We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Jordan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I met lead artist, Sarah Creasman Barnett, at our neighborhood park with our toddler daughters in the summer of 2021. We began chatting and connected over our love of art and struggles as young mothers during a global pandemic. It was one of the most serendipitous meetings of my life. Sarah introduced me to the world of Motherhood art which depicts the power, emotions and stages of being a mother. Although I attended art school and worked in art sales early in my career, I had been in the health-sector nonprofit and education worlds for the past decade, always using art as a way to connect with my clients. Meeting Sarah and learning about this new, powerful movement in the art world reignited my interest in art sales and made me wonder how I might be able to combine my experience in the art, nonprofit, and education sectors into one amazing, community-focused cause.

When Sarah and I attended a prestigious art fair the following spring, we discussed what our ideal art world would look like. That’s when I had the epiphany, “We can create the culture we want to see.” So we did.

What should our readers know about your business?

hMTHRshp is a fine arts gallery and collective focused on social justice. There is a movement in the art world to represent historically underrepresented artists as a way to increase visibility, share our stories, and move the culture forward, creating a more just and equitable society. We are proud to join that effort. Our mission and vision are to represent women, mother, LGBTQIA+, disabled, BIPOC, and immigrant artists with a 70% commission. The thing that sets us apart from traditional galleries lies both in the artists we represent and in our non-traditional commission structure. Most galleries operate with a 50/50 commission structure. That means that if a work sells for $1,000, the artist receives $500. That always bothered me. Our business model is more of a hybrid of a non-profit and for-profit. Perhaps because of my history in nonprofits, I am able to fund most of our events and operations through grants. That allows me to provide our artists with a minimum of 70% of the final sale of their work, up to 85%.

A lot of my time as Director is spent researching opportunities that would be a good fit-looking for grants, finding partnerships with like minded business owners and institutions to help us support our work. We have been fortunate to be embraced and supported by our community. We received the StartHer Grant from Texas Women’s University and have received two Arts Activate Grants through the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture.
The community at large has rallied around us too. At our recent group show, Meet thMTHRshp, we had over 300 people come out to celebrate on opening night. We hosted several events, including 5 workshops throughout the week supporting both adults and children. All were well attended. That tells me that what we are doing has struck a nerve. People like what we offer and feel inspired by it. Seeing them take that love out into their lives and share it with the world is so encouraging!
It has been a lot of hard work, but filled with serendipities, like meeting incredible artists along the path, and other wonderful community members who support us and want to watch thMTHRshp and the Dallas art community as a whole grow.

I want the world to know that we are just getting started! Our team sees the potential of thMTHRshp to connect and heal our communities through creativity. Our goal is to soon acquire a physical space that would allow us to host regular workshops for our community members, offer quality childcare and memberships with an artistic twist. One thing that sets our gallery apart is our inclusion of families-we are a collective owned and operated by moms. We bring our kids along for the ride and we want the community to as well. We’re fostering the next generation of artists and art lovers. Part of our goal is to create a culture of value around art and artists while also creating a sustainable arts ecosystem that helps our communities thrive.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Lubbies Bagels on Peavy Road and Goodfriend Package across the street are favorite breakfast and lunch spots of mine. Friendly, down to Earth people and amazing food-what more could you want? I would grab cocktails at Lounge Here in East Dallas and for sure hit up Las Almas Rotas in Fair Park for tacos and Palomas. I love Marcel Market, a French boutique owned by a French couple over in Bishop Arts. Wild Detectives is a great spot to grab a coffee and book and enjoy good conversation. The Japanese Gardens at the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth is one of the most serene spots in the Metroplex. There’s a lot of great music in Dallas, so I’d check out a show in Deep Ellum. One of my new, favorite art galleries and event spaces is House of Water, owned and operated by local artist Kelsey Anne Heimerman. She throws a great party featuring her lovely art and talented local musicians. There is so much talent in this city, if you look you are sure to find something amazing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Sarah Creasman Barnett. This entire concept was inspired by her, both as a friend, amazing mother, and artist. When Sarah and I met and she told me she was an artist, I went home and checked out her website and was absolutely awestruck by her talent. I knew I had met someone very special, which is why I often refer to her as thMTHRshp Muse. She is our lead artist, and one of my dearest friends. I thank the Universe everyday for putting us in each other’s orbit. The world is a better place because of it.

Website: https://www.mthrshpgallery.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mthrshpgallery/

Image Credits
Tom Roma Ryan Escobar

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