An Interview with a Dealer: Matthew Rachman
Each week, CGN interviews a local art dealer to discuss the ins and outs of running a gallery in the city of Chicago. This week we caught up with Matthew Rachman of Matthew Rachman Gallery.
Gallery: Matthew Rachman Gallery
Name: Matthew Rachman
Age: 47
Previous occupation: I spent 25 years primarily in risk management.
Chicago Gallery News: Please describe your gallery’s program in one sentence.
Matthew Rachman: Contemporary art with a heavy concentration of Chicago artists paired with modern furniture.
CGN: How did you become a dealer?
MR: I have always been a collector and over and over people would tell me I should open a gallery, so I did as a hobby. We caught traction quite fast, so I gave up my career in finance to run the gallery.
CGN: What’s the first thing you do each morning when you get to the gallery?
MR: Open my email and answer client inquiries.
CGN: Thumbs up or down on art and design fairs?
MR: Thumbs down. Barriers of entry are too high for most galleries, and fairs are so big that buyers experience “fair fatigue.”
CGN: Who inspires you?
MR: My family.
CGN: Artists you admire but don’t represent?
MR: Carlos Rolón (Dzine).
CGN: Best sale you had?
MR: Recently, I found a stolen bike and returned it to the owner who happened to be an interior designer. She is now a client.
CGN: What advice would you share with new or young collectors?
MR: Buy art because you love it, not because you think it has room to appreciate.
CGN: What major successes have you had this year? What about challenges?
MR: Success has come from courting clients around the country and Europe, but it is still challenging to find local buyers.
CGN: Your gallery specializes in mid-century furniture and presents a program of emerging artists. How did you decide to pursue both?
MR: Mid-century has always been a love of mine. After looking around we found a void in the market of people who were curating art and furniture together correctly. It seemed to be either one or the other. It was important for us to share our vision of how the two mediums could live together.
CGN: What is your favorite interest outside of the art world?
MR: Outside of visual arts, I am passionate about travel.
CGN: What is your favorite work of public art in Chicago?
MR: My favorite public art in Chicago is the work of Ruth Aizuss Migdal. Her work is prominent around the city yet few know her by name. Her work has been shown in the Art Institute of Chicago, but at 84 years old, she has never shown in a gallery in Chicago. We will feature her work in our fall show opening September 22nd.
CGN: What’s currently on view at your gallery?
MR: Our summer show, a solo exhibition by Hannah Perry Saucier, just opened. Hannah is an artist residing in Barcelona, Spain who has never shown in Chicago before.
Matthew Rachman is the owner of Matthew Rachman Gallery located at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Paulina Street. For more information about his gallery visit: Matthew Rachman Gallery.