Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamal Love.
Hi Jamal, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My introduction to the art world began during my childhood, in large part to my parents. They were actively involved, selling limited and open-edition prints to friends, peers, and enthusiasts. We would travel to shows all along the East Coast seeing waves of visitors walking around and artists selling their work. Growing up in a household filled with Black art exposed me to the limitless creativity that people who looked like me possessed. Observing how my parents operated and experiencing firsthand the positivity of Black art ignited a desire within me to carry forward the legacy they started. In 2019, I made the decision to start the process of opening my own. art gallery. The next 5 years were a journey of working for a well-known New York Gallery, The Richard Beavers Gallery, to learn about the business and operations of a gallery. In addition to that experience, I also returned to school to receive my MBA degree from Boston University. In 2024, I officially launched The Art of Love Gallery. Similarly to my parents, I am selling limited and open-edition prints from a range of Black artists. Since then, it’s been an incredible experience. At this particular moment, I don’t have a storefront location essentially, my gallery is anywhere I pop up, whether at shows or on the street, and I also have a website where I conduct online sales.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
At this point, I’ve been very fortunate not to have a lot of major obstacles placed in my way yet. Where I have struggled is allocating enough time to the art business while juggling my full-time job along with the other priorities of life. Oftentimes, I may feel a little bit guilty for not doing something to push the business forward, but I extend myself grace and remind myself that I am approaching this with a staircase mindset. It’s ok to be where I am for an extended period of time and enjoy the progress I’ve made so far before jumping to the next level. Another obstacle I’ve faced has been trying to prove to artists who I may be interested in working with the value I can provide for them and their business being so “new” to this industry on my own even though I have strong experience working with another gallery.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
From a professional standpoint, my background consists of working in the consumer space for large companies where I focused on improving relationships between those companies and their customers. Currently, I am a data analyst within the sports industry. As I mentioned previously, I work with a New York-based art gallery, and that has been an invaluable experience seeing all that goes into running and operating a gallery. Educationally, I received my MBA from Boston University, Questrom School of Business with a focus on Social Impact and Strategy, and my BA in Business Administration from Morehouse College. I consider diversity a superpower, and throughout my career, I have worked across a wide range of industries. I have applied a lot of the knowledge I’ve learned along the way to my gallery and I view that as a core strength of the business.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First and foremost my family and more specifically my parents. They didn’t fully know the seed they planted when they were buying Black art and putting those images on our walls when I was young. They did it because it was something they loved and appreciated. My parents didn’t think I would want to take this to another level and were surprised when I told them this was a direction I wanted to go. Now that my parents are at that retirement age they are definitely plugging back into the business and helping out wherever and however they can. They have helped me work shows, ship out art to clients, and secure supplies. It’s been amazing to have them by my side. I can tell they are having fun getting back into something they are passionate about.
My friends have also played a huge role in my success. I have had numerous conversations with them ranging from how to approach a topic or get their advice on what font or design to use for the logo. They send me art-related news and events so that I am aware of what’s going on. My friends have also purchased art from me which is a great feeling jump-starting them on their collection journey. They have gone above and beyond what I could have expected in making the business into what it is today.
Mentors are key and I am extremely lucky to have a great group of people who have done and seen things that I am navigating through. Richard Beavers has been instrumental in my overall development in the art space. He opened up his home, his family, and his business for me to learn all the ins and outs of what it takes to run a gallery. I started off as an intern with the gallery and over the years took on different roles and responsibilities which has been invaluable. Other mentors are Karlo Young and Terrance Whitehead. I did a high school mentorship program and they were the leads for the program. I stayed connected to both of them since that time and they have given me advice in so many areas and beyond grateful for their support.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artoflovegallery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artoflovegallery_/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@noloveislost
