Keri Davis / Pacesetter Gallery

We are joined this week by Mississippi artist and gallerist Keri Davis.
Keri has a family history in the gallery business and shares how she brings that compassion and love for her artists at Pacesetters. You'll hear all about her personal work and some tips on approaching a gallery for representation. Check out their upcoming events; they always have something fun to do.

Find Keri:
https://pacesettergallery.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pacesettergallery/

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Transcript

Bob Brzuszek: 0:05

Hey everyone, this is Bob Brzuszek from starkel saying thank you for the continued inspiration to all the Mississippi artists

Derek Smith: 0:20

Hello and welcome or welcome back to the Mississippi artists to artists Podcast, the podcast where we get to have genuine conversations with visual artists living all across our state. You just heard a recording from Bob Brzuszek called in to the Mississippi artists to artists hotline and 601-342-0881 Remember if you're an artist and want to give yourself a shout out, give someone else a shout out talk about a show coming up or any events that you might have going on. Go ahead and give us a call in and leave a message and we'll play it live on air. We have a new art exhibition open at the little yellow building.com Its body it's an exploration of figurative artwork by Mississippi contemporary artists so go check that out. And if you haven't seen it yet the magazine has launched so try be art mag.com Has your free edition Are we still have a few copies left of the limited edition printing. So go to try B rt mag.com. You can check out southern exposure you can check out some of the other programs that we have going but there's lots of ways to get involved. Our special guest today is Carrie Davis of Pace Setter gallery. And they have a couple of events coming up that they wanted you to know about. April 21 through May 3 the Pace Setter gallery is hosting the Mississippi artists guild the opening reception is on the 21st from six to 8pm. The Home show this year is going to be at Clyde new center pay center will have a pop up Gallery in the foyer featuring four different artists who made work specifically for the show. Those featured artists will also be doing live painting demos throughout the shows at these times. Clif speaks on April 30, from 10am to 130, Laura Mayo from 130 to five. And on May 1, you have Shawn Richards from 10am, to 130, and Susan Wellington from 130 to five. So make sure you go by and visit those and make sure to tell them hello from the little yellow building. Well that about wraps it up for now on to the interview. Everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Mississippi artists to artists podcast. We have a special guest with us this week, Carrie Davis, Carrie is not only an artist, but she is a gallerist in Flowood, Mississippi with Pace Setter gallery, She's the owner and operator. And she's also comes from a lineage of gallerist and has it in her blood. So I'm excited to have her on to talk about not only her art, but her point of view and what she's doing here in Mississippi. Carrie, thank you for being on with us.

Keri Davis: 3:00

Absolutely. I'm excited to be here.

Derek Smith: 3:02

So to start out, why don't you give us a little bit about your background, and then your history in art.

Keri Davis: 3:09

All right. So my background, I grew up in an art gallery, my grandmother had an art gallery in South Texas. So I spent a lot of days there with her just being around art every day and getting to spend time with artists as they came through and had discussions with her about their goals. And she really did influence a lot of artists that later on had galleries of their own, and met a number of them at the beginning of their careers. So getting to be a part of that. And you know, my whole family, we have art that's been passed down from my grandmother's gallery. So art becomes like a visual history for for my family. And I know for a lot of artists, a lot of artists that come in have parents or grandparents that were artists, and that kind of inspired them as well. So I definitely identify with that. So I started off being in that gallery, and my grandmother gave me the opportunity to take some lessons with a local artist when I was eight. And she was very technical started with teaching, you know, basic drawing of cones and spheres and, you know, real real shading of what you really see. And I think that really got me started on understanding how important it is to to really see what you're looking at and how the artists can put that on the paper. So that got me really excited about art. At a very young age. I knew that the more I worked on it, the more I would be able to develop those skills. And you know, through junior high in high school, I did competitions and had some great art teachers that really were real positive and kept me moving forward. In, you know, in that in that direction, and I went to University of North Texas, which has a really strong art department there, people come from all over the nation, it's pretty competitive, it's a big school. So you really do have to, to jump in and kind of bring your A game. So that really pushed me to learn a lot of different methods and take a lot of classes and different materials. And I graduated with an art education degree, but really heavy on studio, they have a Getty program there. multiple schools got grants for this Getty program called discipline based art education, DBE. And it really focuses on not just providing art education for people that are good at art. It focuses on art criticism, and aesthetics. And someone that's not necessarily gifted in studio, are going to get that education and art and, and love art because they are kind of embedded in the history of it. It's tied to math and English, and all the kind of cultural things that art was inspired by. And I think that that makes a big difference when you see art from that lens, that the education of art isn't just about art, it's about what was happening at the time, and what were those people inspired by, and you tend to get a lot more excited about it, when you look at it that way. So I taught that DBE method. And I taught in the Texas schools for six years. And then I was able to stay home with my three sons for a number of number of years, and I painted murals on the side and took my kids to a lot of galleries, you know, there's great galleries, all over the country. And that was kind of one of my focuses is to expose them to, you know, science galleries and art galleries and all of that. I think that that that training really affected how I look at art in general. Because I do tie in music and poetry and, and all those things within the gallery. So that's kind of where I am. Today, I changed my career when I went back to work after raising kids and I ran a big building products company in Perl called Lansing building products. And they pretty much hand handed the reins over to me for the state of Mississippi. And I learned about how to run a big business, you know, and how to manage people. And that that was kind of like the business bootcamp I needed. As an artist only I don't, I really needed the business and art together to be able to have this gallery. And we opened in July of 2021. And a lot of what got me to pull the trigger on that was a little bit of COVID. And a little bit of my grandmother passing, she did everything she wanted to do in her life she traveled, she had the gallery, she she chose the direction of her life and felt like I was kind of not in the right place. So that really you know, there's always those things that kind of push you to step out. So we opened in July with 45 artists, and now we have 61. And we have a lot of events and things that go on at the gallery. And it really doesn't feel like work, you know, really just, it's wonderful.

Derek Smith: 8:44

It's to build the community and to be surrounded by creatives after so long, I mean, it's just a part of your life, it's a part of your from from start to now, it's been a constant, to have that creative influence in your life. I can see why it would be such a joy now to be re surrounded by it all. Yeah, absolutely. And what a great opportunity, because that's something that they don't really focus on nobody. I mean, artists talk about it amongst themselves, but I don't feel like there's any true education on the business side of art. Because it's so random. It all depends on which way the wind blows in which way you want to go as to how you're going to have to develop your business. And it's it's finding inspiration from different places like, you know, different galleries and other artists that are around and seeing what they do and adjusting it. So kudos to you for having that business experience of large business because that's crazy, large businesses inside.

Keri Davis: 9:47

Yeah, it was it was a great job. It was very consuming as far as time and I felt like I really just got to grab very small moments in between being really tired to do my own art. And it became very insular, where I did not share it with anyone, I did not have the time to reach out to anybody, I just had that little tiny moment. So now I'm very much focused on the gallery. But I can grab a few minutes here and there to do my own art. And it's like, for the first time I have a job where I can actually, you know, include my own art, and then also just the conversations that I have with these other artists. And the and the, you know, it's just so different from being so insular is that constant community and, and just talking about art with amazing artists, you know, and doing things like this with you. I feel like that community, all artists need it, it definitely helps us get inspired and not feel like you know, we're so by ourselves, because we do create a lot by when we're alone, you know, to kind of get in that that focus zone. But we do we need that community.

Derek Smith: 10:54

So before we go on and talk about pacesetters itself, why don't we talk a little bit about your art, now you create these abstract in pieces, and tell us what really inspires you or what you've kind of played around with to develop for yourself?

Keri Davis: 11:11

Yeah, right now, um, I mean, I feel like artists kind of go through different phases, or now I'm painting a lot more abstract, it always still usually ties in to water and movement. And, you know, birds that are kind of alone, you know, a Karen's, like, there's strength there, and beauty, and the wind and the movement of birds on the water, that all I still ties in. So even my abstracts you kind of get that feeling of the water, a storm blowing in, you know, the feeling of wind. And I have a few pieces I just finished that are a little bit more realistic, but they still have, you know, a lot of that, that, that feeling that that little abstracted, you know, to try to pull in that that water feeling. I've always been, I mean, I grew up swimming almost every day. And I love to fish and I when I moved here, the first place I moved was right off the Ross Barnett reservoir over a pelahatchie Bay. And I had a house that was on the water in there were beautiful willow trees in the backyard, and I got a little John boat. And my kids were pretty young at the time, I think they were I think I had a four and eight and a 12 year old. So we would jump in that John boat, we would go down to pelahatchie Bay trading post, and buy some crickets and get an ice cream and just roam around those little islands. And it just, I mean, I just fell in love with Mississippi and the beauty of Mississippi and that that really really inspired a maybe a little bit more realistic feel to my work for a little while, but you know, you could just really see it and that's kind of where that began for me. And I think that'll always be a strong, strong thing for me is just that tide of water. And you work with

Derek Smith: 13:12

acrylics and inks and do you normally work on paper or how do you pull that together

Keri Davis: 13:18

it's kind of both if I'm working you know with inks and washes, I'm working on paper, like I'm really crazy about not having wrinkles on my paper. So I work on like 300 pound Aqua cold press from Stonehenge a giant block you know that seal down so like I'm really kind of picky about the paper I use, I just can't stand it I just can't stand the wrinkles and then then I work on canvas a lot as well and do a lot of acrylic painting with layers and textures as well. So I kind of bounced back and forth but the the the point of view I guess you know still coming from me It's so on. And I really I used to work in a lot more detailed watercolor but it's really hard when you're in the gallery and somebody walks in the door the concentration level you have to have when you're working on that is different so I've kind of put that aside for right now just because it's harder to break that concentration and and get back to it to do a little bit more you know abstract work especially you know acrylic on canvas I can step away from it'll easier mentally sound

Derek Smith: 14:23

I'll give you breaks too. And that's that's what about watercolors if you're in the middle of the color swish or if your paper is a certain dampness like you need to work there now in blockout everything so I can imagine that would be a huge, like huge hurdle to be able to find time for that right now. So going into the gallery, you opened it in in 2021. What is I guess your point of view as a gallerist are your your overall mission and As Pace Setter gallery,

Keri Davis: 15:02

so my mission is to be the connector between Mississippi artists and the public. And I want to grow cultural arts in the community, you know, for the public. And then also for artists. I want to further art education, we work a lot with some colleges and some high schools, allowing them to use the space and you know, just kind of collaborating with them on what we can come up with as ideas. Whether they're coming in, you know, as a, an arts, you know, like a National Art Society honors Art Society for just a trip to the gallery. And then we've had shows for like the Millsap Jr show, and I've hired some people to do some part time work for me, like Laney Hill, right now, she is a Mississippi College art student, and she's planning on becoming an art therapist. So that is a great, you know, opportunity for her to kind of just be engrossed in what's going on in the gallery. So that artistic education, you know, that comes from my background. But I get to get a lot out of that perspective, you know, the events we have, and things like that kind of tie in. And then just helping these artists who some of them don't understand the business side. We had a Mississippi artists guild meeting in January, here, I'm in the midst of the artists guild. And we talked a lot about how to price your work, what a gallery is looking for, you know, how to make sure you step off on the right foot when you contact a gallery, and some of those things that, you know, I think that artists don't think about their pricing enough. Because when you have a collector coming to you, and they're investing in you, in your work, they want to know if that dollar amount is something that's repeatable, where's that number come from. And really, you should to be able to show either through gallery records, or your own personal records that there is a tie in to you getting that amount of money for for your pieces in that size, and be able to prove that you've been doing that for a number of years. And I think if you don't set a price, either by this square inch or whatever, you know, you decided stick with that, you won't have those records to show somebody. So and that's what I that's what I really advise is figure out your pricing structure. And don't veer from it because you're creating, you know, your value in the market. And you're gonna have and you should be able to, you know, explain that to somebody and feel confident about it. Because the confidence you have as an artist, when you're selling something, people can feel it, people can feel if you feel confident about what you're pricing things at. And it all comes from a history of of sales. So that that is something that we discussed, you know about what your retail price is, whether you're in a gallery, and you know, and selling some stuff separately from the gallery, figuring that out, you know, figuring out that price point. So that's the kind of stuff I like to do, as well as for artists is be able to give them you know, some guidance in those areas as well.

Derek Smith: 18:08

That's a extremely valuable service to have somebody who you trust, especially as an artist to come through and non emotionally, go through your art and say, Okay, this, this, these things are what needs to adjust, because we get so tied into the emotional value that we have on our art, that it's that it's hard to price it as that are you degrade yourself to a level where you're like, Here, I'll give you 50 cents to take it. You know, and

Keri Davis: 18:38

I say that more than anything. Yeah. I see people go, Oh, I just Well, what it is, is there is a huge divide between why we make art, which is for ourselves. And it is an emotional tie in and we have to make it where makers and is a part of who we are. If we don't make art, we're going to be decorating cupcakes, or we're going to be doing it comes out, you know, you have to be making something if you're a maker, but you do make it for yourself. And so then all of a sudden, you crossover to this, okay, now I gotta sell it, what's the value or the value to me, is totally different than the value to the outside world. And there's a sense of rejection as well. If someone if someone doesn't connect to your work, you know, you do feel like are they rejecting me because it is me, you know. And so all of a sudden you have this this emotional connection to something that it really becomes a retail sale that you're trying to make. So that is a difficult thing to go back and forth between I think every artist struggles with it. And I was surprised as as artists came in to the gallery and we started strategizing at the very beginning before we even opened even the really experienced artists were still saying what do you think I should price this at? You know, where do you think the market would be on this piece? And so I was surprised about that because it all you know, as an art artist myself, I think I have a different perspective than just someone that has a gallery and isn't an artist, because I want to provide people the services that I myself as an artist need for me, you know, so I do try to look at it. What can the gallery do for me, let me do that for the other artists as well, you know, I don't know that that'll ever go away that struggle between my value and the value outside of me, you know, I think that will always be something people war with. And I think that is why pricing things by the square inch. And then don't sell the things that have such a strong emotional connection, you just need to keep those items, if you can't let it go at that square inch price, then you're not ready to let go of it yet. And I think it's okay to do that.

Derek Smith: 20:46

I, I left Mississippi and came back and in the time that I was gone, it seems to be that there is this middle ground that's developing where Mississippi, our artists are able to test more of their value. On a day to day basis. We're not We're not an abundant state, we have abundance and talent and music and art and, and all of those things, but we're not extremely wealthy. And so it seems that there has been this middle ground of galleries that service, the artist and the masses are not necessarily the masses, but a greater audience in Mississippi. So have Have you found that testing the waters of of price points and to find a greater understanding of what Mississippi can afford, or have you found audience outside of Mississippi and you ship I mean, it's it's all a big toss up.

Keri Davis: 21:41

Yeah, it's a it's a little bit of both. And you know, being a newer gallery. And having this business background, I was able to spend time before I opened building out my space, but really finding the best software and programs and strategies for growing the business outside of Mississippi. And also growing it across the state instead of just right here in Flowood. A lot of the research that I did, before I opened the gallery was about how COVID and just you know, having the internet available, has created a larger audience for art across the world. The biggest thing is though, there's an experience you have when you can be close to a piece of work, you can meet when you can meet the artist, when you can have an experience in the gallery that you lose when all of a sudden you're buying online. But the collectors still want some of that experience. So having a well developed site where you have biographies, and you have, you know, a little bit of information about each piece where if it's purchased, you've got somebody who has it on the wall, but can speak to what the artist was thinking something about the material, so that it makes them an expert in some way about this piece that they've purchased. So if you can give them that experience, virtually, you're gonna go a lot farther than you know someone that doesn't have good pictures and and all those things. So that was something that I really researched a lot about those online sales, where the where they kind of funneled to, and where you're going to really get some momentum if you can become a someone that a collector really loves to go back and look at that over and over and continue to use that gallery because of those reasons. So that I would say, haven't that nine months to really kind of develop things before I opened that gave me a lot of time to come up with those strategies. And we've shipped a number of things to do California and other states. You know, as we start to get more of that national footprint. I think it's very important though because it because it is it's just part of our culture now that you can find what you want, by just a couple clicks.

Derek Smith: 24:03

So tell us about how you go about finding your artists do you are these personal connections and invitations? Do you do calls for art? Or do you have a show and maybe collect an artist out of that? Like what would be the process for an artist that would want to get in contact with you?

Keri Davis: 24:20

I do think that there is a developing method for me being a new gallery. Before I opened I had plenty of time to do research and then even go like on a big road trip and legata people's, you know, studios and like that was the greatest thing ever. I felt like I just you know I hit the jackpot. Like I'm just on this road trip. I'm just going to people's studios and getting to their houses, people that have been in art for 30 years and have traded art with a bunch of other artists and their house is like a gallery you know, of all the art that they love and get to see that and really getting to know them on a personal basis, and I think that is my number one goal is to really know the person I'm working with, because it's a business relationship, and you want to develop that long term. So you have to feel like it's a good fit. So I do I do a lot of that, a lot of research into their style into their longevity into their viewpoint, that there is some consistency in their work. You know, there's some some people that have their own website, so it's easy to see what they're up, you know what they're doing. So I had a lot of time to really investigate and research and I had a balance in mind, of what type of type of mediums what type of perspectives, what sizes people work in, to try to get a good balance for, when people walked in the door, they would have a variety, but it would hit some points commercially and residentially I needed to hit. So all of that was is, you know, kind of laid out in my mind as I began to investigate the artists, so that was a little easier than that part of it. Now, they're all coming to me. So I probably have one or two artists every day walk in the door, who are looking to get in the gallery. I mean, it's, you know, it's pretty frequent. Which, you know, I mean, it's just, there's not a lot of places like this. There's not no other places in Rankin County. You know, there's other galleries and Rankin County, which is definitely developing and getting larger and larger. Especially commercially, you know, there's a lot of businesses in this area. So now I'm finding artists, one place I did find a couple artists was the, the Mississippi Arts Commission, they have a artists directory on there. And I would say, that's a great place for artists, it's free, you go in, you create your artists page, and download some photos. And that, you know, obviously, like that is what Mac is for. And so if you're not taking advantage of that, I would say, get your page on there, because people like me are going to be looking at those larger, you know, kind of repositories for art. And it's very, you know, said, so that's something I recommend everybody do, I do that for the gallery. And for myself, you know, I added that on there. So my informations on that. So because I found some people there, so I'm like, fine, fine. And if somebody else is finding, I'm using the same tool, right. And then, when I was getting opened up, I had a couple artists already in mind that I've been following. And some of the artists that I chose, they said, Hey, I have this friend, you know, you might want to check out their work. So I think it's always great. Anytime you're, you know, hiring somebody, when you have referrals, like you always know that the person knows what you do, and what you're looking for. And they're only going to refer people to you that they feel like meet those requirements, and they feel, you know, like, it's a good person to really recommend. So that's where that community of artists comes in. The more people you know, when they have a good situation come up, and they refer you is because you have visibility to them. And you have some, you know, personal relationship with them, or they think of you whenever they get that opportunity as well.

Derek Smith: 28:19

And on the other end of that, if you're an artist that gets recommended somebody just put their name out on the line for you. So follow through and do a good job and be the, the artists companion that everybody needs you to be. But yeah, that's so you know, the and it's been a long, long standing thing that or at least it used to be that don't just cold walk into a gallery, you know that you don't know what's going on in anybody's day. And it can end up being a bad impression. If you just walk in and say, Hey, I'm an artist, you should look at my stuff. And other than that, and like it can, it can be charming, endearing at a point, but you never know, if the gallerist is busy, you never know if the thing so finding those easy ways, making those personal connections are a lot easier to go in. One of the tips that we used to be told is just start visiting the gallery and say hello and get to know the people that work there and they're going to get to know you. And then they're going to find out you're an artist and then you know you'll eventually have that opportunity or just keep an eye out for what everybody's doing. But I love to hear the personal connections that you're making with artists, especially when you go in and help guide them into the business aspect of all of it. Because it's just it's extremely important and it's not a well known side of all of this. So I appreciate you sharing all of that. What are some events and things that you've got coming up and this for your this will go up in mid March or less?

Keri Davis: 29:59

Well I've got some stuff going on right now. But I do want to speak to what you just said about people getting into galleries. There is definitely if you walk into a gallery, the first thing, the gallery owner, if you think from their perspective, that their thinking is, this is somebody I want to sell some art to, you know, this is a opportunity for the gallery to, you know, further one of the artists in the gallery by being able to discuss it with this person that came in. So if you are an artist, the best thing to do is identify yourself with that person as an artist, but tell them that you're here, you heard about the gallery, and you're here to research and and do a little research on the gallery and learn a little bit about what the collection is about. And that you know, but that is the number one best way to do it. Because if you spend 15 minutes with that gallerist and they're thinking that you are a sales opportunity, and you act like you're a sales opportunity, and then you leave without purchasing and all of a law all along, you were kind of not being, you know, forthcoming. I think that's the number one mistake that people make. Because they want to be taken as important. But The Gallerist is already thinking that they're for a purchase. And then the other thing that happens a lot is people want to pull out their phones and show me a little, you know, one inch by one inch picture. At first, I was real polite about it, and I would look at it. But now I tell them, go ahead and go to the website, we have artists guideline page for submissions, I don't want to see your work on your phone, I don't think it does justice to your work. And it doesn't. And I don't really have the time to sit down and look at it the way I like to. So I just don't look at their work on their phones. Because because I feel like I'm doing them a disservice by saying yes. So that's what I recommend is go to the website, see if that gallery has something already in place, which then I'm sure they do, because they want to streamline that process so that it's efficient for them, see what they need from you, if you follow that, they're going to be a lot more responsive, you know, to you in a positive way, because you're following already their guidelines, which is what they need from their artists, they need that good communication, and that understanding of what the gallery needs. So you're already, you know, you're already ahead of the game if you do it that way. But that's kind of, you know, kind of, like not not sending, you know, you know, Facebook messengers at midnight, that's not a good idea. Or just, you know, sending 20 different pictures, and I have to be in your gallery, like, that's awesome. It just doesn't give you the results. And you know, I find it surprising sometimes that that is is some things that people feel overly emotional and excited, you know, but you got to temper it a little bit, though, but anyway, so we have a lot of events like you were talking about. And that is a great way to meet artists, we've had a kit White has had two workshops, and those are mostly been attended by artists. We did them kind of small group, where we did 10 people per session. So we did 20 in a day. And everyone just loved it. I mean, they really fed off of each other's creativity. And I know you posted some stuff about kids, she she's just fantastic. And she's a great mix media artists. There's a lot a lot of people learned from her. And we've had live painting events. Megan piers out of Hattiesburg isn't Wellington. This here from inflow wood. And Cliff speaks who's from Pearl. I've all done some live painting events, and once again, attended by artists who really wanted to see how somebody else did, how do they do their underpainting? How do they, you know, what's their perspective. And a cliff is great, he will tell you like it is he will tell you what he's grayed out what he knows he can work on, you know, really forthcoming about that type of thing into the upcoming events, the one that we have on Monday, I'm really excited about this Valentine's night. So I create a lot of these events because it's what I want to go to. That's really what I think I'm like, you know, I'm creative artists, we haven't had anything here in Flowood that meets these, you know, needs that I have. So we're having a Valentine's event we have three different hours, a five to six, six to seven and a seven to eight. And each hour, we're going to have live painting, we're going to have a caterer who is making really artsy desserts like pastries, shape like roses, you know, the the chocolate covered strawberries, she's going to go through with these different desserts, glass of wine glass of champagne, and then we have pianist Anna Samira. The caterers aim is to telecommute with Gooch consulting events and consulting Anna Samira. She teaches piano locally competitive, you know, teaching for once people that want to, you know, be competitive piano players. She has a master's in performance piano, and Alyssa Yarrow, she is a Keller Williams agent. She has This great background as a vocalist, you know, professionally trained vocalist. So they're going to do some classic love songs, we're going to have the desserts, we're going to have the painting. It's like the romantic hours that you want, instead of sitting in line at a restaurant with like waitstaff who are exhausted, and then you leave, and you're like, man, it was 100 bucks. And I didn't quite get out of that, what I was hoping for, for My Valentine's experience. So that's what we have going on. And we still have some spaces. So you know, but we've had definitely great response to it. And that's, I'm setting these up so that they will become annual events. So that each year people get in those habits of you know, having those those options available. And then we've got coming up. We do open mic night, the last Thursday's of the month. So we have open mics on February 24. My friend Marty Smith, he's a guitar player. He's like anything. Yeah, he could play anything. He like he's, you know, he's amazing. I've known him for a long time. I'm a musician myself. I've been playing open mics with him since 2013. So I knew that, you know, he could just lay it down whatever it was. And we had we had some people come out and play the first one that we had this last month. That was really fun. And then march 3, we have our first poetry open mic, the Mississippi Poetry Society, I got in touch with Linda Owens. And just you know, we're going to have that and available event. So that's something that we're going to build. We have Lea Francis eyeglass artists coming in March 26. She's gonna have some examples of the friends and all the things that she uses and talk about her process. She's a Starkville artist, march 31 and other last Thursday's. Then we're going to have a mag there juried show their spring juried show, that's April 21, the pastel society Mississippi is going to have a juried show here August 13. And right now I'm working on a plein air event and Flowood but I don't have the date yet, but there should be a planer event that we host tied in with like the fluid chamber has been very supportive of having this type of venue here. super supportive. I mean, I can't say enough about the fluid chamber. It's so so when we tying some things in with them and just you know, we're trying to every month have have things where people can get tied in and for artists and for the public. But it's all on our website, we have all of our events listed. And then I do a ton of Facebook and Instagram, you know talking about this different events.

Derek Smith: 37:38

Now on Instagram you can find you can find Carrie at pacesetter gallery, it's P AC, e s e t t e r Gallery, and then you can find our website pay set pacesetter gallery.com Just one last question I appreciate you giving all this time to wrap up, what would be some advice for either yourself as a younger artists gallerist or anybody that's wanting to come up behind you and follow in your footsteps?

Keri Davis: 38:10

I think my advice is that when you're learning art, in the beginning, you're exposing yourself to art history, the old masters, you know, Chuck Close, you know, all these different artists that have made impacts, whether you're in college for art, or you're just you know, experimenting and learning, but to take all that in, but realize that you know, your art is your own. It'll be influenced with your upbringing, and you know, and all these experiences, and other people are interested in your art because you're a different person than they are. Because they want to know the depths of other people and connect. So don't have you have confidence. You're an individual, you're unique, you bring something different than somebody else does, I think that confidence have on me, and this is what I'm bringing, not everybody is going to connect to it. It's just like dating, you know, not everybody's meant to match up. And it's the same thing with other people in their art and how they experience it. But just have confidence that these old masters, you're you're just a person just like they are with your interest in your life. So what you make is going to connect to people. So don't don't downplay it, you know, just look into yourself, find your inspirations, start making Chuck Close, had a great quote, which I cannot quote exactly. But it said that you don't come up with these amazing ideas while you're sleeping or you come up with them because you're constantly making in the process of making is where you're going to come up with that next great idea. So put the work in and let the ideas come and let the inspiration come as you're making and be confident in yourself. I think that I would tell myself that in my 20s because I was very insecure about that. I felt like wow, like, you know, where's my originality? You know, when am I going to have that real noticeable mark that this is a Carrie Davis, you know piece. And that's what I would tell myself if I went back in time.

Derek Smith: 40:13

Well, Carrie, I want to thank you so much for coming on and giving the time and all the valuable like valuable, valuable information that you just gave in this whole thing. I really appreciate it and appreciate you being there for Mississippi artist and is there anything else that you would like to share? Before we wrap up?

Keri Davis: 40:32

I would just say that, you know, because you and I are very much kind of spearheading what we can do. You know, as individuals for Mississippi artists, I think we get a lot of that, you know, satisfaction from knowing that we're helping helping some artists out there in some way. And I just appreciate you and you including me on this. It means a lot to me to have this community of other leaders who are trying to do everything they can, you know, for other people and, you know, for other artists in whatever way they can find, you know, to fit the bill for that for that artist.

Derek Smith: 41:15

Carrie, thank you for being on everyone. Thank you for listening. We will have another episode next week. So tune back in until then. And a special thank you goes to our members the Friends of the little yellow building. Beth breelan, Mary Hardy, Gwen fury, Mary Adams, Jenny Howard, Jenny Moke. Evelyn PV, the Evans Family, Janet Smith, Buffy Jordan, Jennifer drink water, the Smith family, bopper Zak and Hannah Hester, thank you for all the support