Behind the Canvas

Hi! My name is Phineas VanKouwenhoven, and I’m a senior Art major with a minor in Anthropology. This summer I’m interning at the Froelick Gallery in downtown Portland! 

My work in the gallery involves many different tasks, such as helping with tear-down and install of the shows, cataloging and updating inventory records, packing and shipping art, cleaning the gallery, and helping to answer questions during open hours. 

The Froelick Gallery represents over twenty artists primarily based in the PNW and Japan. The gallery also has a large inventory of work that exists not just physically, but also in an online database through the program ArtLogic. Since the beginning of the summer I have also been learning how to navigate and use ArtLogic, as it is an industry standard software. Over the summer I have learned a ton about how a gallery functions on the backend; it’s a lot more than just hanging paintings and answering questions.

The work I do in the gallery varies day to day depending on what is needed. Sometimes my day is really chill and work is updating inventory records in ArtLogic. Some days it is completing little cleaning tasks in the gallery. Sometimes the day is chaotic and involves runs to storage, the post office, or other errands. Once a month we deinstall the entire show and pack the art up to remodel the gallery and install the next show. This is always a really exciting moment because the first Thursday of every month is the show opening!

One of my main projects throughout this summer has been locating contact information for curators of Contemporary American Art museums as well as other public art collections, who are potentially looking to expand their collections. I’ve been reaching out to them with information about the artists represented by the Froelick Gallery. This is very exciting to do as an artist myself, because it has shown me how art operates in a commerce setting. A gallery is not just a mode for brilliant public displays of curated work, but also as a place of business and exchange in the art scene. 

Overall, this internship with the Froelick Gallery has been so valuable for me this summer. I’m so grateful to have Charles Froelick as a mentor to me in this field. I also feel confident in my new experience which will prove to be invaluable in endeavors!