Digital marketing + Partnerships
Interview December 3, 2015
Tell us a about Mana Contemporary.
Mana is a two-million square foot converted factory, dedicated to nourishing and displaying the creative process. The expansive industrial space is a vessel for daily cross-collaboration between artists of all forms—dancers, painters, photographers, curators. Inside our flagship location in Jersey City we have over 150 artist studios, 7 galleries, a silk screening studio, a dance studio, a dark room, a foundry, a restaurant, a bookstore/publishing company, an art school, and more. We brought in experts in every field to run each arm of Mana, so artists can cross-pollinate, learn new skills and express themselves in diverse ways. We also provide art services in-house including framing, crating, shipping, storage and restoration. We try to be as all-encompassing as possible so artists are able to focus on what they are best at—creating art.
Mana began as an art storage company. The founder, Eugene Lemay, is an artist himself and chose to fill the building with artists instead. The high ceilings, giant windows, industrial elevators are everything that artists dream about. Lemay brought in a team of creatives to help him jump start this vision, and we’ve been watching it multiply since its inception.
How did you begin working with Mana? What is your role?
I’m Director of Digital Marketing and Partnerships at Mana. I help tell the Mana’s story, and the story of the people behind it—the artists, the employees and the collectors. I also connect Mana to other creatives and creative institutions for new projects and partnerships. Mana fills a void in New York—artists need space, and we’re providing it. Working here allows me to support people and groups I believe in and help them manifest projects they wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
Originally, I was working as the marketing director for a different company that was run out of the factory that we’re housed in now. Gene asked me to switch companies and help him with Mana when it was just an idea. The commute from Brooklyn to Jersey to work in an empty factory was difficult at first, but the rapid transition is remarkable. It’s become a bustling hive of creatives in a few short years, with art and movement around every corner.
What are your goals when working with artists and developing partnerships?
I like to work with people I like. Luckily, so many of the people I associate with happen to be fiercely creative. The projects and artists that come to us are so diverse it's hard to summarize reasons for partnerships—but if someone is authentic and has a good vision, then I’m happy to collaborate. Mana has taught me that there is no limit—we have the space, team, and resources to create installations and projects of any size—so anything is possible.
Mana has locations in Jersey City, Chicago and Miami—what is Mana's goal in the art industry and how does it want to impact each community?
We’ve been described as a city of art. The goal is to be a home for all layers of the art world. If you walk into our cafe, you see artists talking to collectors, talking to art handlers, talking to gallerists. We want to be a safe space for creators, a space where they have everything they need to maximize their vision under one roof.
Mana’s goal in the art industry is to show the creative process and connect all of the different sects of the art world. When people see the creative process, they are more interested in the final product. Instead of just seeing the finished product on a white wall, we want you to see the messy studios, the mistakes and the inspiration. Most artists keep their studio doors open, the dance studio has a glass wall, the foundry pours metal outside. We want visitors to witness and understand the too often hidden layers of the art world.
What are your thoughts on Miami Art Basel? How is it beneficial to artists, gallerists, institutions and industry at-large?
The art world is good at celebrating people’s otherness and peculiarities. Works are valued for the meaning behind them and for making someone feel something. Art Basel helps to spread this way of thinking to the masses while supporting young artists. The concept of “Art Basel” has transitioned beyond just a singular fair to encompass the entire week. Basel turns Miami into a giant Mana—a place for the art world to get together.
I usually visit the large fairs and spend the majority of my time at subsidiary smaller fairs/events. I love to see new trends and new young artists get recognized for their uniqueness.
What is something you'd like to change about the art industry?
I’d change the barriers to entry. Creating, using your hands and expressing yourself is so cathartic. More people should be doing it—even if just for themselves. Mana is working to break down these barriers. I’m glad I get to work towards changing the art world’s opaque nature and exclusivity.
Do you have any artists or exhibitions you're excited about for this year's Basel?
Although I like Art Basel itself, I’m more interested in some of the other, smaller fairs. I always go to Untitled and NADA, and I’m looking forward to seeing both as early in the week as possible. And, of course I’m very proud of Mana Contemporary’s exhibitions this year. All three collections on view are very tight curatorially. The pieces are stunning. We also have a great street art program with Bushwick Collective this year in the Old RC Cola Plant, an incredible raw space we own in Miami.
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