Insiders' Art Profiles: In Conversation With Margaret Failoni

By Pascual Hijuelos

Having a career as a fine artist is undeniably one of the most challenging accomplishments to attain. Maybe one percent of one percent become superstars like Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. Most working career artists have to find some sort of employment to continue creating. Many just quit. One of the most pressing concerns for serious emerging artists is the challenge of finding a professional gallery that will not only sell their work, but also effectively represent and promote their careers. Professional galleries usually have an art curator, who may also be the owner. They set the aesthetic tone for the gallery. Their responsibilities include acquiring, caring for, and developing an art collection, organizing exhibitions, and interpreting art for the public. They conduct research and select artworks to communicate themes, ideas, or stories to viewers. But most importantly, they select the artists. One such person is Margaret Failoni.

Margaret was born in NYC. She attended FIT for fashion design and received a degree in Art History from Hunter College. She has curated museum shows throughout the USA, Italy and Mexico, and is presently the chief curator at Galeria Intersección Arte Contemporáneo here in San Miguel. We spoke recently at an opening.

Marge, has art always been your passion? Always!

How did your career as a curator and appraiser start? After graduation I wanted to visit all the museums and famous archaeological sites throughout the globe, so I became a stewardess for Pan Am. After several years of flying around the world, I made the decision to live in Rome. There I quickly found employment in local galleries and learned the business. I opened my first gallery, Galeria Il Ponte, in 1981. In Europe I was the first to show Jasper Johns, Robert Mapplethorpe, Beverly Pepper, Cy Twombly and many more notables. I was also the first to show photography as a comparable art form to painting and sculpture, in an art gallery. In 1988, I was asked by the United States Information Agency to curate a museum exhibit in Italy for the famous sculptor George Segal. That was the beginning of my curatorial career. I quickly became the go-between for shows organized by museums in the USA and Italy. Later I expanded my experiences into the Print realm, where my work brought me into contact with Henry Moore, Vito Acconci, Helen Frankenthaler and many more.

Henry Moore. What was he like? I was working for the 2RC Print Publishers running their exhibition gallery. They started a series of aquatint etchings with Henry Moore and I was the ‘gofer’, flying to England to receive the plates he worked on and discussing with him any changes he wished to make. I would return to Rome, the printers would print the new or changed plates, and I would take them to Moore for his okay. He was unassuming and charming. I suggested he do an exhibition of his sculpture in Italy to help promote his new etchings and he agreed.

When did you come to San Miguel? I came here in 1993. I was asked to curate museum and gallery exhibitions in D.F. (Distrito Federal - Mexico City) and Querétaro.  For the last 15 years I have been affiliated with Galería Intersección here in San Miguel.

What do you look for in an artist? Creativity and facility. Creativity, always over facility.

As a curator and gallerist what advice can you give an aspiring artist? Know the gallery and the type of art they handle before you approach them. One common mistake made frequently by artists is they submit work that is similar to work already being promoted by the gallery. When I showed Robert Mapplethorpe in Rome, for the next two years artists sent me pictures of naked men. I already had the best. Ultimately, what to bear in mind is that galleries are not interested in promoting the same type of work multiple times. Therefore, artists should be prepared to offer work that is unique and diverse. Work that complements the gallery's existing collection.

For years you have been part of the local art community. How do you see that scene now? San Miguel has grown and so has the art community. The art scene is less parochial and a little more professional as a result of this growth. It's also more international, which is a good thing.

For more information, contact Galeria Interseccion Arte Contemporáneo, Fábrica La Aurora at www.interseccionart.com

Cuban-American Pascual Hijuelos divides his time between San Miguel de Allende, his home for over twenty years, and New York City. pascualhijuelos.art