About Us
Very Private Gallery
- We aim to help artists make a living from art.
- We are based in Madrid, Spain.
- We propose an artist residency program in Madrid
- We create content that helps artists grow. You can find articles on our blog, and videos on YouTube.
- We have an art and business-related coaching. All our offerings are available on Patreon.
The team
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Christine O’Donnell
Partner
Master in Art History (expected 2022), Master 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 Beacon Gallery 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 the work she does as a consultant.
Focus
Business with art galleries, gallery management and strategic planning.
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.
Last articles
– How to get your art in a gallery
– Jules Arthur and the Resilient Sisterhood Project
– Larry Fields and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art
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.
Focus
Youtube for artists, photographing your art, sales channels for artists.
Spoken languages
Chinese, English, Spanish and French
Expertise
Sales channels for artists, art entrepreneurship, content marketing, art merchandising.
“Growing up in a family of artists I saw how my parents struggled to provide for us. I knew I did not want to become an artist and repeat my parents’ struggles. So I went to study filmmaking, European law and business administration in order to arm myself before facing the great uncertainty that is “The Art World.” With five degrees in hand, I realised my real mission is to help other artists survive and strive. This is my role in the art world.”
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 was 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 and organized exhibitions in China, Australia, France and most recently in Spain. He worked for several art fairs and galleries as a digital strategist.
Focus
Art history, art market, social media for artists, website and SEO for art, art galleries
Spoken languages
French, English and Spanish.
Expertise
Social media for artists, SEO for art, growth hacking, Visual Identity, styles and trends online
Last article
“After graduating from a prestigious fine art school in France, I tried very hard to succeed as a contemporary artist, following the model I had been taught. I invested all my money and time into an exhibition that never materialised. I was left broke and furious, with nothing to show for all my hard work. It was also one of the most important lessons of my life and brought me to my true calling. I spent the following decade working as an art communication and marketing professional around the world. With those experiences, I am now ready to share what I have learnt to change the lives of emerging artists and to hopefully avoid anyone repeating my fledgling mistakes. Basically, I want to be the person I needed to meet when I first tried to be a professional artist.”
Photo 2 and 3 credit: Brett Hastie