SUSAN BARRETT TALKS BARRETT BARRERA PROJECTS Photos Provided By Barrett Barrera Projects
She’s been in the art world a long time – as an artist, curator, collector and museum director. In 2014, Susan Barrett started Barrett Barrera Projects, a company she says was built on the idea that a new model was needed, one which embraced art across disciplines and applications. “It started much like an art project in terms of experimentation,” says Barrett. Today, Barrett Barrera Projects is a for-profit arts organization that manages several collections of contemporary artworks and fashion objects, including one of the largest private collections of work by late British fashion designer Alexander McQueen. The organization includes four locations: Barrett Barrera Projects, projects+gallery, projects+exhibitions and Barrett Barrera Guest House– a private guest house for visiting artists and creatives located in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis. SL: How has the scope of the gallery as a business evolved over the past several weeks? SB: With our physical locations closed to the public and collectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my focus has shifted to a more introspective approach. It’s humbling 28 slmag.net
to be forced to re-examine goals and priorities after a year of significant expansion for the company. It’s like going back to the initial concept to really understand what is important, and for me that is family. I am focusing on making sure everyone has the basic resources needed during this very uncertain time: continued pay, health insurance, support and most importantly, each other. Our business includes traveling exhibitions to museums nationally and internationally. Luckily, museums see a future, and there is still viability in bringing our exhibitions to museums post COVID19. We have always been a dynamic company, whereas museums are a bit more fixed – now is the time that we can be of service to these clients and remain flexible and creative with how we bring our exhibitions and loaned objects to institutions, who are reworking calendars and priorities. Our flexibility as a team and a small business is our advantage to serving clients in uncertain times. What kinds of work is being done now to stay relevant and an important part of our community? St. Louis is my hometown and we are working on an initiative with other local galleries to gather
