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Victor Maccharoli - Jack Mohr, owner of Artamo Gallery at 11 W. Anapamu St.

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The art of owning a gallery

By RAY ESTRADA — Sep. 12, 2009

The problem with selling art, Santa Barbara gallery owner Jack Mohr said, is that it's not a necessity like food.

“But a friend of mine said, ‘Yes, it is – people just don’t know,” Mohr said as he sat in his gallery, Artamo, 11 W. Anapamu St.

Like most businessmen, Mohr said he hopes the recession has reached its bottom and there are no more brush fires to drive away tourists. “I just hope things don’t get worse,” he said.

Last year, just before the economic meltdown, Mohr said his gallery received a lot of attention in the Santa Barbara media. “But we didn’t sell anything,” he lamented.

Mohr compared selling art to fishing on a lake: “Even if you put a big worm on the hook, if they don’t bite, they don’t bite.”

Mohr and his wife, Elvira Monika Laskowski-Caujolle, opened the gallery almost five years ago after they moved permanently to California from Berlin 12 years ago. Mohr had visited his late father often when the elder man resided in the Bay Area. “We tell people we didn’t move to the United States,” Mohr said, “We moved to California.”

His wife teaches at Santa Barbara City College and is a publisher, editor and consultant.

Although he said too much art in Santa Barbara is of landscapes, Mohr said some galleries do have a good range of works. But he’s partial to his own because it has a spectrum that is unique in Santa Barbara.

Mohr has a master’s in graphic design, but has created a variety of art in painting,  ceramics and metal sculpture.

“The idea for (starting Artamo) came from the frustration about the lack of contemporary, especially abstract art and being overwhelmed by the landscape paintings when the discussion was to bring Santa Barbara on the ‘map for arts,” Mohr said. “It was not so much a business decision (there might have been a reason for that existing spectrum), but coming from the passion and belief that something is missing in the arts in town and that it would be a good thing to bring interesting art and artist to Santa Barbara, with thought-provoking and challenging works, to expand the richness of this artful community.”

Mohr said he has received many positive comments about his gallery so far, “but very much a sacrificing undertaking, throwing my savings, time, work and expertise in exploiting myself to sustain.”

As for his wife’s work, Mohr said, “Artamo Press was born especially of my wife’s background in literature and love for books and my interest in book design and knowledge in print.”

The couple started publishing poetry, including Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo poet laureates. They have printed six books so far. They had planned to go into literary fiction and other progressive types of literature, but found out that finding good manuscripts is even harder than finding good artists.

“But we will keep on with the publishing, just in a slower pace, as some of our distribution and storage needs are not yet satisfactory met,” Mohr said.

“ARS Metallica: Fine Art Made with Metal,” the show that opened Sept. 2 at Artamo, feature some of  Mohr’s work, as well as that of  Jorge Albertella, Jacques D’Auteuil, Gordon Huether, Taraneh Mozafarian and Michelle Y. Williams. Many of the metal sculptures and paintings combine glass or acrylic glass.

The multicultural artists are originally from Iran, Germany, Canada, France and Argentina. The show runs through Sept. 27.

“I don’t want to be in the mainstream,” Mohr said. “I like to bring in all of these influences.”

Mohr said he feels a responsibility to the artists in these tough times. “Everybody is  struggling,” he said. The gallery sells the work of about two dozen  artists who also market their art elsewhere.

So, Mohr advertises on art publications and tries to sell some works online.

“We still have to search for more high-quality artists because they are hard to find,” Mohr said while admitting he has a critical eye for what he sees at quality art. “You have to be critical,” he said.

Pointing to one of his paintings, he said a patron looked at it and didn’t like what appeared to be small nail heads sticking out of the canvas. “He said, ‘I don’t like that,’” Mohr recalled the viewer saying.

But that was part of the artist’s intention – not to disturb the viewer , but to get an emotional response. Mohr said the canvas of life is not always smooth.

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Small nail heads... : 9/12/2009

Those can only be removed by the new Nail Hunter, a great new nail/staple pulling pliers.

TJ Mecham

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We Need More Mohr : 9/12/2009

I just love this gallery. It is just like I would love my house. It is bright, cheerfull and beautiful. I work a block away and I always try to stop by and see each show. The owner, Mr. Mohr is always helpful and knowledgeable. I don't have much to spend, buy I have purchased two lovely small pieces including one of Mr. Mohr's ceramic boxes which sits on my coffee table.

Trixie Sims

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The Real Deal : 9/12/2009

Jack Mohr's gallery is a vital part of the Art World on the Central Coast. He is the only one with the courage to regularly exhibit the work of Abstract Artists. He is committed to showing the work of local, national and international artists. I am a patron of his gallery and wish him all the best.

Frank Goss

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: 9/12/2009

"too much art in Santa Barbara is of landscapes," perhaps that's because were one of the last coastal towns to still have landscapes.

Landscapes

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Not a smooth canvas of Life : 9/12/2009

For a long time now, Jack has been unselfishly supportive of a lot of really good artists who make REAL ART for Art's Sake, without any real financial reward. We often take it for granted that this slice of paradise has a lot of fine culture like art but without those exceptional people like Jack who take financial risks and use up their money, our art scene would be nothing but Poster Shops and t-shirt parlors.

Bob Mask

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Just Don't Get It : 9/13/2009

Pssst. Hey, I don't want anyone to know this, but I have been in this Gallery several times and I just don't get it. I would go in and see splots and dashes of color on canvas and nod wisely and grimace appropriately. The owner is always kind to me. He is engaging and talks that art talk that no secretary like me understands. And then one day I was in Artamo and looked at this little blue painting, by an artist in Germany, and even though I have no idea what it is about, it was fun. I can not explain it. It made me smile. It was $800 and he let me have it for a little less, but that did not persuade me. I had no business putting that kind of money out for anything. No movies or dinners-out for 6 months for me. My boyfriend took one look at it and wondered if I had hit my head. I have had it for almost two years now and every time I see it...it makes me smile. But geewiz, I still just don't get it.

Lolly Sanger

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Ditto : 9/13/2009

I am Lolly's boyfriend. It is a full time job. When she bought this little blue painting, I thought she was nuts. If fact.... Well never mind. She loves it and it does make her smile and that is what counts. We could have gone to Europe on that money, but for two years she has come out of our "living room" (which is just the big area in our studio apartment) and there is a twinkle in her eyes. She has the nicest blue eyes and when she smiles it is worth three trips to Europe.

Anonymous Lover of Art Lover

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Are you kidding? : 9/13/2009

I have never read a blog that was this nice. I figure visiting Artamo must be like watching Happy Days reruns. Everybody is happy. What a joke!

DTedMouser

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You have GOT to be kidding? : 9/13/2009

So this guy complains about his using his saving to run a gallery, and to make things a little better he decides to publish poetry books? Come on. Next he is going to open a soup kitchen?

Tired in Mid-Town

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Twixt or Tween : 9/13/2009

I can not figure out this City. The biggest local bank is going down in flames and this Art Gallery story gets more play. more readers, more comments, more discussion.

Go Figure.

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Abstract Art Gallery : 9/14/2009

Art that makes you think and wonder has the artist lost his marbles or have I for being here. The up and coming trend.

Guess again

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