The Digital High Five:
Library Street Collective from Detroit, Michigan

The Digital High Five is Artland’s new interview series that will be published weekly and will feature one of our partner galleries. We have created this new series to connect with galleries, share insights, and shed light on initiatives that are taking place amongst our community. For the month of April we are focusing on topics that address technology, digital strategy and thinking outside the box during a global crisis.

To kick us off, we had the opportunity to speak with Anthony Curis, who is one of the partners of Library Street Collective located in Detroit Michigan.

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With technology now at the forefront of how galleries are operating, how are you using technology? (ex. online sales, various platforms, social media etc)

Being based in Detroit outside of major art hubs, much of our sales activity happens online, so a digital presence and the use of media in many forms to communicate work is very important to us. Social media is huge, instagram in particular. We’ve focused the past year on these strategies, particularly a unique digital exhibition platform that will be released in the coming weeks that we’re very excited about. Artland and its capabilities around virtual space has provided us with a great avenue to add value to the way we present our shows online.

“I can’t say it enough, but I think being creative is crucial – using your story and your unique offering to put together a presence that really reflects that. We’re in a creative field, and though it’s important to not overshadow or complicate the presentation of the work because the art is the focus, digital strategies are limitless.”

What specific digital strategy has brought you success and has been the most effective?

I’d have to say that instagram has been incredibly powerful. It’s a place where we can present many different kinds of media (images, but also video, GIFS, and animations) to a really wide audience. It’s very communal, and a lot of further contact builds from things that are first presented on the platform. It’s an easy and effective way to tell stories.

What excites you the most when it comes to the use of technology being used in galleries? What is your biggest concern? Biggest surprise?

I think that we’re just beginning to scratch the surface of what we can offer digitally. The options grow all the time, and exploring new opportunities is exciting and encourages creativity. During this pandemic and shutdown, we immediately saw galleries, artists and institutions rise to the challenge and rethink the ways they express themselves online. The concern sometimes is that efforts are scrolled through so quickly, but if you really consider the best way to execute an idea digitally, I don’t think it goes unnoticed. It’s been a surprise to see the leaps that the creative community has made during the last few weeks – there are aspects of ingenuity that flourish under necessity.

Managing an online digital presence can be overwhelming – what is some advice that you have for other galleries around the world who are looking to develop their digital strategy?

I guess I can’t say it enough, but I think being creative is crucial – using your story and your unique offering to put together a presence that really reflects that. We’re in a creative field, and though it’s important to not overshadow or complicate the presentation of the work because the art is the focus, digital strategies are limitless. The trick is keeping up on new technologies, learning the platforms, and communicating the work according to your artists’ needs and ambitions.