The Thriving Artist Podcast

Mary Ann is the founder and owner of Weems Galleries & Framing, with two locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico—the first of which opened in 1981. The galleries’ holdings represent a wide range of styles, priced from five dollars to $8K, but Mary Ann emphasizes affordable art. A dedicated supporter of the Albuquerque arts scene, she also ran a major art festival there for 32 years, which drew 50K+ customers in its final year.Affordable Art:“Affordability has always been looked down upon. Art in the earlier days was always for the wealthy. And what you’re doing in creating affordable art is you’re taking artists who are willing to receive less for their artwork, which does not mean they’re lesser artists; you’re giving them a chance.”“I learned early that what I liked wasn’t the [popular] taste, I couldn’t use my taste alone. It was a balance … Price was absolutely imperative.”“We used to tell the artists, you can’t always look at time [to price it]. You’re going to have to put it in a pr