Michael Foley is the director of Foley Gallery in Chelsea, and is also outrageously nice and generous with his time. This is a rare thing in the fine art world, which can be a seemingly impossible fortress to penetrate. Foley clearly has a good eye and a good nose for the market; he consistently shows emerging artists who then become both well-regarded and successful. Be sure to check out the new Jessica Dimmock and Chuck Scarborough show which opens at the gallery tomorrow night. Below, a little q&a.



How did you originally choose to become a dealer? I know you worked for years at Yancey Richardson- how did you first enter the business?

I first considered working in a gallery in 1989 when I was a struggling artist working at a coffee bar in San Francisco. The staff at Fraenkel Gallery would come in often for their late afternoon coffee run and I would visit their gallery from time to time. On one visit to the gallery, Frish Brandt handed me a job description and asked if I would consider applying for the job of Preparator (the person that does the installations and shipping). Without too much hesitation I went ahead with the interview and landed the job, which I stayed in for the next six years while pursuing my own photography.

Over the course of the next several years, I continued my personal work while making the move to New York to work for Howard Greenberg and Yancey Richardson. It was with Yancey that I first really started selling work and representing her artist's interests. I also began teaching at ICP and then SVA and later Parsons. I realized how much I like working with artists and helping with their career.

But after four years with Yancey, I needed to decide what to do next. Working for another gallery was not an option that interested me. I really had worked with and learned from the best. It was time to either strike out on my own or go back to actively making my own work again. I applied for an SBA loan and felt that if I was approved, a "Foley Gallery" was meant to be. I got the loan and opened the gallery in the fall of 2004.



Jessica Dimmock is now represented by Foley Gallery. Jessica is a documentary photographer, shooting stories as part of VII's network. What is the fine art market for work of this nature?

Up until recently, photography seemed to be segregated from the rest of the art world...having its own fairs, panels and conferences. Within that, there were further divisions between fashion, journalism, so called "fine art" and on and on. Now those divisions have receded and you have contexts changing all the time. What I look for and what I think most dealers of contemporary photography will look for is a cohesive vision in a body of work regardless of the category that it inhabits within photography. I have a feeling Jessica's work will be very well received in the gallery. The imagery is arresting and engaging and that's what I think people look for.


Jessica Dimmock, from The Ninth Floor, 2005



Thomas Allen's work seems to be everywhere lately. What's it like to feel like you're playing an active role in the development of an artist?

The success of Thomas Allen has continued to inspire me to do more for my artists. It is the most rewarding part of my job to see an artist's career blossom and take off. In Tom's case, it has propelled him in directions that neither one of us could have anticipated. When I opened this gallery, I made the commitment to actively work on the careers of the artists that I represent. Sometimes it takes a while to see the results, but having patience and a vision really comes in handy and when the successes come, it's worth the wait.



Thomas Allen, Horse Play, 2006


Thomas Allen, Fury, 2006


The fine art world has a long and storied history of being impenetrable, intimidating and exclusive. What's your advice for someone who wants to become a dealer?

This is certainly true for an artist trying to gain entry. If you want to become a dealer, I would suggest working for several galleries before you embark on your own. One obvious obstacle for setting out on your own is the initial capital. But even if you have the money, you need a little time to learn the business and for the business to get to know you.

I worked for 14 years in this business before I went out on my own...now, you don't have to wait that long, but there is not one experience along the way that hasn't come in handy. From dealing with artists and clients to getting to know the collectors and curators and allowing them to get to know you. It's a strange business here in Chelsea, so many similar businesses in the same area of town. It's exciting and competitive. The more people you know coming into it the better.


I love Kent Rogowski's work, but I have to say, the bears unleash a torrent of bear-empathy! I feel rather sad for them. I like the bear with the oxygen mask best, I think. Do you have a favorite?

Those BEARS have sparked a lot of chatter on blogs and I have even seen a YouTube video of a kid playing "surgeon" on his younger sister's cherished bear. It's amazing how sensitive this issue is with some people. All in good fun for the most part, but the response had been fantastic. There is one little BEAR that looks like a purple Easter egg. I quite like that one. No arms, no feet, just a cuddly little body and a little bob of a head.


Kent Rogowski, Bear 14, 2003



Kent Rogowski, Bear 17, 2003



Whose art is on your walls at home?

I have several pieces of art from the artists I show, some have been gifts and others I have bought. When I was making art in San Francisco, there was a lot of trading going on in our community, so I have a lot of art made by my friends, which really means the most to me.