diversityinbusiness.com sat down with Nicole Smith at her Chicago gallery.  Our interview has been edited and organized into five sections.  An index appears at the bottom of each section.  Click the appropriate text for a desired section.

1 - About the Art Shown at Nichole Gallery

2 - Nichole's Personal Journey with Art

3 - Finding the Faith to Open an Art Gallery

4 - Spiritual Grounding Leads to Dream Gallery

5 - Advice for Aspiring Artists and Gallery Owners

6 - The Art of Allen Stringfellow

1. About the Art Shown at Nichole Gallery 

d-i-b:  What type of art do you feature at the Nicole Gallery?

Nicole:  I feature wonderful, beautiful, colorful Haitian art, African American art, and Zimbabwean art.  Really, wonderful art for humanity.  This gallery was opened with the idea of uplifting humanity, of harmonizing, of  bringing all kinds of good things to humanity.

d-i-b:  What should we know about Haitian art?

Nicole:  Haitian art is beautiful art.  It's good art.  It's in collections all over the world.  It's in museums, like the Milwaukee Art Center, the Art Museum of Milwaukee, the Art Museum of Davenport, Iowa.  Haitian art has been featured at the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art.  It has been in museums in France, England, and in Italy.  It has been featured all over Latin America.  Before the political situation in Haiti, artists from all over the world use to go to Haiti to be inspired.  

Naturally, you have to be selective.  You have to know whom you are working with.  There is good art, but there is also art that is not so good.  You will only find good art in my gallery.  I know all the artists, I worked with them.  I talk about all of the different artists.  Even if you are not buying from my gallery, if you are going to Haiti, I will tell you where to go and what to look for.

d-i-b:  What type of people are drawn to your gallery?

Nicole:  They are from all walks of life.  In the very beginning, I had 90-percent white patrons.  In 1998, I was interviewed by the television show, The Minority Business Report.  That interview aired about twelve times.  It was such a wonderful interview, and each time it brought more African Americans to the gallery.  Now, I have 75-percent African American patrons.  The rest are from all over, and I am very, very grateful for that interview.

d-i-b:  For the person who doesn't know much about art, how do you make them comfortable with art?

Nicole:  First of all, the minute people walk into this place, I want them to be comfortable.  I want them to feel that they are in a place where everybody is welcome.  The minute someone comes, I ask if they are acquainted with Haitian Art, if they would like a tour.  Many times, they say yes.  

Really this gallery is a family thing for me, because I think of my patrons as family.

d-i-b:  Why should a person buy art?

Nicole:  A person should buy art, because art really helps balance life.  Good music, and good art really uplift humanity.  People should buy art, not because art is an investment, but because art is what uplifts you.  Art heals, art beautifies and it enriches your life.  There are people who buy art and put it in a vault.  But if you buy art, it should be because it uplifts you.  The feelings you derive from the art, the good feelings, is what you will take with you when you leave this world.  You will not take the art, but you will take what that art has given you, that feeling, that joy, everything good that the art has done for you. 

End of Section 1   |   Go to Top   |   See Section:   1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   5   |   6   |

2. Nichol Smith's Personal Journey with Art

d-i-b:  When and how did you develop your love for art?

Nicole:  I have always loved art, from the time I was a little girl.  I have always loved the sunsets and sunrises in Haiti.  When I saw them, I marveled and would say, God, there must be an artist creating those (sunsets and sunrises).  But being a child, I did not know that it was God doing that.  

d-i-b:  When did your love for natural art develop into a career in art?

Nicole:  That really began when I started working at the Art Center in 1973.  That was after I returned to Haiti from Jamaica where I had gone to learn business and English.  From the time I was a teenager, I really knew that I was not born to live in one place.  Every one has a divine plan, and probably that's was the reason why I kept thinking, I should learn English, I should learn English.  I knew when I went to Jamaica to learn English that I definitely wasn't born to live in one place all my life.  

When I returned to Haiti, I began working as a bi-lingual receptionist at a hotel, and that hotel had a gallery.  The gallery was just for visitors to Haiti, but I would go to this gallery, and I would be wonderfully surprised by the beautiful art pieces there.  After I left the hotel, I went to work at the Art Center, and it was there that my passion for art really began.  My very first day at the Art Center, I arrived at nine o'clock, and by 10:30 a.m., I had bought my first painting.  I have not stopped since.  It was there at the Art Center that my artistic career began.  

d-i-b:  Did you take art classes when you were a child?

Nicole:  My first art teacher was a nun who really tried to discourage me.  That was in high school.  That sister said, "you'll never be an artist."  I learned from that experience that people should never, never discourage others.  There is a divine plan for each of us.  Who am I to say to you, "you will never be this or you will never be that"?  That experience taught me a lot, and I wish my teacher was alive, I would invite her to come see my gallery.

d-i-b:  How were you able to overcome such discouragement?

Nicole:  In the beginning, it was not easy to overcome because I kept thinking about it.  Every time I attended her class, I would think about what she said.  But by the end of the year, I had stopped thinking about it, and I really got involved with artists.  Artists are everywhere in Haiti.   I had two artists in my family.  I grew up with artists.  Plus, I had friends who were artists.  All of that really set me up to be where I am today, despite the fact that the sister (the nun) tried to discourage me.  

d-i-b:  So, you gained your professional grounding in art at the Haitian Art Center?

Nicole:  Yes. I term my experience at the Art Center the greatest experience of my life.  The Art Center is really the cradle of Haitian Art.  It opened in 1944 with a group of 25 artists.  It is known all over the world.  Haitian art has been cited as one of the most extraordinary phenomenon of the twentieth century.  When I went to the Art Center, I was in my cup of tea.  Believe me, the room where the works of the masters were displayed, was like a chapel to me.  Every morning before I started working,  I would visit that room thinking, My God, I wish I could own this.  

d-i-b:  Were you able to live comfortably working at the Art Center?

Nicole:  I was not making any money at the Art Center.  In fact, I attempted to leave because I needed more money, but I couldn't.  I was prepared to leave the Art Center for a much better paying job with an American company in Port-au-Prince.  The company needed a bi-lingual person.  I told the Art Center that I really had to leave because I needed more money.  My employer told me to do what I had to do.  Two days before I was to leave, I couldn't do it.  I called the company and told them that I had changed my mind.  I stayed at the Art Center for two years, until the day I left Haiti to came to America.

End of Section 2   |   Go to Top   |   See Section:   1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   5   |   6   |

3. Finding the Faith to Open an Art Gallery

d-i-b:  When you came to America, was it your goal to pursue art?

Nicole:  When I came, my goal was entirely different.  I planned to go to school to become a doctor.  First I said, "Okay, since I do not have the means to become a doctor, I will study nursing and work for two, three years, and then save the money to go to medical school."  I went to the hospital one day, and there was someone who had taken an overdose of pills.  He wanted to take his life.  That stopped me right there.  I love people, but I don't think I was born to be a doctor.  I realized then that I was afraid of pain and blood, and so I said, "this is not for me."  

I really began praying very earnestly to find out what I wanted to do with my life.  I prayed for something that I would love to do, no matter what, that I would get up and do.  It took me five years, really.  I mediated and prayed because I didn't want to do just anything.  In the meantime, I was going to school and working part-time jobs.  

One day, I went back to Haiti, to see my father who was about to leave this world.  The next day, I went to the Art Center.  Just as I was going into the Art Center, a voice came very loud and clear and said, "open an art gallery."  I turned around, I did not see anyone.  I continued to walk.  "Open an art gallery."  The voice said that three times.  I said, "Nicole, how stupid could you have been not to realize that it has always been your dream to open an art gallery."  So, right there, I began to get reacquainted with the artists at the Art Center.

d-i-b:  How did you go from knowing what you wanted to do to actually doing it?

Nicole:  First of all, I brought a few small paintings from the artists (at the Art Center), and  I came back and started selling them from my home.  So, while I was still going to school, I began promoting Haitian Art.  

I fought the idea of actually opening a gallery because I did not have the financial means. I said, "Where am I going to find the money to open an art gallery?"  I fought the idea for many years, from 1979 until 1985.  It was truly a battle.

In 1985, I took a class at Christ Universal Temple.  The Temple had just moved from 86th Street (in Chicago) to where it is today.  I took a class with Jonnie Coleman entitled, How to Make Your Dreams Come True.  The class lasted for seven weeks.  For the first six weeks, I studied whatever Coleman gave, but still there was a fear in me about opening an art gallery.  Finally, on the seventh class, she said, "If your dream has not been fulfilled by now, it is either because you have not been working with it, or you have been afraid."  I said, "Oh my God, she's talking to me."  And so right there, I took a pencil and pad, and wrote.  

It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving of 1985.  I said, right there, "Okay, on March 7th, at 7 p.m., I will open an art gallery."  Just like that.  No money.  Nothing.  I just said that, and then I kept it.  When I got home that Sunday, I cancelled a date I had to go to dinner.   I sat down and I began making my business plan.  I said, "Okay Jesus, it's your baby, show me the way."  As I wrote the business plan, I said, I will go to Haiti in December so I can bring art with me, and then when I get back, I will start looking for a place where I will open the gallery." 

d-i-b:  December of 1985 comes along, you fly to Haiti.  You return with art.  Did you find a space for your gallery?

Nicole:  When I came back from Haiti, I think I came back with fifty paintings.  Many of the artists that I feature today were among the first artists whose works I brought back with me.  I got into my car and began searching for a gallery space.  I went to the South Loop at first.  They were just beginning to develop the South Loop then, and I didn't think it would be the perfect location.  So I went to Halsted Street.  Halsted Street was just becoming a trendy street.  I was able to rent a small house there, and that is where I began.  I was on Halsted Street until October of 1987.    

d-i-b:  All new ventures need working capital.  In your case, the capital to acquire the art, get a gallery space, and develop that space.  How were you able to do that?

Nicole:  To tell you the truth, I had five thousand dollars, plus some art work.  Then I borrowed five thousand dollars from an artist because banks would not give me money.  Everybody said, "You are crazy."  After one person told me I was crazy, I stopped telling everyone I was going to open a gallery.  I realized the minute you tell people you want to do something, if they have limitations, they will try to impose those limitations on you.  So I stopped doing that until I sent out announcements.  But there was no money to open the art gallery except for the ten thousand dollars which I used to pay two months security deposit, one month's rent, and the rest to get the place in order.  I hired a carpenter to fix the place because it was in a bad state.  I had to pay him in installments.  I think God was in that venture because everything fell into place. 

d-i-b:  Did you open on your targeted date?

Nicole:  Oh yes, the gallery was opened on March 7, 1986 at 7 p.m.  I didn't have room to put all the people.  I had dancers, I had a speaker, lots of goodies, all kinds of things.  There was no room.  It was wonderful.

d-i-b:  And were you able to sell the art?

Nicole:   No. (Laughs) I didn't sell one painting that evening.  I didn't sell one painting for four months.

d-i-b:   Four months is a long time to hold on to a dream, especially when there's no money.  Weren't you afraid?

Nicole:  Until you overcome fear, you cannot go anywhere.  Fear has enslaved people, and the whole human race.  For me, I put away fear by praying, because only God can take fear away from us.  Everyday, I would pray, "God, I know that I am in the right place.  Just give me the courage.  Strengthen me that I might know I am doing the right thing."  

And then, one day, a Tuesday morning, my door bell rang.  One person came in and she said, "I have been sent to your gallery by Raymond Price."  Raymond Price was the curator of the DuSable Museum (of African-American History in Chicago).  He was a wonderful friend of mine.  He passed away last year.  I said, "Oh, wonderful."  She came into the gallery and I gave her a tour for about two hours.  She said, "You really have beautiful paintings. I went to Haiti, but I didn't see such beautiful paintings."  After the tour, she selected five paintings and she said, "Tonight,  I will bring my husband after work."  

At five o'clock, I didn't see her.  Six o'clock, I didn't see her.  Seven o'clock, I didn't see her.  Then, at eight-thirty, my door bell rang.  The woman returned with her husband, and they asked if they could take the five paintings home.  They said they would let me know which ones they would buy.  They took the five paintings, and all I had was their phone number.  I also had the reference from my friend Raymond.  I called them the next day, and the husband told me that they would take four of the paintings.  He promised to return the one painting that Friday following work and he said he would give me a check for the four paintings.  So you can imagine how I felt.  Friday afternoon, he arrived as he said, and brought back one painting and he gave me a check.  I went back to God and said, "Oh God, now I think I am in business."  

It was my very first check, four months after I opened the gallery.  And then I continued to have openings every month, to get new people in.  The first year was truly a wonderful adventure.  Lots of pain, but lots of hope.  Nothing could dampen my faith.  I knew, just knew, I was doing the right thing.

End of Section 3   |   Go to Top   |   See Section:   1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   5   |   6   |

4. Spiritual Grounding Leads to Dream Gallery

d-i-b:  Have you always been spiritual?

Nicole:  Yes, I thank my parents because they were very wonderful people who loved and served God.  We prayed together, mornings before we went to school, and all of us would get together at night.  It was really a strong grounding.  God was a major part of our lives.

d-i-b:  In your office, you prominently display a large picture of Jesus.  Why is that?

Nicole:  In the beginning people would say, "What is this? Is that a shrine?"  Well, this part of the gallery is my office.  It's part of the gallery, but it is my office too, and I have in it whatever makes me feel good.  This is part of God.  All of us are a part of God.  I do not need to be ashamed to have God around me.  I don't have to be ashamed to have Jesus there because He's my boss.  Jesus is whom I look to.  He is whom I go to when I need an answer.  And the more I go to Him, the more I want to go to Him.  So, there you have it.   

d-i-b:  You had your first gallery on Halsted Street for 18 months.  Why did you move?

Nicole:  In business, we learn: location, location, location.  After 18 months, everyone who wanted to see the gallery had seen it.  Sometimes, people would come from out of town and call to see the gallery, but they never made it because it was far off the beaten track.  The summer of 1987, for two months I saw no one at the gallery.  So I knew it was time to move.  I called a broker and we looked for a space.  I moved to 734 N. Wells Street, and was there for nine and a half years.  When the building was sold, I said, "Okay, God, it's time to move. Since we are moving, I would really like to have the gallery of my dreams."  The building where we are now was the first building I visited when I was searching for a new location.  It is my dream gallery.  I moved here on April 1st, 1996, so its been five years.  It's been a real blessing.  The space is 4,400 square feet and is divided into six galleries. 

d-i-b:  How did you connect with the artist community in Chicago?

Nicole:  Even though I told you I wanted to be a doctor, I never lost touch with the art world. Oh, no.  When I came to Chicago, I began to visit museums, to go to galleries.  I never lost touch with the art community.  In fact, I was co-curator for a show called The Haitian Connection at the DuSable Museum (of African-American History) in 1983.  It was part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of the city. That was when I met Raymond Price.  Of course Chicago was founded by a Haitian, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. 

End of Section 4   |   Go to Top   |   See Section:   1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   5   |   6   |

5. Advice for Aspiring Artists and Gallery Owners

d-i-b:  What should an aspiring artist know and do to find a gallery to represent their work?

Nicole:  The first thing an artist should do is become organized.  They should have slides made of their work.  They should write a resume and biography.  Also, they should go to different galleries and get a feel for the different galleries.  They should see if their work will fit in with the gallery, and if they can work with the owner of the gallery.  It's very, very important for an artist to find the right gallery.  It's also very important for an art dealer or a gallery owner to find the right artists.  It's like a marriage.  It has to be harmonious.  If the artist and the gallery owner are not in harmony, it will not work.  It's like finding your own niche.

d-i-b:   What advice would you give to someone who dreams of opening an art gallery?

Nicole:  I would say, if you don't love art, don't open an art gallery.  If you don't love artists, don't open an art gallery.  If you don't love people, do not open an art gallery.  If you want to open a gallery for status, or just to make money, forget that.  It does not work that way.  You h

you have all the money, it takes those certain qualities to succeed.  If you do not have love and a kind disposition, how can you succeed?

d-i-b:  You obviously had the disposition to become a gallery owner, but what would you say was the most challenging aspect of running an art gallery?

Nicole:  The one difficulty I had in the past was finding people to work with me who really loved art and people.  I want the gallery to be what it was originally founded to be, a place of harmony, a place where people are really well received.  During the past three years, it has been wonderful, because I have found people who wanted those things.  After I got good people, I knew the other problems would be solved.

My current assistant is Yukiko Suzuki.  She is also an a

ave to be dedicated.  You have to love people.  You have to be patient.  Even if rtist.

d-i-b:  What is your vision for Nicole's Gallery going forward?

Nicole:  First of all, this gallery is not my gallery.  It belongs to God.  It is dedicated to God, to serve His children.  He has sustained it, and will continue to sustain it until He says to me, "Okay Nicole, you do something else."  But for the moment, the gallery is quite successful, and I am very grateful.  Until the divine plan calls for something else, the gallery will continue to do its work.

End of Section 5   |   Go to Top   |   See Section:   1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   5   |   6   |

6.  The Art of Allen Stringfellow

d-i-b:  Whose work are you currently featuring (2001)?

We just completed a major showing of works by Allen Stringfellow.  He is a wonderful artist who was born in 1923, in Champaign, Illinois to a nightclub singer and a jazz guitarist.   Mr. Stringfellow works in collage and watercolor.  He most often creates works that deal with church, jazz and rhythms.  Even though the show just ended, we always have some of his work on display.  

Below are two examples of Allen Stringfellow's work:

I invite everyone to come to the Nicole Gallery.  I promise you an experience you will not have anywhere else.  My assistant, Yukiko Suzuki, and I will welcome you.  When you come, we will give you a tour and talk to you about Haitian art, African American art, and Zimbabwean (Shona) art.  If you are in Chicago, please come to the Nicole Gallery.  

The Nicole Gallery is located at 230 West Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60610. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. by appointment only.  Phone is 312-787-7716.  Fax is 312-787-7798.

End of Section 6   |   Go to Top   |   See Section:   1   |   2   |   3   |   4   |   5   |   6   |

The End