Monday, August 31, 2020

Jennifer Angers Daerendinger, ROAM Gallery Owner and COVID 19 - Moving Forward in Vancouver and in Sarnia Ontario

Jennifer Angers Daerendinger is a Gallery Owner and Artist, previously based in Vancouver, but now based in Sarnia, Ontario. Not only did she have a gallery in Vancouver,  but she took her Art to many charity events including Little Black Dress Gala. I first met Jennifer at ROAM Gallery, in Vancouver and then met her again at the Little Black Dress Gala and Art Vancouver. Jennifer is featured in our 2017 Little Black Dress Gala post here and the last Art Vancouver event here

In addition to her fantastic gallery in Sarnia and contributions to traveling art exhibitions, Jennifer also features new Artists with daily horoscopes as a way to draw intention to Art. I always look forward to these! 

Some of her Artists recently were part of Art Vancouver, Art Downtown, so timing is perfect for an interview! I asked her to tell us more about ROAM and what she is doing to keep her Artists in the spotlight, during COVID 19. She continues to bring Art to us in Vancouver, as well as in Sarnia.

Thanks to Marilyn R. Wilson for the Covid 19 interview idea! 




Jennifer, Colleen, and Keiko


From a 2015 Roam Event in Vancouver


From a 2015 Roam Event in Vancouver


At the recent Art Vancouver event - Roam gallery Artist Roman Rozumnyi


At the recent Art Vancouver event - Roam gallery Artist Iris Mes Low

Please tell us about your business: length of time; audience; main goals?

I opened Roam Gallery in November of 2013 as a brick & mortar gallery in City Square Shopping Centre in Vancouver. At that time I only had a Facebook page and by 2015 I had a website up and running. My audience is everyone who loves art and my clientele includes both artists and art lovers. To be honest, I saw a whole lot of artists who were really very good but who were unable to find a place in galleries alongside the more established artists, so my goal became to bring exposure to these unknown talents by providing a professional environment where they and an art-appreciating public could connect. 

How did you work with people prior to the COVID-19 pandemic?

So because my gallery went online in 2018, when I moved from Vancouver to Sarnia, it’s been pretty much business as usual. The only thing that has been difficult has been the impact of COVID-19 on supply chains and shipping because artists have had challenges getting what they need in order to create. That has slowed sales somewhat but I’m confident that as the country begins to return to a more normal business flow, things will return to the previous more consistent sales model.  Besides which, prior to the pandemic, because Shawn Bergman chose Roam as the official gallery of Canuck the Crow, we had gained a worldwide audience that continues to visit the virtual Canuck exhibition on our site. 

How has social isolation affected your business and you and your staff/artists?

I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working remotely from my home office for many years, so isolation is nothing new to me; besides which, technology allows me to be in constant contact with artists and buyers alike and through social media, I have been able to create safe spaces for the artists to show their work. When the world first went into lockdown, I wasn’t going out as much so I had the time to get even more creative with how I promote the artists. That has opened up new avenues for exposing their work to potential buyers, for example, anyone in the Sarnia area can stop-in to Dog Eat Dog in Mitton Village or to Urban Escape Inc. downtown to see original work by some of Roam Gallery’s artists. 

What are some of your strategies to reach your audience at this time?

Maintaining a constant and consistent presence on Instagram and Facebook continues to be integral to keeping the artwork out there for prospective buyers to see. I often get told that FB is passé and Instagram is for the “young and beautiful” so both platforms reach different audiences which alone might not be as affective, but in concert together provides great exposure. Both serve well to direct everyone to our website and because that website is maintained so effectively, there are always new artists and new art to reward the visitors!

Do you have a motto, mantra, role model, mentor, work of art, something that keeps you moving forward during COVID-19?

Life is hard. You have to keep moving through it. I have nothing but empathy for what many people are going through with this pandemic, so the artists and I have worked hard to put something positive out there for others to enjoy and that began with the “Have a Heart” show where all work was priced at $125. The intent was to give others something to smile at that was also more budget-friendly for anyone going through tough times. To coin a phrase - “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

Read more on Jennifer's Facebook page or her website here!

No comments:

 
© 2012. Design by Main-Blogger - Blogger Template and Blogging Stuff
UA-21300137-1