Artist-owned gallery expands online presence during pandemic

The oldest artist-owned gallery on the Charleston peninsula created new ways to operate during a worldwide pandemic. As Daniel Island resident and co-owner Rana Jordahl explains, it was a creative shift for the better that probably would not have happened otherwise.

Lowcountry Artists Gallery is located in the heart of the historic French Quarter on 148 East Bay Street. Normally bustling with traffic, Jordahl said “85% to 90% of gallery sales are historically tourist” collectors. The fine art gallery is managed and curated by nine nationally and internationally renowned artists who work in the gallery and answer questions for collectors and customers.

Local businesses took a big hit during the COVID-19 shutdown, but Jordahl shares that the business model “sustains us and makes the hard times easier” as an artist-owned gallery because each artist pays a portion of the rent. 

“There has been a trend in Charleston for higher-end, one-owner galleries. We offer very good quality art at reasonable prices. We have nine artist-owners and 30 artists. Our artist-owned gallery carved out an interesting niche that works,” explained Jordahl, to provide collectors with a vast selection of original paintings, photography, prints, sculpture and jewelry.

Like all nonessential businesses, Lowcountry Artists Gallery shut its doors March 18.

“We knew we could not expect the same amount of sales until tourism returned,” Jordahl said.

The bold stroke of genius happened during quarantine when one of the artist-owners, who also owns a tech company, updated the gallery’s website. The gallery has always had an online presence, including Facebook and Instagram but “when quarantine orders were announced, the gallery took immediate action to update its website to create an easy-to-use customer experience,” said artist-owner Fran Davies, whose work is on display as featured artist this month.

The site LowcountryArtists.com was created to include “a high level of new functionality to create a virtual gallery online. Room settings are provided where customers can upload any piece of art on the website and move it virtually around the room, or upload their own room photographs to see exactly how a piece of art will fit into their personal space.”

They also upped their daily social media posts, offered customer appreciation discounts, increased the frequency of their newsletter, and offered private appointments. They were pleasantly surprised how much their efforts paid off.

Jordahl is pivoting in other ways, too. She and another Daniel Island resident and artist-owner Lynne Hartwick are working in collaboration with Central Island Square, the luxury apartment complex between Dockery’s and Starbucks on Island Park Drive. Currently work is displayed for residents to enjoy in common areas with the plan to create a future satellite gallery for art walks and artist demonstrations.

In the meantime, the downtown gallery opened June 1. Employees are wearing masks and are using gloves to wrap gifts for tourists trickling in and local residents.

For more information about artists and upcoming events, visit LowcountryArtists.com.

Heather MacQueen Jones is a Daniel Island artist journaling life’s journey through oil painting. For more information, visit MacQueenJones.com.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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