gallery spotlight I by Peggy Stortz i l · · ^STUDIO 2: Letting the Artist Take Charge S o m e t i m e s t h i n g s just evolve. W h e n w e e m b a r k o n a n e w adventure, w e c a n never b e quite sure w h e r e w e will e n d u p . S u c h is t h e c a s e f o r l o c a l p h o t o g r a p h e r T a m a r a R o b e r t s . W h e n she set u p h e r p h o t o g r a p h y s t u d i o at t h e c o r n e r o f 1 5 t h a n d Fell S t r e e t , little d i d s h e k n o w t h a t i n a f e w s h o r t m o n t h s s h e w o u l d b e i m p a c t i n g t h e lives o f m a n y e s t a b l i s h e d a n d e m e r g i n g artists. B u t as f a t e w o u l d h a v e it, R o b e r t s ' e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l spirit c o u p l e d w i t h h e r g e n u i n e interest in art e v o l v e d i n t o a n i n n o v a t i v e "artist r e s p o n s i b l e " gallery. The artists m u s t h a n g their s h o w , s e n d o u t their invitations, h o s t t h e o p e n i n g r e c e p t i o n , g a l l e r y sit a n d de-install t h e e x h i b i t i o n . A f e w m o n t h s a f t e r s h e m o v e d i n t o t h e n e w l y - r e n o v a t e d facility, Roberts realized that s h e h a d a lot m o r e space than she They usually are able t o m a n a g e t h e details o f m o u n t i n g such a n e x h i b i t i o n w i t h h e l p f r o m f r i e n d s o r f a m i l y . If t h e y require have t h e artistic eye. M o s t l y I w e n t w i t h a g u t f e e l i n g . " The a p p l i c a n t s t h i n n e d o u t a bit w h e n t o l d that S T U D I O 2 w o u l d b e a n " a r t i s t r e s p o n s i b l e " g a l l e r y , b u t it d i d n ' t t a k e l o n g b e f o r e R o b e r t s h a d t h e rest o f 2 0 0 3 b o o k e d s o l i d . " T h e artists are r e s p o n s i b l e f o r m o s t a s p e c t s o f t h e i r e x h i b i t i o n , " s h e says. " T h e y r e n t t h e s p a c e f r o m m e f o r o n e m o n t h at a t i m e a n d , i n e x c h a n g e f o r t h e rent, t h e g a l l e r y is theirs t o d o w i t h as t h e y w i s h . " required f o r her o w n business. Her commissions, many of t h e m w e d d i n g s a n d f a m i l y portraits, w e r e m o r e likely t o t a k e h e r t o t h e b e a c h o r a b e a u t i f u l p a r k s e t t i n g . S h e h a d little n e e d f o r t h e l a r g e f r o n t r o o m w i t h its t h r e e l a r g e p i c t u r e w i n d o w s , high ceilings, track-lighting a n d h a r d w o o d floors. Then an idea began to hatch. professional assistance, they c a n hire a gallery c o o r d i n a t o r through STUDIO 2 to help t h e m . M o s t o f t h e artists h a v e n e v e r h a d a s o l o s h o w b e f o r e a n d R o b e r t s is d e l i g h t e d t o p r o v i d e t h e e m e r g i n g artists w i t h this o p p o r t u n i t y . To d a t e a l m o s t all t h e e x h i b i t i o n s h a v e b e e n s o l o . " H a v i n g a s o l o s h o w a l l o w s t h e artist t o s h o w t h e s c o p e o f t h e i r w o r k r a t h e r t h a n In M a y o f 2 0 0 3 , Roberts' mother, Betty Roberts, a Victoria having only a piece or t w o in a g r o u p e x h i b i t i o n . " a r t i s t , h e l d a s o l o s h o w i n t h e f r o n t r o o m o f t h e s t u d i o . It w a s a great success a n d p e o p l e e n c o u r a g e d Roberts t o consider hosting other s h o w s in t h e venue. She advertised, thinking that she c o u l d host t h e o d d exhibition o n a casual basis. W i t h i n t w o d a y s , s h e received m o r e t h a n 1 5 0 calls f r o m artists w h o w a n t e d a gallery t o s h o w their w o r k . Roberts w a s o v e r w h e l m e d . B e c a u s e R o b e r t s is o n t h e p r e m i s e s s o m e o f t h e t i m e , s h e d o e s h e l p w i t h s a l e s . "I w a n t t h e m t o b e s u c c e s s f u l . I'm h a p p y t o s e l l . I'm a n a t u r a l a t it b e c a u s e t h a t ' s w h a t I d o w i t h m y o w n b u s i n e s s . " S h e also a d v e r t i s e s in c o m m u n i t y listings a n d a d d s h e r o w n c o n t a c t s t o t h e m a i l i n g list f o r t h e o p e n i n g a n d exhibition. Presently she d o e s n ' t c h a r g e a n y t h i n g extra for t h e s e services b u t b e g i n n i n g in 2 0 0 5 s h e will i n c l u d e a very s m a l l c o m m i s s i o n in t h e c o n t r a c t . W i t h such a huge response to her advertisement, Roberts h a d t o m a k e s o m e quick decisions. N o t a curator herself, s h e k n e w t h a t s h e c o u l d o n l y p r o v i d e t h e g a l l e r y s p a c e if t h e a r t i s t s t o o k c a r e o f all t h e l o g i s t i c a l a s p e c t s o f t h e i r s h o w s . S h e set u p some guidelines, interviewed prospective exhibitors a n d w e e d e d t h e m d o w n t o the people w h o w e r e serious. Roberts has a solid b a c k g r o u n d in business. S h e trained as a n esthetician a n d by age twenty-seven o w n e d her o w n shop. A f t e r a f e w years, s h e d e c i d e d t o c h a n g e careers a n d studied p h o t o g r a p h y . S h e set u p s h o p calling her n e w enterprise Focus O n Y o u P h o t o g r a p h y . In n o t i m e s h e h a d a s u c c e s s f u l b u s i n e s s p h o t o g r a p h i n g w e d d i n g s a n d portraits. She keeps a permanent R o b e r t s a s k e d t h e artists t o c o m e d o w n a n d b r i n g a p i e c e o f work. " I ' m n o t a j u r o r a n d I'm n o t a c u r a t o r b u t I c e r t a i n l y July I A u g u s t