CURIO is Anne Faith Nicholls’ incredible studio/gallery in Venice, California. The space is open to the public during the weekend and features an eclectic mix of original artwork and antiques. In addition to being a phenomenal painter, Anne Faith Nicholls has an excellent eye for picking out interesting items from all over the world, including, but not limited to, taxidermy, furniture, and root beer bottles that seem to blend effortlessly into her distinct aesthetic. I highly recommend you visit CURIO in person, since it’s not anything like the typical gallery experience you’re used to – it’s more intimate, personal, and just plain better.
Daniel Rolnik: When did you open CURIO?
Anne Faith Nicholls: November of last year, so we’re having our one-year anniversary party coming up.
DR: Was it initially meant to be a gallery as well as your studio space?
AFN: The intention was always to showcase my collection in an experiential way for collectors. I use CURIO as my personal studio Monday-Wednesday and then open it to the public for viewings Thursday-Saturday. It’s proven to be a great place to have art shows and receptions – they’re really fun, we have a liqueur sponsor and everything.
DR: Are you concerned with selling the work in the gallery?
AFN: Absolutely. This is my business; I’ve been selling art for 10 years.
DR: How did you start selling your art?
AFN: I started off selling my own work through galleries and just by the virtue of being an artist I got a job working with some really amazing antique shops on La Cienega Blvd. So during my early days in Los Angeles I got a taste of selling some historically important art (like Bert Stern’s archive of Marylyn Monroe pictures) to a large celebrity clientelle as well as learning the process of collecting. I also went to business school before I went to art school, so that’s very much in my blood.
Oh The Cages We Wear by Anne Faith Nicholls ©2011, with shoes and book for size reference
DR: How long did you go to business school for?
AFN: I went for two years studying business economics and then transferred to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I started selling my work in downtown Seattle when I was 20 and it was selling so well that I was making all my money for books and even enough to go to Hawaii for spring break. I was like I can do this, I need to pursue art as my main profession.
DR: Did it just happened randomly?
AFN: No, I was always an artist. I was painting and showing work to galleries when I was really young. My first show was in a coffee shop an then my first break was at the Key Club in the VIP room. Liz McGrath, an amazing artist, introduced me to the owner, who also turned out to be the brother of the owner of a prominent Los Angeles gallery. He bought my first piece and then it just snowballed from there. I was given solo shows at Billy Shire’s La Luz De Jesus Gallery in Los Angeles and then The Shooting Gallery in San Francisco, and I just went to all the openings and schmoozed with people.
Outside during a CURIO reception
DR: Do you get a lot of walk-ins to the gallery?
AFN: Yeah. I’m only open to the public Thursday through Saturday, but everyday that I’m open I get the weirdest mixed-bag of people. It goes from German tourists to crazy Venice Beach characters. One thing I know that I didn’t do wrong is opening CURIO in Venice [CA]. People here are just the raddest people in the world. They all love art and are really interested in keeping the neo-bohemian spirit alive.
DR: And you can breathe, since it’s not filled with smog like downtown…
AFN: Exactly. I can even walk to the beach from the gallery! Things have definitely changed in my life since I’ve moved out of downtown Los Angeles. I was just kind of done with high traffic zones.
Art by Johan Andersson, Gold Animal Hybrid Sculpture by Molly Schulps, and antique grizzly bear, circa 1955.
DR: Do the walk-ins lead to sales?
AFN: I just sold a 14 karat gold Animal Hybrid sculptures by Molly Schulps to a lady who walked in off the street. It’s all about getting that opportunity to talk to people. I believe that you don’t have to sell good art – you just have to put good art in front of good collectors and make them feel comfortable. That’s why I like working here – people can see what goes into the art making process.
DR: Why did you decide that Thursday through Saturday would be the days that you are open to the public?
AFN: I figured those were the most popular days for people to be walking around. If I could, I would be open everyday of the week, but there’s only one of me. I have an assistant that comes in named Leo, but I’m still a small business and I’m very much the kind of person who loves the way Europeans approach work – tiny shops that specialize in one thing and close when they need to…I know that’s really frustrating to consumers sometimes, but I’m very accessible. I live up the street and my number is on the door.
Anne at her desk. Art and installation by Jacob Arden McClure for his SCOUT solo exhibition.
DR: Do you curate the shows at CURIO?
AFN: Everything is hand picked by me and I don’t put anything in here that I don’t 100% believe in. A lot of people come in asking me to show their work, but I very rarely do that because I really only like working with people that I trust and am blown away by.
DR: What mediums do you show in the gallery?
AFN: Everything really, we have even had a really cool video art show. I love antiques; it runs in my family. My husband and I really like to take shopping trips to search for interesting pieces which we showcase in the gallery, but the focus is still on art for sure.
1920′s Glass Lamps with exposed filament bulbs, taxidermy American Ring Neck Pheasant, 1950′s.
DR: Where do you find yourself travelling to the most and what are some awesome antiques you have at CURIO right now?
AFN: San Francisco, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, Florida, and the wine countryside of Northern California. We just bought a set of theatre seats from a Masonic Temple that was built in the 1920′s. They are the same seats that the Masonic members sat in during their weird rituals. Some of the lighting at CURIO is from Holland and we even went to Amsterdam to collect some nautical parts. Collecting memories is a really big part of my life. I’m also kind of obsessive about seeing my favorite paintings from history books in real life. I go through my history books and check off each one that I’ve seen.
DR: What is one of the most extreme adventures you’ve been on to see a painting in person?
AFN: We went form Paris to The Hague, where the War Crimes Court is, just to see The Girl With The Pearl Earing by Vermeer at the Mauritshuis Gallery. We drove hundreds of miles to see the painting and it was so freaking worth it. It’s pretty small, but just to see Vermeer’s brush strokes in person was incredible, especially since the color never comes out right in pictures. You could tell it was the real deal, I mean I’m pretty sure the Mona Lisa at the Louvre is a fake.
One exhibition’s worth of “dead brushes” in sealed antique copper top jar. Antique miniature mircorscope circa 1920, and Brownie cameras.
DR: What are you reading now?
AFN: An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin, The Medici Conspiracy, The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland, The Art Lover, The Life of Peggy Guggenheim – to name a few. I prefer art-related books, particularly about scandals, historical fiction, or racy erotica haha. I’m really into reading about art heists and scandals at the moment. I like the stories about this scam that’s going around where people claim to have discovered a NEW Picasso that the public has never seen before, but it’s really some other artist who takes all of Picasso’s attributes and styles and creates a new work.
DR: Do you let the artists decide on their pricing at CURIO?
AFN: I know my clientele and I know what the market can bear, so I try to coach artists and let them know what’s realistic. We definitely have art here for everyone though – from seasoned collectors to those who just want to take a little something different back home.
Art by Anne Faith Nicholls, bench by Design Intervention
DR: Since you are both an artist and gallery owner, do you think the 50/50 split is fair?
AFN: Yes, I definitely earn my keep. In the past with other galleries I didn’t always think that was true, which is why I went into business for myself. And, since I have been on both sides of it, I work really hard to make sure everything is fair for everyone.
DR: Did other galleries rip you off?
AFN: It was more so that they weren’t doing their fair share. Sometimes they would even make the mistake of thinking that they could own me, or make critical decisions about what I did and didn’t do…I also definitely know that a few spaces have paintings of mine that they say are in their gallery, but have actually sold a few months ago and it’s time they pay up.
Photos by Austin Irving, Paddy Wilkens, and Tod Brilliant, furniture by Design Intervention, antique tufted leather mustard wingback chair and vintage fan
Red Flags by Anne Faith Nicholls
-A Guide to Protecting Yourself From Shady Galleries-1. Make sure the gallery’s website is good, if they don’t have a good website and it’s not dialed in, then what’s the point.
2. If you have an icky feeling by the way someone is talking to you or treating you, then call that out right away. Especially as a girl dealing with a lot of male gallery owners, there’s a lot of attitude and pomp that comes through in this industry.
3. If there’s a lot of surface bullshit, like excessive name dropping and false promises that’s a red flag.
4. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
5. They better have booze at the shows, if they don’t it’s a deal breaker
Antique porcelain hand light and art by Anne Faith Nicholls
DR: What are your main strategies for promoting CURIO?
AFN: I do extensive online marketing and have a really good girl who has her Masters Degree in social media outreach who helps me out with that…I hate facebook, but I think it’s a necessary evil and it’s definitely been an excellent marketing tool for me. It’s also always good to be published in various books and magazine. For instance, I was just published in a book that showcased my work which has helped to get people to the gallery.I’ve also done advertising in print magazines like Juxtapoz and Debacle.
DR: Print vs. Social Media – does one work better than another?
AFN: This has been a really interesting experiment. I used to do postcards for every show, but for the last few openings I’ve stopped doing that and just stuck to social media and online marketing. The result was as good if not better.
Photos by Tod Brilliant, antique pulley pendant lamps with caged bulbs, hand made “presidio” doll house circa 1940, from san francisco
DR: Do you have a strategy in regards to where you place the art in the gallery?
AFN: Have you seen the film (Untitled)? It’s the best art movie I’ve ever seen. The whole thing in that movie is the front room vs. the back room of a gallery. It’s so weird because collectors always come in here and see the art up on the walls, but then want to buy the piece that’s behind my desk on the floor. They want to see what’s in the back room and I’m always intrigued by that too. There’s a whole psychology behind that and I think every piece in here helps to compliment it.
DR: Are San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York still the main spots for dealing art?
AFN: I think so. I sell a lot of my work in London too, the art market is good there and their money is still better than ours. But as far as in America, I have really good luck in Monterey, which is random. I haven’t been to Austin [TX] yet, but I’ve been selling a lot of work there and it seems to be developing into a really cool scene. I sell some work in the Hamptons [NY] during the summer, but I think LA is where it’s at [because] it provides opportunities to segway into other industries. I’ve been hired to work on films doing set backdrops, which I never would’ve gotten in San Francisco…I even did styling for a little while with Macys for their Lingerie catalog. I’ve had so many random jobs.
Art and installation by Jacob Arden McClure for his SCOUT solo exhibition.
DR: What has been your most random job?
AFN: When I was 15 I used to go with my little girlfriends and gas boats at the dock in bikinis. I was also an assistant to a horseshoe maker and worked exclusively with Clydesdale horses, which are huge. My job was to pick the shit out of their hooves, but I like the smell of horse shit, so I thought it was great.
DR: Why do the shows at CURIO last longer than a month?
AFN: I like having the art up for a while and If you come to the openings you’ll see why I don’t do it once a month. There’s actually care and thought that goes into it. When it comes to my approach to business, it’s not about selling the work, it’s about finding a great piece of art and simply putting it in front an educated and awesome collector.
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Answers by: ANNE FAITH NICHOLLS
Questions by: DANIEL ROLNIK
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CURIO BY ANNE FAITH NICHOLLS: http://CURIOBYAFN.COM
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UPCOMING EVENTS @ CURIO
When: November 5th
What: CURIO’s 1-year anniversary party – [Featuring a new body of original works by Anne Faith Nicholls]
What Time: 7pm-10pm
Where: CURIO [324 Sunset Avenue, Venice, CA 90291]
When: December 3rd
What: CURIO’s Annual Gift Show – [Featuring artful and affordable gifts]
What Time: 7pm-10pm
Where: CURIO [324 Sunset Avenue, Venice, CA 90291]
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5 Responses to Interview with Anne Faith Nicholls
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Sammy Sundae's COMIC 
Lovely piece on AFN and the Curio shop/gallery. I’m very happy to see how the concept has grown and is now attracting a new wave of attention. I met AFN and Jacob here in Paris and enjoyed hours of art talk and vino… I’m not surprised that LA is becoming a global art center, partially with J. Deitch leading the way…and smaller spaces are now popping up, like AFN’s, articulating the nouvel vague. Thanks. MR
[...] Answers by: Tami Demaree Questions by: Daniel Rolnik — Photos by Daniel Rolnik, Tami Demaree, Steven Wolf Fine Arts, Emily CM Anderson, and HEADLANDS — UPCOMING [...]
[...] Anne Faith Nicholls, who I had the privilege of interviewing earlier this month, has planned a spectacular evening for the 1 year anniversary of her gallery, Curio. And unlike traditional galleries, which just display original artwork, Anne Faith Nichols also uses the space to showcase her unique collection of artifacts hand sourced from all over the world. A collection that includes everything from rare vintage cameras to salvaged chairs from a Free Mason temple built in the early 1920′s. To start getting all of you as excited as I am about the opening reception, I’ve included photos of previous work by some of the artists who will be featured in Curio’s 1 year anniversary exhibition. If those don’t get you fired up, there will also an open bar going on all night long as well as one heck of a cool guest list. You can read my interview with Anne Faith Nicholls HERE. [...]
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