The LA Magazine has yet another profile of Stefan Simchowitz. (He has some publicist!) You can’t read it because it isn’t online. But Los Angeles did something very smart. They put up a timeline of artist Zachary Armstrong’s year-long saga of getting on the Simcho train and gathering speed:
December 2013
Armstrong receives an email from Simchowitz, who has seen a painting of his on Instagram and would like to purchase it. He asks for the price. Armstrong tells him $2,000.
January 2014
Simchowitz buys ten paintings from Armstrong but pays only $1,000 per painting.
April 2014
Simchowitz calls Armstrong and tells him that some of the paintings had been sold and that things were going better than anticipated. “I’m guessing he sold them for $5,000 a piece,” says Armstrong. “That’s when the machine went into motion.”
May 2014
Suddenly, Armstrong is besieged with emails from people who want to buy his art and give him gallery shows.
June 2014
Armstrong gets a show at the East Hampton gallery of Robert Blumenthal. “The larger pieces were priced ad $10,000 but probably got marked down to $7,000,” Armstrong says. “Everything sold.”
July 2014
Armstrong rents a U-Haul truck, loads it with art, and drives from Dayton to Los Angeles, where he stays in Simchowitz’s guest room. He brings 10 or 15 paintings with him. Simchowitz purchases all of them. Armstrong recalls being paid about $20,000. “He started paying for my studio and supplies,” says Armstrong.
September 2014
Night Gallery offers him a show for 2015. Armstrong begins working on material.
December 2014
During Art Basel Miami, Night Gallery participates in a satellite art fair called NADA. “They had a big painting of mine there, priced at $18,000,” says Armstrong, who flies to Miami for Basel.
April 2015
Armstrong , who figures that Simchowitz has purchased a total of 40 or so pieces from him, will be having his show at Night Gallery.
How Stefan Simchowitz “Makes” an Artist (Los Angeles Magazine)
