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by james mannion
Art director, curator and founder of VAA
How did you begin working in the world of art and artists?
Many years ago, after I graduated, I began work as a marketing assistant. Through that job I worked with a lot of commercial creatives and artists – illustrators and designers – so always had a working relationship with art. Fast forward 15 years and I am a director of a blue chip company and meet my now business partner, Laura O’Hare – who was a solicitor at the time. She got in touch as she was running an event on behalf of a charity and asked if I could help out. The event went well and we started talking about working together on a permanent basis. So we both left our corporate careers and set up a consultancy which focused on volume art events – these included Chester Arts, Liverpool Contemporary, and we also had an arts and education program. Then the pandemic hit! But it was during that down time that we realized all artists had a universal set of challenges – even though we were event focused we were getting asked the same questions over and over again. So we set up a platform to help answer those questions, which became the VAA. Initially it was there to offer some advice but while lockdown continued, we saw we could serve artists in a different way. We basically became an education company, teaching artists very practical skills on how to sell online, how to work with galleries and publishers as well as offering legal and finance advice. So we set up a one-stop shop to help and support visual artists – and it’s gone viral!
Did it take a lot of bravery to leave behind the corporate world and a regular income?
It was scary but I had done my research and I could see there was a gap in the market. Also, if I’m being honest, there was an element of naivety but that’s not a bad thing. When you’re younger, you believe you can take on the world. So while it was a case of building the bridge as we were standing on it, I found that pushes you to work harder to ensure all the bills are paid. That’s part of starting any business – there’s no easy way to do it.
How important are enthusiasm, passion and self-belief when you start a project?
It’s so important. I remember early on, we’d been going for about six months, and we had an opportunity to have an art fair in Liverpool. We’d not held an event there, but we knew we had to do it – and do it properly so that it got a lot of media attention. We were based in London at the time and couldn’t get anyone interested in doing it. So one day I just said; “Come on, let’s go around Belgravia and speak to some galleries.” One of the first I walked into, I introduced myself to the lady working there and explained what we were trying to do, and it turned out she knew Nelson Mandela’s family. I asked if we could display some of his artwork for this event and amazingly the family said ‘yes’! They loaned us a world-class collection and it got incredible coverage. We were on both ITV and BBC News. I think if you believe in what you’re doing, then you have that drive to make things happen.
Can you tell us a little bit more about what the VAA is and the plans you have for it?
One of the things that both Laura and I are passionate about is giving opportunities to creative people and artists. So many people who work in that world don’t understand how it works, so the VAA is there to demystify how it’s possible to have a sustainable career. One of our core values is freedom – whether it’s creative, financial or emotional. The art world is a cottage industry, it’s not like other sectors where, if you become an accountant, you go and work for an organization as an accountant, creative people or artists often work on their own – so we saw a gap in the market to support them in how to develop their business. Clearly people want our help because we have grown from an initial membership of 30 to having over 25,000 artists on our books, and we did that in three and a half years. We’re also not just UK based, we have people in Australasia, America, Europe, South America, and so it really is an international community. That means even if you are an artist in the Faroe Islands, we provide a something to be part of and feel supported by. While we’ve had a big success in a small timeframe, everything that we do financially goes back into the VAA to continue to support this community.
What sacrifices did you make in order to establish the VAA?
I think the biggest sacrifice is certainty. When you’re in a corporate career, you know you have set hours and paid holiday, but when you’re building your own business you have to sacrifice that security.
Is it there a mantra you live by?
Oh yes and this was true of both my corporate career and my work at the VAA – you have to learn how to handle disappointments and failure, because to be successful, that’s part and parcel of it. You do get better at it, and I would say that comes down to perspective. These days I never, ever see failure as the door being closed, it just means ‘not right now’.
When you’re starting out, is it important to ignore the naysayers?
One skill that’s really important to develop is listening to your intuition. Try to drown out the noise and pay attention to what your gut is telling you. You need to make your own decisions, and that way you can live and die by them. People often feel that they need everyone else’s perspective and opinion – and I’m not saying don’t take some on board – but it’s your career, your life, your choice so do it for yourself.
Of all your achievements, which are you most proud of?
For me, it’s actually a very subtle thing – it’s when we’ve helped an artist and then we get feedback in the community that we genuinely care about them. It makes me proud when I see other people succeeding and achieving their dreams and aspirations.
Who are your heroes?
Mine is Mother Teresa and the reason I admire her so much is that my mum had some of her qualities. My mum would often say; try and leave people feeling better whenever you meet them. As you get older, you value people who are humble, kind, and compassionate more and more. Those qualities are ones I really admire.
What advice would you give to someone who was starting a business?
Surround yourself with people who are going to fill your cup up. You need to be very selective of those you work with and if someone is constantly being negative you need to move away. I mean, everyone has an off day but just watch people’s energy. So try to have people who are going to lift you up and also be candid in their advice to you. It will all help build your confidence and self-belief – because no-one has that on day one.
What’s next for you and the VAA?
For the VAA, we’ve got another book coming out later this year, which is about mindsets for creatives, because I’m really passionate about that. We’ve also got a new podcast being launched called Art Insider. I just want to see the VAA continue to grow and develop. We’ve been so fortunate with all the support that we’ve had from different organizations, and together we’ve built a community that provides a framework to help artists succeed.
