Gallery Spotlight: The Tanya Weddemire Gallery

As part of ARTERNAL’s ongoing commitment to fostering equity and accessibility in the art world, we’ve created a series dedicated to highlighting clients whose distinctive experiences and innovative practices help broaden participation and representation in the arts.

Often, those in the art world desire to distance themselves from traditional, “corporate” concepts. Art is acquired, not sold. Galleries have clients, not customers. Clients must be worthy of the art they want to acquire. Yet, as Tanya Weddemire transitioned from the life of a luxury retail executive to the owner of a contemporary art gallery in Brooklyn’s bustling Industry City, she decided that instead of shying away from corporate stereotypes, she would use her experience to turn her passion into something important and lasting. And as the CEO (a title you rarely, or if ever, see in the art world) of the Tanya Weddemire Gallery, that is precisely what she built. 

The ARTERNAL team was lucky to learn more about Tanya, her gallery, and her mission. Here is her story. 

Who is Tanya Weddemire?

With an established and profitable gallery that features the work of black and brown artists, Tanya fused her artistic passion and years of experience in the corporate world to create something truly special. 

A quick Google search will tell you that Tanya has made an impact on the art world. In three years of existence, the Tanya Weddemire Gallery has been featured in numerous local and national publications, her exhibitions featuring black artists with cultural messages have made a lasting impact in Brooklyn, and her story which takes her from Montego Bay to New York is a known and worthy read. 

When speaking about the artists her gallery represents, such as Moses Salihou, Gregory St. Amand, Blu Murphy, and O’Neil Scott, Tanya’s tone hints at more than mere respect. You can feel that she understands the responsibility of exhibiting their art and telling their story. 

The artwork her gallery displays represents first-generation from the African Diaspora in the United States, Canada and Africa. It represents decades of struggle and their many contributions. It represents the soul of black and brown artists. These are the responsibilities that must be held to the highest level, and as a CEO, Tanya Weddemire welcomes that honor.

Lessons from the Tanya Weddemire Gallery

When Tanya decided to enter the art world, she knew two very important things: The gallery would be about the artists, and the gallery would be a business. This is how she made that work.

Lesson 1: Identify a Problem Statement

“The Tanya Weddemire Gallery is a brand that stands for greater representation of emerging artist and their body of works. As a Gallerist, Curator and Art Dealer my views are truly to look at each body of works and understand each narrative in order to be able to share the artists’ intent with viewers.” Tanya Weddemire. Originally featured in a July 27, 2023 article by Canvas Rebel. 

Tanya knew that to create something lasting, she would need to start at the beginning. Her career with successful brands like Pottery Barn, Natuzzi Italia, and Ethan Allen led her to create a simple yet powerful problem statement for her brand: black and brown artists are not only under-represented…they are also not understood. 

By tying her brand, goals, and business plans to solving this problem, Tanya created a mission for her gallery. This mission created a North Star that guided her as her business grew.  

Lesson 2: Sticking to the Mission

“The primary lesson I learned in my corporate experience that I brought with me to the art world is to stick to your mission. I wanted people to understand the artist as a person, and I’ve stuck with that mission every step of the way.” Tanya Weddemire

Tanya’s mission was clear: Celebrate traditionally underrepresented artists by highlighting the artist as a person and creator. While studying at Philadelphia University, Tanya grew to learn that artists are often not fully appreciated during their lives. Given the struggle, passion, purpose, and influence artists pour into their projects, Tanya felt a responsibility to change this, and this is how her gallery was born. 

Lesson 3: Leaning on Others for Advice

“The community at Industry City was a major source of support for me when I first started. And it still is today.” Tanya Weddemire

As a corporate executive before her gallery days, Tanya learned to lean on others for support. This was a valuable lesson she brought with her to the art world, and she continued to lean on the experience of others to help her and her gallery grow. Through the thriving community of Industry City, a historical Brooklyn landmark turned into a cultural and business hub of over 700 thriving businesses, Tanya had ample opportunity to engage, learn, and grow. This was a significant source of support as she began her journey as a gallery owner and something she still relies on today. 

Lesson 4: Sharing and Growing

“I’ve had a mentor since I was 18. I can’t imagine my career if she didn’t share her experiences with me. We have to share our challenges so we can all collectively grow.” Tanya Weddemire

For Tanya, it doesn’t stop at learning. While the welcomed burden of representation is her primary purpose, sharing and continued growth are critical to what makes Tanya unique. She welcomes input and enjoys speaking about her triumphs and receiving feedback to help correct her roadblocks. For her, there are no industry secrets, just a mission to expose the essence of her artists.  

Lesson 5: Having the Right Tools

“You need to have a good CRM to run a successful business. It’s a must-have.” Tanya Weddemire

The art world has a romanticized feel, with many gallerists bypassing technology to work strictly from their heart and soul. For some art galleries, it’s not unusual, and perhaps it’s welcomed, to maintain a purely paper-based record system. Collector preferences, needs, and interests (a precious and protected commodity) feel safest when nestled into the cerebral crannies of a gallery owner or director. Yet, Tanya’s experience told her she needed more. 

Early on, Tanya knew the importance of a proper Client Relationship Management (CRM) tool. She wanted to focus on sharing the life of her artists, not manual and repetitive administrative tasks. She wanted to make sure an opportunity didn’t slip between the cracks. She wanted to do the best she could for her artists. This is how she found ARTERNAL. 

Leaning on another core principle, a nearby gallery with a similar mission showed her how they used ARTERNAL to communicate with their clients and organize artwork for fairs and exhibitions. Tanya was thrilled to incorporate this type of solution into her gallery. In just a few short weeks, she was able to simplify sales processes, communicate with collectors the way she wanted to, and get back to her mission.  

Embracing the Business Side of Art

In many ways, Tanya’s entrance into the art world was supported by a near-cheat-code-level mentality. She had the passion and purpose that drove many to find their way in this exceptional and sacred world, yet she came fully loaded with the knowledge of how to run a business, and backed by her self-funded efforts, she could do it her way. 

As a diverse business with a diverse team, ARTERNAL is proud to spotlight and work with a disruptor like Tanya. Along with the incredible artists her gallery represents, Tanya continues to not only embolden the mantra “representation matters,” but she also lives and embraces that message daily.

To learn more about the Tanya Weddemire Gallery, please visit their website at https://tanyaweddemiregallery.org/