Speakeasy with - Bill Lowe

The man behind one of the city’s most successful commercial galleries, since 1989, Bill Lowe of Buckhead’s Lowe Gallery has represented blue-chip artists like Dale Chihuly (featured through Sept. 15) and has used his gallery to further his belief in the spiritual dimension of art.</
There are always rumors that you will leave your Buckhead Tula location. Any truth in those?</
We have researched expanding our physical facilities. This could take the form of an additional larger, cutting-edge Midtown location, but this would not preclude our staying at Tula. In truth, I believe we will soon have two very primary galleries in this city — each spectacular in its own right.</
Galleries come and go in Atlanta. What advice would you give an aspiring gallery owner to last in this very difficult business?</
My first advice would be don’t do it, unless you are intensely passionate about your “point of view” as [it] relates to art. Finally, I would say that if money is your goal, this is not the business to pursue. Almost no one makes a good living in this industry. Those that do are the exception.</
You have galleries in both Atlanta and Santa Monica. Any notable differences between the taste of those buyers?</
Southerners are much more open in expressing their emotional passion about art. They also have much more fun when they buy art. If they see it, love it, have the money to acquire it and somewhere to put it — they buy it! The West Coast collector is more guarded, less willing to “reveal” and more committed to asserting a certain indifference toward that for which they have a passion.