions featured heavily during the first 30 years, but stress from traveling now confines me to the little rock of Anguilla, the home of the Devonish Art Gallery for the past 31 years, The most lucrative years in its existence being 2005 to 2007.
Since 2007 we have experienced a steady decline in earnings, the contributing factors are too complicated to discuss at this time.
The highlights of the 50 years are the 2 exhibitions in Trinidad, one exhibition at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, one at Hartwick College, Oneonta, upstate NY and one at Gallery Caribe in Philadelphia, though no longer in existence, hold fond memories, I was transported from the Philadelphia airport by limousine and served champagne all the way to my destination.
I must include my final exhibition in Barbados at the Queens Park Gallery in 1969. a joint exhibition with a great fiber artist Rosylyn Watson. Incidentally both Roslyn Watson and myself has just been invited to host another exhibition at the said Queens Park Gallery in December 2020. May God spare both our lives to make the exhibition a reality.
During those fifty years, the three engagements as -Artist in Residences -were outstanding achievements, Lincoln University, Hartwick College and the Philadelphia clay studio.
It would be ungrateful of me not to mention some outstanding people who contributed to my journey during those 50 years, Professor Marcia Grassi, former marketing professor at Drexel University, Tom Morgan and Erna MacReynolds from Smith Barney, Oneonta NY, friend and fellow artist Roslyn Watson, and my dear wife Carrolle Perry Devonish.
My greatest carving experience so far is with wood from the historic 300+ year old Anguilla Mahogany tree, the most beautiful mahogany I have ever seen.I am in the process of carving the last of the wood.
Thanks a lot for such an amazing review on Time For A change review and explanation are given.
Every day we have to think about what we learned yesterday and what we could change today to make our day better. A good article with lots of useful information.
Thanks again for this post. If you don’t mind, I will share this article on my social media account. Good luck!
Thank you for visiting and agreeing to share on your social media account, All the best for the New Year
Thank you for sharing your journey with Devonish Art Gallery. I admire the fact that you have created a brand you wish to make a going concern. Art is something you stay with through all the stages of your life. It boosts creative thinking, relieves stress and can generate good income.
As time passes by, change is inevitable. How I wish this talent could be pasted on to the next of kin. That way, the Devonish name would be passed on to the next generation.
Thank you for this wonderful blog.
Thank you, I wish I could pass it on; but not possible currently.
Yep. After 50 years of pursuing one thing, I think you deserve a change if you want to! I would absolutely love to have been around for some of your exhibitions, especially in ceramics. I can well believe that you would rather put your time into actually creating things rather than running the business. I have also found that it is nearly impossible to find devoted employees that you can hand things off to. I do hope that you are able to make the needed changes so that you are both happy and fulfilled while still able to be self-sufficient.
Thank you, I sincerely hope to find an answer, in the meantime I am setting up a group of outlets to carry product on consignment. 2 hotels have already committed and 2 more are in discussions; the only issue is the hotel with the best sales choose the products; I was there one day to collect a small sculpture they were returning, when a visiting Glass artist bought it , I need to be free to create as I please. But it’s a start.
Hello,
This is a very interesting article concerning artwork made by you and your wife. Love the wood crafted fish listed here on your site and your wife’s jewelry. I and my daughters love to buy different hand-crafted jewelry to wear with everyday wear instead of fine jewelry. Going share your website with my friends and family to shop for your artwork.
Thanks ever so much, much appreciated.we are both of one mind, I hope we can find an answer, in discussions with one interested person who have the space and desire to concentrate on Art and crafts.
I would like to ask you after all these years building up a brand how does it feel leaving it, isn’t it very hard giving it like this.
And how is it to be 50 years in one industry when the world changed so much how did you adjust your self to this.
And thanks for learning me that when it’s time to take the step you take it no matter what.
I am a trained Teacher and gave it up in 1969 to be a full time artist, my work is my passion, things were OK when I could afford a staff, but things have changed, plus it is very hard to find honest, reliable persons, there are too many challenges.It’s time to restrict myself to the studios ceramics and wood.Thanks for the visit.
I came across this name when I was exploring Google maps of Anguilla as I wanna go for a trip to the Carribean.
I googled the name “Devonish Art Gallery” and there we go – what a nice website.
Awesome article as well.
Now once I read it, I feel like visiting the gallery as well. I am not quite sure when the trip will happen.
Sorry for the off-topic question, but when do you think it is the best time of year to visit Anguilla?
I prefer the low seasons.
Besides the weather – I also have checked your website. Have you crafted all by yourself? It is really amazing stuff. We don’t have this kind of Art in Europe – at least to my knowledge.
Anyways, I am glad I stopped by.
Wishing you lots of power
cheers
Thanks for stopping by, May, and June are low accommodation months, also November if you want to avoid the hurricane months, Look for Air B & B Deals the hotels can be expensive if you looking for an affordable holiday, You have a choice of many beautiful beaches and reasonable restaurants. Anguilla is not for the rich and famous only, There are affordable prices also. send me a note when you are planning if you need some help.
Hi, Courtney Devonish
I am very lucky to be able to read your blog post, Time For A Change. I think your rich life experience provides useful instructions for young people. Because I am also one of the young people, and you mentioned that you are ready to give up My art museum, and I spend the rest of my working time on creation. I very much agree with it, because I believe that professional things are left to professional people to do so that the maximum value can be exerted.
In addition, Internet sales are now very convenient. Maybe you can consider the way of online business.
I do have an online website, only today I received a sale for a sculpture, my issue is that many of our sales started on line with people coming to Anguilla for a holiday or repeat customers who visited Anguilla at some time. an on land mortar and brick store is very essential. I need to find the right balance. Thanks for comments.
Wow what an awesome journey you have taken. The opportunity to invest in your own lives through your business is remarkable. I agree that it is time to diversify and make changes. Spending time with what you love to do is a great way to spend the rest of your years. Still being productive and reaping the fruit of your experience. I wish you the best in your endeavors and look forward to hearing more. I took a look at some of your work. It really is awesome.
Thank you, I have enjoyed the journey, now that I no longer travel, I will be happy to be confined to both studios. Thanks for the visit.
This is rather a beautiful post that I found really worthy of a read. I am a big time fan of pure artistry and I know what it entails to really be an artist. Your journey with your brand has really come a long way and definitely, there is always room for a change. Though artistry can be stuck with with ones life but then, I understand your standpoint too concerning your brand. I wish you luck
Thank you, I have the thirst to create not manage.
Wow, the fact that you are committed to creating within your gallery shows that you are both creative individuals, who rather than being focused on selling and the business side of things, are instead very artistic which inspires me to be more creative and look into what fuels my soul, instead of looking at the wealth side of things.
Thanks for visiting, You have to eat and live comfortably, finances are important but you don’t have to be greedy.also our ages has a lot to do with it. I have been been CEO for 50 years
There is no doubt that life is getting harder for traditional businesses as new technology and more modern trends start to occupy peoples attention. It’s good however that you have been able to spend most of your working life doing something that you enjoy.
It’s also great that you got to participate in all those exhibitions in some very nice parts of the world too. I am visiting the Caribbean in April but unfortunately Anguilla is not on the itinerary. I will just have to enjoy your gallery through the medium of your website. I wish you well in finding some suitable retail outlets for your products
Thank you David, remember Anguilla is just a 20 minute ferry ride from St. Martin, and the ferries run every 45 minutes, so if St Martin is on your itinerary, you can easily add Anguilla, you will definitely thank me for the suggestion.I am busy working on the retail outlets.