Gallery Guichard goes virtual

The Gallery Guichard Virtual Exhibit Catalog will enable more people to view art and art will be available for a longer time. Photos courtesy of Gallery Guichard
The Gallery Guichard Virtual Exhibit Catalog will enable more people to view art and art will be available for a longer time. Photos courtesy of Gallery Guichard

Gallery Guichard goes virtual

BY TIA CAROL JONES

Gallery Guichard has been known for its innovation and collaboration throughout its 15-year existence. Continuing with that, the gallery made its art available virtually in the midst of COVID-19.

Gallery Guichard is located at 436 E. 47th St. in the Bronzeville community and is owned by Andre and Frances Guichard and their business partner, Stephen Mitchell.

Andre Guichard said during the pandemic, they looked at how large art galleries and exhibitions were bringing customers to the viewing experience. He said it was very outdated and used slideshow technology.

“We just kept looking at different things that were out there and were able to find technology that was already in existence for real estate and that helped us to keep pushing the idea further to bring people into the space,” he said.

Frances said COVID-19 has inspired creatives to think outside the box. “When COVID first started, everybody was in a panic. And then, as we settled down and realized this was going to be for some time, we realized that we had to think differently than what we normally did,” she said.

What they came up with is the Virtual Exhibit Catalog, which allows people to see the art as if they were inside the gallery, learn about the artist from a device – laptop, mobile phone or tablet.

“This is a tool we can use to move forward in this environment. And, not only in this environment, but also afterwards because this is still a tool we can use on a regular basis as a part of our business plan,” Frances said. “The VEC gives us the opportunity to reach people not only nationally, but internationally. It gives us the ability to travel the artwork around the world without moving it from the gallery.”

The Virtual Exhibit Catalog allows the gallery to connect with people everywhere. Andre Guichard said there has been a paradigm shift.

“If it were an exhibit at Gallery Guichard, that exhibit would have a life of 60 to 90 days when that exhibit would stand in the gallery and people, who would either travel from around the country and Chicago, to see it would be the limit of our exposure and it would be a finite amount of time that exhibit would last,” he said.

Andre Guichard said the exhibit can be shared across the country and across the world. And, people can have the feeling of being in the building and being in the space.

The exhibit that opened on Saturday, June 27, the Eighth Annual McRae Fine Art Home Show, is a show that is usually hosted in Washington, DC, for a weekend. With the Virtual Exhibition Catalog, that exhibit is available for more time and reaches more people.

“In essence, when we have exhibit openings in the gallery, we have a couple of hundred people who come to the opening. Now, with the Virtual Exhibit Catalog we have and these zoom openings we have along with them, that allows us to have an opening with thousands and thousands of people across the world, Mitchell said. “Our audience has been broadened. People are able to view it from the luxury of their own home, at their own time. The catalog is just a very useful tool for the consumer.”

Frances said the catalog has been very successful so far. People have come into the gallery to see a piece in person after seeing it on the catalog. “It’s just really been a really great tool to keep us going during this period when sales are slow and sluggish,” she said.

Gallery Guichard will also participate in a Virtual Trolley Tour of the Bronzeville Arts District, which will take place every third Friday of the month, beginning, July 17, until Dec. 18.

For more information on Gallery Guichard, visit www.galleryguichard.com. For more information on the Virtual Trolley

Tour of the Bronzeville Arts District, visit bit.ly/bronzevillearttrolleytour.

Latest Stories

Latest Podcast

Sydney Blaylock-The local skater with national experience