Q & A : Southern Vermont Gallery Owners
Helmholz Fine Art Gallery
442 Depot St , Manchester Center , VT 05255
helmholzfineart . com Owner – Lisa Helmholz-Adams
Q : How did you first get involved in the Southern Vermont arts scene ?
A : My love of art comes from my parents , and where I was raised : Dakar , Senegal , the furthest tip of West Africa . My father was a director for the World Health Organization . While living in Senegal , he started an impressive collection of African Art . He has donated various African sculptures to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City . I was always with him during his travels . I was part of the buying process and formed strong cultural connections that shaped my worldview at an early age . My parents always took my brothers and I
46 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine . com to museums and big art exhibitions from the time that we were children . When I settled here in Vermont 32 years ago , I really got interested in the art gallery world , and I ’ ve been doing this kind of work ever since . My mother is my Director . She has a Fine Arts degree from Pratt Institute . She has always been an artist and owned her own businesses . Her knowledge of the Arts is incredibly impressive . Everyone always loves seeing her . Her personality is so uplifting . Every time you see her , you will always leave feeling so good and like you have learned so much that you didn ’ t know before . Before I opened Helmholz Fine Art , I ran another gallery for 20 years , and I formed some wonderful relationships during that time . I went on to open my own gallery with support from my husband and sons . The business is truly a family endeavor . I ’ ve been here for five years at my current location , and it ’ s been an incredible experience . The gallery is in an enormous space . I have some very , very large Masterpiece Paintings and beautiful sculptures in my collection , so it ’ s a perfect place to showcase them .
Q : How would you describe your gallery ’ s presentation , ambience , and aesthetic ?
A : I always hear people say that they love the artists that I represent – especially the way that I curate their work in my gallery . Over 25 years of curating major exhibitions , I have learned so much , and I bring that experience and knowledge to the gallery . Lighting plays a huge part in the presentation . Most people don ’ t realize the time and effort that it takes to properly position and light all of the works in a gallery , and even more time and attention goes into my preparation for a show . Details , details ! I ’ m not a gallery of 30-50 Artists - I ’ m a gallery of an impressive 12-15 artists and sculptors , as well as mixed media and high-end photography pieces . My experience has shown me that when I used to represent 30-50 artists – both