Tommy May & Bluedoor Gallery
Hi! This is a newsletter about artists I like.
I began acquiring art through some friends that worked in galleries. I started small, working on a limited budget, for stuff I could afford. As time passed, my collection grew, and it was exciting to watch many of the artists I'd collected go on to bigger shows and critical acclaim.
My goal with this newsletter is to make a digestible resource for anyone interested in artists that are making great (and still affordable!) work, whom you haven't heard about... yet.
You are an artist, a dealer, and advisor, can you describe a day in the life and how you can navigate making, selling, and advising art?
Tommy: Every day is different ! Because the space is used as a gallery and studio things are constantly changing. I normally wake up and walk the neighborhood where I answer emails, have a phone call and send images of work I like that I think others would too. When a show is up our hours are 1-5pm so that we can paint in the morning. When we are In between shows she paints on one wall and I paint on the other. The response from collectors and artists that visit is that they enjoy that the space wears many hats and that it is a welcoming space for us to share not only our work but others.
With you and your life partner both being artists, do you work alongside one another or is it easier to work at a different times to not interrupt each other’s flow?
We work alongside each other and have always shared a studio. We enjoy this as we are able to share ideas about our work and help each other get better. Though I can be distracting and I think she would prefer to have a wall separating us at times.
Can you describe your art gallery? And why you started it ?
Tommy: The gallery happened very organically. I have a thirst for knowledge in the art world and do extensive research on artists I am interested in. I wanted to be closer to that information so I pursued a career at galleries here in LA. I looked at some Wesselman drawings in the back office of a gallery I interviewed for and knew I was in the right place. There wasn’t the right position for me open at the time and a mentor of mine said to not discount going out on your own and starting a gallery. Within a week I was transitioning our studio into a gallery space that would open during Frieze week in LA.
The focus of the gallery is to show emerging contemporary with a focus on abstraction. The space is still our studio- we are doing a back and forth balancing act of showing others work and making our own.
What are some resources for people to get more comfortable buying artwork from artists? IG accounts? Or specific books?
Tommy: Great question! This is the topic of a conversation I had with a collector just recently. I think instagram is a fantastic tool to find new artists. I engage with a lot of people online everyday sharing things we like.
Danny Bowman of Bozo Mag has a fantastic program, he is constantly finding great work to show in his main space and now office space. Alberto Chehebar is a collector who has a sharp eye for young talent. La Loma Projects is also a great program to find artists at all levels of their careers. Besides instagram I read all the art publications like Artnet and Artsy. There is always artists in “Artists on our radar” articles that are new to me. Another great resource is to look at what galleries are bringing to fairs, especially the younger fairs to find artists at a lower price point that are just gaining exposure.
-Any artists you are particularly excited about? Perhaps a show down the line?
I am excited about a lot of artists right now ! As always. I am showing Merrick Adams in the current show and think they are exceptional abstract paintings. I am also very excited about his partner Kate Pincus-Whitney’s work. We just had dinner at their house and felt like we were living in one of her table scenes. Kelly Lyne Jones just had a fantastic show at The Pit and will be included in a group show at my gallery this fall. Devin Osorio is another artist I love right now, I only wish I had arrived earlier to his solo show at Charlie James Gallery because they were all sold.
-What’s the best way for someone to reach out about buying a work of yours ?
The best way to reach out about my work and artists I showcase is the gallery email : Tommy@bluedoor.art
Whats next for your partner, Gwen?
My partner Gwen O’Neil is working on several projects right now with Anat Ebgi and Anna Erickson Presents. She is in a Group show with Anat Ebgi this June as well as a solo presentation at Untitled Art Fair in Miami with Anna Erickson and a Solo show with Anat Ebgi Gallery in May 2023.