For Michael Gibson, curiosity fuels art gallery’s 40-year run

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London art dealer Michael Gibson says it hasn’t been a smooth 40 years in business, but he’s glad the gallery has made it.

The Michael Gibson Gallery, at 157 Carling St., is celebrating four decades in the art business in November with a special exhibit from Gibson’s collection and an open house on Saturday, Nov. 16.

“We’ve survived. I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s hard. But I like it, and I’m happy,” Gibson said.

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The nationally recognized gallery that exhibits contemporary Canadian art from all corners of the country has gone through at least two recessions and a pandemic.

Many people might consider the paintings and sculptures it sells luxury items, but Gibson has a different take on what purchasing art means.

“I think it’s an illusion that only rich people buy art. That’s just not the case,” he said. “It’s not a luxury item. It’s something that people want.”

But who are people looking to buy art? And what leads them to purchase an item?

The typical clientele are 40 to 60 years old, couples, usually with university degrees, who are interested in art, Gibson said.

“In the long run, they (clients) would have these assets, these physical things that they own that are precious to them and that they could pass on to their family,” he said. “So, it’s the value of owning. It’s not the price.”

Most buyers are from Canada, but not necessarily from London, he said.

Like anything else, an interest in collecting art can grow, Gibson said. People aren’t necessarily born with it.

Art can turn a house into more of a home, he said, making it “unique” for people who can’t live in a place with blank walls.

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Anything costs money, from reproductions of Vincent van Gogh to whatever you like, so “it’s not a luxury item but a necessity for some people,” Gibson said.

Pieces at the gallery range from $100 to thousands of dollars, Gibson said. Buyers interested in expensive pieces also can pay in installments.

“That’s our business. So, we’re not for everybody. We have people who believe it increases their quality of life,” he said. “It’s more of a passion. They need it in their life. And so, it’s an industry that is quite large in Canada.”

When Gibson started in 1984, the gallery was located on King Street and followed a retail format, and people had to come into the space to shop and buy.

He said moving in 1997 to the gallery’s current location that he owns was the right decision, even though it was a smaller space needing fewer employees.

“I was really worried,” Gibson said of the gallery’s future back then. “I went with higher-end items, moved here, and that turned (the business) around, with fewer employees and a smaller space.”

These days, a photo taken with a cellphone and sent via text to buyers allows the gallery to serve clients anywhere, Gibson said.

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Technology and the endless possibilities of the internet helped keep the gallery afloat during recessions and the COVID-19 pandemic, Gibson said. Online marketing has given the gallery more visibility, becoming a “huge” sales tool, Gibson said.

Social media platforms to promote openings, events, and new pieces added to the gallery’s walls have been essential to its “steady” development, he said.

“So, if they (clients) are curious, they’ll come into my website, and we do business there,” he said.

Having “relevant” art at the gallery is part of the job and what keeps the business stable. Gibson attends openings at other galleries and the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, that city’s longest-running and largest outdoor art fair.

“My business is to present the best Canadian art we can find,” he said.

Travelling across the country to meet new artists and bring fresh pieces is vital, so the gallery keeps people “curious,” Gibson said.

“I guess that’s part of my success. I’m curious,” Gibson said. “London has been great. It’s a great city to be in. There’s a lot of history of the arts from our community here.”

In celebration of the anniversary this month, an exhibition called A Collector’s Survey, from Gibson’s personal collection, pays tribute to some of the artists who have been part of the gallery’s  four decades in business.

The gallery also is hosting an open house celebration on Saturday, Nov. 16, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

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