About Us
Very Private Gallery
Our mission is to help artists make a living from their art by offering a comprehensive range of support services. We provide an artist residency program in Madrid, Spain, and craft content to help artists grow without wasting their time on nonsense that doesn’t work.
We are sharing our knowledge and experience, discussing tips and strategies, and trying to help artists cut through the myths and opacity of this industry.
Our resources are available through our blog, a forum, a YouTube channel, and one-to-one art business coaching. The services are accessible on Patreon, where we are committed to fostering the success and sustainability of artists and other art businesses.
The team
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Christine O’Donnell
Partner
Master’s in Art History, Master’s in Arts in Teaching, B.A. French
Education
- M.A. in Art History, Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, expected 2022
- M.A. Teaching (French), Tufts University, Somerville, MA
- BA in French, College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
Christine O’Donnell is the owner and director of ShowUp Inc in Boston, Massachusetts. She founded this social impact-focused gallery in 2017 after over a decade spent living and working in Paris, Hong Kong, and Singapore. While living abroad, Christine cultivated her passion for art and art history by experiencing the diverse cultural and creative depths around her and developed connections with museums, galleries and local artists. She brings the perspective of both an educator and a gallery owner and director to all her consultant work.
Spoken languages
English, French, conversational Spanish
Expertise
Christine’s knowledge spans art history through to hard-won real-life business experience. She can consult on questions as diverse as cross-cultural communications, the U.S. art market, growing gallery and artist business through traditional and online means, as well as her passion, the intersection of social justice and the art world.
Mo Li
Co-founder
Master in Business Administration, Film Production, 10 years experience as art producer, 3 years experience in IPR.
Education
- BA in Film Production, Central Academy of Drama, China
- MA in Film Studies, University of Sydney, Australia
- MA in European Law, Hochschule Bremen, Germany
- MBA, IE Business School, Spain
With a BA from theatre school in Film and TV Production, Mo was well-connected to the many emerging artists in the art scene in Beijing. Inspired, she went to study curatorship and creative writing at the University of Sydney, then worked as a photographer, filmmaker and communication consultant across Asia. In addition to her professional practice, she continued to produce and participate in projects with artists, such as one with Chinese performance artist Li Wei.
Spoken languages
Chinese, English, Spanish, and French
Expertise
Sales channels for artists, art entrepreneurship, YouTube for artists, photographing art, content marketing, and art merchandising.
Greg Bot
Co-founder
Master in Fine Arts, 16 years as a communication specialist in art
Education
- BFA & MFA, Villa Arson, France
Ever since he was a child, Greg has been passionate about painting and drawing. At the age of 24, he graduated from Villa Arson, one of the most prestigious Fine Art academies in France. An experience as a young artist made him realize how little artists know about the real world of art that exists behind the creative side. Thus, instead of focusing on a career as an artist, Greg chose an alternative path. He dove into an area that is woefully neglected in art school: the business of art. He participated in and organized exhibitions in China, Australia, France, and most recently Spain. He worked for several art fairs and galleries as a digital strategist.
Spoken languages
French, English, and Spanish.
Expertise
Art history, art market, social media for artists, website, and SEO for art, art galleries
Photo 2 and 3 credit: Brett Hastie