Inspiring Conversations with Elise Gagliardi of Beco Gallery

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elise Gagliardi.

Hi Elise, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Beco Gallery was opened in 2000 by Becky Ederer and Colette Keenan. The building was an old car garage in the heart of the Crossroads. They completely reinvented the space to be both an art gallery and a flowershop. The gallery has had several different curators over the years. However, the vision of showing promising, emerging local artists has remained. I started running the gallery in early 2018. The Gallery had lost its last curator and had been sitting empty for several months. I asked Becky if I could show my work there as a launching point for my own career. As a mother of 3 young children, my time and resources were limited. Yet, my connections with artists were bountiful. After I took my artwork down, I started reaching out and inviting some of my favorite KC artists to hang their work. It was a natural fit for me. I’ve been curating the space since.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My largest hurdles have been; balancing work and family, maintaining my own art career, and learning how to build an audience and sell artwork. Investing in people and building community has always been my utmost priority. Carving meaningful time for my family member and other artists. As a mom who primarily works from home, I’m constantly learning how to balance my home life and work-life better. I frequently re-evaluate how I divide my time and if I’m keeping my actions in alignment with my life goals.

Beco Gallery is primarily a passion project for me. I believe that art is absolutely essential and crucial for a city to thrive and grow. Finding a community of people that are willing to invest in local artists and buy art from a gallery is a generally misunderstood process. Art can be intimidating. I wish I could find a way to bridge the gap between viewers and artists and create financial stability for those artists.

These are all obstacles I’m still facing and really have no answer for. I hope that in the end, it will bring positive change to Kansas City and help support the artists who need it most.

We’ve been impressed with Beco Gallery, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Beco Gallery is an artist-run space. It has been showcasing experimental, diverse, emerging artists since 2000. We particularly emphasize local Kansas City artists. We’re located in the heart of the crossroads, one block from the streetcar. We’re open for the Kansas City Art walk on the first Friday of every month. The heart of our gallery is to be an inclusive inviting space. We give our artists 100% artistic freedom to do whatever they want in the gallery. We value experimentation and authenticity in our artists. We seek art that provokes meaningful conversation and introspection.

We’ve had group shows, solo shows, 12 ft milkweed plant installations. We host art workshops, critique groups, artist support groups, art markets, and even vegan pop-ups.

We want to be a resource and support to the Kansas City art community. We’ve aimed to work with other organizations and curators to diversify the art we show and our audience. We’ve worked with No Divide KC, Interurban Arthouse, Curiouser & Curiouser, Vegan Events KC, Lapidopteran Art Group, and Lodger Art.

We want to normalize buying art and supporting local artists. We do this by educating the general public in the joy of owning original art. We also seek to connect with collectors in our area. Thriving artists means a thriving community, and we want to contribute to the health of our community.

What are your plans for the future?
My plans for Beco Gallery are to continue showing local and regional emerging artists. Connecting with more organizations, artists, and curators. Inviting the rest of the city to join us in our journey. Doing everything we can to contribute to our wonderful and vibrant City.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becogallery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becogallery/

Image Credits
Sunshine and Shadows Photography Liz Davenport Elise Gagliardi