Allison Manch, “Gimme Shelter,” 2009, bleached and dyed quilt with hand embroidery, 51 x 55 inches.

I once heard a dealer mention how envious he was of another gallery because he felt that they were showing some great art, but art that would be difficult to sell nonetheless.

I took that to mean, “Never regret what you show, show what you believe in, and don’t worry about whether or not it can sell.” I’m fortunate to deal with art and artists I enjoy, and I hope my excitement and enthusiasm for their work is something I can transfer to others.

There is an audience for anything and everything; the work is finding and making those connections.

I’ve seen shows happen because of introductions, and friendships form all because people came to an opening and relaxed enough to have conversations with strangers. Sometimes artists are unsure how to meet curators or writers, or even other artists, especially when they can benefit one another.

I joke that I am @matchdotcom on twitter, but hooking up the right people gets pretty exciting when you consider the potentials.

Installation view of I AM HERE, MO FO, with work by Ruth van Beek and Philip Miner.

I had been thinking about opening a gallery in my house for some time, and the economic crash just hurried the event.

I figured, “Why not?” Things are so bad, nothing could get worse. So a few months of brainstorming with some friends and in October 2010, SEASON opened.

Sharon Butler, “Moondog,” 2012, pigment, binder and pencil on raw canvas, 72 x 84 inches.

Apartment galleries and dual-site galleries have been around a long time, so what I’m doing is not new by any means. I’m just adapting a proven format to meet my needs and abilities.

Originally, it was important to me to pair a local artist with an out-of-towner, to show how our local artists fit into larger conversations. The first two years were these pairings, and they always were one guy and one girl artist. On one occasion I had a father/son show, so the next show was two women. Gender balance was important to me, as I seemed to always hear grumbling about too many sausage shows.

Funny thing, people rarely noticed the balanced shows until I mentioned how many I had had. Seems grumbling about things is easier than paying attention.

Installation view of PRETTY LITTER at Prole Drift.

I currently have two solo shows up. SEASON is showing Dawn Cerny, and downtown, PRETTY LITTER is showing paintings by JD Banke, in a gallery share with Prole Drift. This is the third time Prole Drift has loaned the space to me. Dirk Park’s generosity has allowed my artist to see their work differently and given me a chance to meet new visitors. We’re trying to open the gallery format up to different options. People are starting to notice.

Photos by Robert Yoder.