KATE SINGLETON’S PASSION IS PROMOTING THE WORK OF EMERGING ARTISTS When Kate Singleton is asked to define her work, the titles of Art Dealer and Digital Curator come to mind. The first is familiar while the other is not, which is simply in keeping with the new and emerging venues for promoting and selling art utilizing technology. As the owner of the online art gallery Buy Some Damn Art and the voice behind the blog Art Hound, Kate is committed to these new channels that are challenging and perhaps even disrupting long standing norms of how art is discovered, featured and sold. But from change comes progress and Kate is excited about the opportunities these shifts present for her business and the artists whose work she champions. Kate first found a liking for art history in high school, an interest which continued through college. Despite this, it was not a field she pursued as family did not view it as the smartest direction to take for a future career. And so corporate jobs awaited her following college, in Boston and later NYC, where she gained solid business experience. On the side, however, she followed her growing interest in discovering new artists and acquiring artwork, gradually learning to identify what she was drawn to as a viewer. Uncovering artists doing great work, those typically not being showcased through mainstream galleries, was the group she found most inspiring. This work and exploration proved to be the foundation for her current
ventures. Over time Kate began to grasp that this interest could become something more. After being laid off in 2009, while considering her options for future employment, Kate’s husband suggested she start a blog. Though she had never considered this before, she launched Art Hound as a way to explore her interest in art further and the possibilities of what might be if she took a different path with her career. Kate spent nearly two years growing Art Hound, a blog through which she shares “under the radar” art discoveries. During this time she also explored various business concepts centered on art that could become a revenue maker. This was a crucial element in allowing her to continue this course with her career; to find a venture that would bring as much enjoyment as Art Hound, yet produce an income. After several years working in the corporate arena she shares she felt “drunk on her freedom” and didn’t want to give it up! This preparation, thought and planning led to the launch of the online art gallery Buy Some Damn Art in November 2011. On this site a show featuring the work of one artist is launched every Tuesday, showcasing six original works of art for sale in the relatively affordable price range of $200 to $500, along with a short Q&A session with the artist. Kate understands how important it is to people considering buying art online to get a sense of who the person is behind the art.
“ People want to feel a connection with not just the art but the artist, to understand who the person is behind the work.” 149