“Art Maven Consulting brought order to the chaos of my artistic life. In working with Almitra, her thoughtful analysis of my painting practice has been most important. She clearly understands where my work fits into an historical and cultural context, and the tangential connections it has to other artists and styles. This kind of informed critique, paired with Almitra’s brilliant knowledge of the art market, has been most valuable. This is why I expect to continue to work with Almitra, because as my painting evolves, all of the aforementioned dynamics will shift, too. I’ll rely on Almitra to guide me through this challenging and ever-changing aesthetic and business landscape.”
RJ Grady, painter, Boston, MA
rjgrady.com
“The art world is full of obscurities that can make it difficult for an emerging artist to navigate. The knowledge and expertise Almitra shared came at a crucial moment in my career as part of a major private foundation grant I won. Her guidance and mentorship was incredibly helpful in developing my organizational, practical and professional skills and the effective promotion of my work.
Almitra supported and advised me through several significant events and achievements: my first art fair, important exhibitions, public speaking engagements, and my relationships with gallerists. She provided specific tools to tackle a range of challenges, including precise practical tips for best email management and email newsletter practices, as well as guidance on taxes, and recommendations for the general promotion of my work. She also advised me on issues as abstract as my desire to transcend being pigeonholed within a particular artistic genre.
A big part of Almitra’s impact on my career was helping me to articulate and better communicate my ideas through writing tips and text revisions, as well as advice on speaking and writing in a more concise and clear manner, which was particularly important for me as a non-native English speaker. I now have a vast resource of notes and tips from Almitra to which I keep returning, and I won’t hesitate to reach out to her in the future as new challenges arise.”
Joiri Minaya, interdisciplinary artist, New York, NY
joiriminaya.com
“When it was time to change my New York City gallery representation, Almitra was the first and only person I considered to help me. I’ve known her for many years, and was always impressed with her knowledge of the commercial gallery industry. But, just as important, I always looked forward to her studio visits and thoughtful critiques of my work. I knew I could trust Almitra to recommend potential venues that would be a good fit for me. She researched a targeted list of galleries, and helped me get my presentation and promotional materials up to snuff. It was a time consuming effort, made much easier due to Almitra’s expertise. The entire process paid off. Thanks to Almitra, I now have exclusive representation with a great New York City gallery, and I’ve been recommending Almitra to fellow artists ever since.”
David Barnett, assemblage/collage artist, Tarrytown, NY
davidbarnettworks.com
“Almitra, thank you so much for your thorough examination of my work and my promotional efforts. I feel as though I have hit the jackpot after speaking with you. There is much to do but the scaffolding that you have created is a godsend. As a result of our consultation, I now have a clear agenda that will focus my efforts. The work that you have done on my behalf will undoubtedly make a difference in my career.”
Gaela Erwin, painter, Louisville, KY
gaelaerwin.com
“Thanks to Almitra, all of my presentation materials are now improved, from an awesome reboot of my website, to the articulate translation of my artistic vision into words. She provided me with a list of galleries to pursue, and she gave me advice on how to present myself to them. I now have representation, and my work will be featured in a major international art fair this year. I’m stoked that my career is now moving full-speed ahead.”
Alexander Krivosheiw, sculptor, Palm Beach, FL
alexanderssculptures.com
“I highly recommend Almitra. Working with her gave my career the boost it needed. Almitra is insightful and thoughtful and took the time to get to know me as an artist and to understand my work. I found her guidance invaluable. She helped to make my website stronger and provided useful tips on how to use my website to promote my art. My entire career has been spent on the East Coast and I recently wanted to make a move to West Coast cities, including Seattle. Almitra provided a list of galleries in my target area of Seattle. With her assistance, I created a promotional brochure to send to them, and I’m now represented by Gallery IMA in Seattle. ”
Diane Brawarsky, mixed media artist, Dobbs Ferry, NY
dianebrawarsky.com
“I had the opportunity to work with Almitra over the course of a year through a major private foundation grant. Throughout our consultations, Almitra provided thoughtful advice focusing on bigger picture issues within my artistic practice and career, such as contextualizing my work, career planning, and working through conceptual concerns of specific projects. Almitra’s critical, yet generous approach led me to become better prepared for grant proposals, my tenure review process, and the planning of a major community-based public art project. Not only was her coaching style generative, it also gave me a chance to reflect on my values and priorities as an artist and educator. Almitra understands the artistic process and offered a genuine ear to my questions and challenges. She listens with warmth and helped me strengthen my artistic voice. “
Maria Gaspar, artist, Chicago, IL
mariagaspar.com
“At a critical time of change in my career, Almitra helped me focus and set priorities. She provided concrete feedback and guidance for my website redesign and a clear set of next steps for me to take to increase my marketing and outreach.
Merill Comeau, artist and art educator, Boston, MA
www.merillcomeau.com
“A consultant to Joan Mitchell Foundation grant recipients since 2013, Almitra provides one-on-one mentoring sessions offering expert practical advice helping our artists identify and implement solutions to their day-to-day career challenges. She is committed to understanding each artist’s priorities and goals in order to develop and deliver thoughtfully constructed, customized information, guidance and tips. Almitra provides a great combination of professionalism and enthusiasm, with genuine warmth and compassion, to support a vast range of artists’ needs.”
Shervone Neckles-Ortiz, Artist Programs Manager, Professional Development, Joan Mitchell Foundation, New York, NY
joanmitchellfoundation.org
“I received one-on-one mentoring from Almitra as part of a major private foundation grant. Throughout 2016, we had several consultations, targeting my website, updating my artist biography, cultivating a list of galleries in key cities, and strategizing time management. Almitra’s guidance came at a pivotal juncture in my career, helping me transition to a fulltime self-sustaining artist. Her approach was intuitive, professional, and addressed my specific needs. My sessions included in-person and Skype meetings, as well as written feedback. Almitra provided an unbiased sounding board for my concerns navigating the art world, as well as practical advice for streamlining administrative details. Each session left me feeling motivated and optimistic. Moving forward, I have a comprehensive artistic vision and feel confident that I now have the tools to build my career toward my future goals.”
Wendy Red Star, multidisciplinary artist, Portland, OR
wendyredstar.com
“I had reached a roadblock in my painting career. While I am disciplined and work most days in the studio, I wasn’t expanding my network, nor was I being offered exhibition opportunities. I felt isolated and discouraged. Just as my spirits hit bottom, a colleague shared the positive experience she had working with Almitra. I knew I needed to do something different—take a risk—, and enlisted Almitra’s assistance. After helping me improve my website, artist’s statement, and resume, she coached me on how to approach curators and gallery owners, and provided me with an extensive list of venues to contact. Her deep and broad understanding of the art world opened up possibilities for me. I am thrilled. My confidence is restored and I feel hopeful and excited about the future.”
Diane Messinger, painter, Truro, MA
dianemessinger.com
“Almitra is an excellent advisor, providing practical, objective advice on the presentation of a clear artistic vision. We have phone consultations on a regular basis, which has helped me identify, refine and achieve my goals. She helped me understand the art market, as well as specifics about galleries and alternative venues. Linked into a broad network of resources and colleagues, she has provided many opportunities and connections I simply would not have found without her assistance. Finally, Almitra is personable, approachable and fantastic to work with.”
Philip Noyed, multimedia artist, Minneapolis, MN
philipnoyed.com
“Over the course of a year, I had the great privilege of working with Almitra to strategize how my multidisciplinary practice can better reach its audience. She helped me reorganize my website, tighten my artist statement, hone in on the gallery world, and develop my application writing. As a queer artist working across diverse media, my work benefited from Almitra’s concrete examples for bringing clarity to complicated ideas and avoiding unnecessary jargon. She helped me recognize that these elements of an artist’s professional life are not so terrifying after all, that these skills can be harnessed, and she showed me how these pieces fit together to make the ideal space for the art to be art.”
Kerry Downey, multidisciplinary artist, Brooklyn, NY
kerrydowney.com
“I had the pleasure of working with Almitra as part of a major private foundation award I received. This proved to be instrumental in refining the text used to define my projects, as well as grant and fellowship applications. She also provided suggestions for the development of my website and the representation of my work through media sources. With Almitra’s assistance, I’ve been able to develop and polish the professional presentation and promotion of my work through a lens that applies to both my process and work ethic. I am grateful for her time and energy spent over the course of the year we worked together.”
Adriana Corral, interdisciplinary artist, Texas
davidsheltongallery.com/adriana_corral
“While working at the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2008, I brought Almitra in to consult with artists regarding professional development. I knew her extensive experience in the art world would allow her to provide useful advice to artists at all career stages. Almitra is a gifted listener and natural advisor. She understands each individual artist’s priorities and aspirations and helps them identify what it takes to get there. She is the ideal consultant for any artist ready to take the next steps to advance their career.”
Christa Blatchford, formerly Artists’ Learning Officer, New York Foundation for the Arts, Brooklyn, NY
nyfa.org