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The Synergy <strong>of</strong> Success ...Why Agora Gallery Works by Lynda Pogue Having been associated with Agora for several years as both an artist <strong>and</strong> a writer I have come to respect <strong>and</strong> honor the complexity <strong>and</strong> sheer energy that it takes to administer this dynamic, multi-faceted business called Agora Gallery. Through my own experiences internationally, I know <strong>of</strong> no other gallery which <strong>of</strong>fers an artist more opportunities for exposure. Any organization needs a ‘big picture’ leader <strong>and</strong> Agora is fortunate to have this… Every day the director, Angela Di Bello, becomes involved with staff, artists, clients, writers, <strong>and</strong> dozens <strong>of</strong> others from communicating with an artist through to the installation <strong>of</strong> artwork, sales, advertising, the tremendously exciting ‘Opening Night’… <strong>and</strong> beyond. Every member <strong>of</strong> the Agora staff has both a defined role <strong>and</strong> one in which they effortlessly collaborate with each other. The gallery permeates an underlying sense <strong>of</strong> tenacity coupled with a delightful sense <strong>of</strong> humor. And most importantly, there’s an absolute respect for artists <strong>and</strong> their talent. Angela Di Bello … Director / Agora Gallery, Editor-in-Chief <strong>of</strong> <strong>ARTisSpectrum</strong> Magazine Angela gets inspired by the daily necessity <strong>of</strong> creating something innovative for Agora therefore she’s continually raising the bar for herself, her staff, artists <strong>and</strong> clients. It’s this electric ‘excitement’ that creates the synergy in the Agora Gallery. As a determined problem-solver she <strong>and</strong> her strong team are constantly discovering novel ways <strong>of</strong> exp<strong>and</strong>ing Agora’s visibility through new modes <strong>of</strong> promotion <strong>and</strong> increasing distribution: We are continually churning out new ideas for increasing our services <strong>and</strong> broadening our marketing net in order to bring more visibility to the gallery thereby shedding additional light on the art work <strong>and</strong> increasing sales. If we improve services <strong>and</strong> exp<strong>and</strong> our network we elevate the vital importance <strong>of</strong> the gallery. At Agora, there’s an ever-exp<strong>and</strong>ing representation <strong>of</strong> art from around the world… a kind <strong>of</strong> international synergy. And each show, whether it’s a solo or group show, has a theme whose title is most <strong>of</strong>ten created by Angela… such engaging titles as The Persistence <strong>of</strong> Color, Altered States <strong>of</strong> Reality, Metamorphosis, Matrix <strong>of</strong> the Mind, or The Odyssey Within. She notes that the binding unifying force between the abstract impressionist artist <strong>and</strong> the representative or figurative artist from anywhere in the world is energetic <strong>and</strong> upbeat color. And, when discussing what to show, she finds herself frequently advising artists what to specifically focus upon. For example, if an artist’s only interest is sales then she suggests that he or she not join the journey at Agora. However, if an artist does choose Agora representation then they are <strong>of</strong>fered numerous opportunities for promotion: art reviews, catalogs, postcards, newsletters, electronic invitations, videographer & photographer at receptions, blog, 40,000 email blasts, reviews/pr<strong>of</strong>iles in <strong>ARTisSpectrum</strong> Magazine, promotion <strong>of</strong> the artwork on the ARTMine <strong>and</strong> Agora website, an Opening Night reception… Agora is the perfect venue for the promotion <strong>of</strong> artists: emerging, mid-level <strong>and</strong> established. Angela oversees which artworks an artist may show in one <strong>of</strong> the two beautiful, light-filled Agora galleries: Gallery I <strong>of</strong>fers an artist to be part <strong>of</strong> a collective <strong>and</strong> Gallery II <strong>of</strong>fers an artist a solo show. The dynamic Agora website shows both photos <strong>and</strong> videos <strong>of</strong> the show. All represented artists have their works presented on the ARTmine site (online showcase for selling art). Almost half <strong>of</strong> the art sold through Agora comes from clients mining this site for art. Angela selects the work to be on the site based upon what’s going to resonate with the viewing <strong>and</strong> buying audience, she continually networks with art buyers <strong>and</strong> collectors. Angela is also the Editor-in-Chief <strong>of</strong> <strong>ARTisSpectrum</strong> magazine, which provides the public <strong>and</strong> artists with fabulous in-depth articles about the art world <strong>and</strong> features critiques <strong>and</strong> the works <strong>of</strong> many Agora artists. 27 <strong>ARTisSpectrum</strong>