CMJames Bacchi has been actively engaged in the art business across New York, San Francisco, and Palm Springs since 1986. With a background as a gallerist, Bacchi co-founded acclaimed galleries such as ON THE WALL in New York’s East Village and Jagendorf-Bacchi in SOHO. However, his career trajectory shifted towards art consulting in the early 1990s when he joined ArtVue, a corporate art consulting firm in Manhattan.
After relocating to San Francisco in 1993, Bacchi made significant strides in the gallery scene by co-founding ArtHaus with Annette Schutz. ArtHaus quickly gained recognition as one of the top contemporary galleries in the Bay Area, receiving accolades such as being voted “Best Art Gallery” on the BAY AREA A-LIST for three consecutive years. The gallery’s outstanding contributions to the community were further acknowledged when it was included in the SF Legacy Business Registry in 2016.
In response to the challenges posed by the pandemic, Bacchi adapted by launching James Bacchi Contemporary in Palm Springs, CA. Situated in The Shops at 1345, a renowned modernist destination building, the gallery serves as both a boutique art gallery and consultancy. Specializing in contemporary art from around the world, Bacchi continues to showcase diverse collections while offering expertise to private collectors, corporations, and museums. Additionally, his involvement in curating exhibitions and serving on various art-related committees highlights his enduring commitment to the arts.
Read on, as James Bacchi shares his experiences and visions in an interview with Coachella Magazine.
Coachella Magazine: Can you share the story behind the launch of James Bacchi Contemporary Gallery, from the initial idea to its realization, and how your past experiences influenced its inception and direction?
James Bacchi: I began conceptualizing JAMES BACCHI CONTEMPORARY a few months prior to closing ArtHaus Gallery in San Francisco and moving to Palm Springs. At first, my plan was to style our home as an art salon where collectors, designers and art consultants could view and acquire art. A couple of months into it, much to my surprise, everything changed. Seems I was destined to have a public space once again. JAMES BACCHI CONTEMPORARY is now located at the iconic The Shops at 1345, designed and built in 1955 by modernist E. Stewart Williams. What is unique about this life-style collective of shops is that it features an in-house Sales Team which allows me tremendous freedom.
CM: How does your diverse professional background in art consulting, curating, and gallery ownership and collaboration influence your approach at James Bacchi Contemporary?
JB: My model for creating JAMES BACCHI CONTEMPORARY was based on filtering and refining every aspect of my forty plus years in the business. I focused on what I knew worked, eliminated what I felt did not, and wanted to present something new that would keep my artists, my clients and myself inspired. All my past years in the art gallery and art consulting business involved partnerships. Suddenly, I found myself embracing going solo at this point in my career and taking full responsibility for the outcome. In a recent ONE ELEVEN MAGAZINE article, Michael Davis wrote…
For James Bacchi, whose visionary curation has been instrumental in shaping the Palm Springs art scene, ‘MCM Monsters’ represents another milestone in his mission to elevate contemporary art discourse. Building on the success of previous exhibitions like ‘THE HEAT’ and ‘JAZZED,’ Bacchi continues to push boundaries with a keen eye for talent and innovation.
Michael Davis for ONE ELEVEN MAGAZINE
Reading this article and being on the cusp of my first SOLD OUT exhibition, MCM MONSTERS – New Works by Eric Rewitzer ever, makes me feel that, at least so far, JAMES BACCHI CONTEMPORARY is all that and a bag of chips!
CM: With your extensive experience in the art world, how do you navigate the ever-changing landscape, particularly considering recent challenges, such as the pandemic?
JB: I see the ever-changing landscape of the art world accelerating faster than ever. What I find most interesting is how these changes appear to be moving in a back-and-forth motion.
While the pandemic certainly was a major catalyst for change, brick and mortar galleries were steadily closing pre-pandemic. Many gallerists transferred their presence to completely online, art consulting, and or exhibiting at more art fairs.
The pandemic certainly shut down the social art scene. Inevitably, collectors became more comfortable purchasing art sight unseen. People of means found themselves restricted and bored by being quarantined. Staying put seemed to result in major purchases and renovations. I recall that many successful gallerists and interior designers reported record sales and revenues in 2020. Today, it appears more and more new galleries are popping up in major cities while art fairs seem to be experiencing fewer participants, attendees, and sales. Go figure!
CM: What criteria do you use when selecting artists to represent, and what qualities do you look for in the artwork you choose to exhibit?
JB: My basic criteria when selecting artists to represent seems to have always been based on my love for their work and my intuition. No matter the media, I look for extreme attention to technique and some element in the work that speaks out of the ordinary. Then, there is that feeling in my gut and that voice inside my head that determines how well we can work together.
Many artists I continue to represent today date back to the mid-1980’s where I first exhibited their work at ON THE WALL in New York’s East Village. They include Andrea Arroyo, Adam Kurtzman, Joanne Landis, Carol Massa, Chris Schiavo and Astrid. All the artists represented during my 25 years co-owning ArtHaus in San Francisco remain in my stable at JBC. They include Serena Bocchino, Marc Lambrechts, Jhina Alvarado, Carolyn Meyer, Gioi Tran, Riis Burwell, Carrie Ann Plank, John Wood and Lucky Rapp. Since launching JBC in Palm Springs, I am so excited to now be representing Howard Hersh, Scott Idleman, Bill Bloomfield, Fernando Reyes, Rebecca Katz, LOLA, Mark D. Powers, Eric Rewitzer, Will Valle and Mark Tennant. Today, my current roster of artists can be seen at www.jamesbacchicontemporary.com/artists
CM: If asked to present a contemporary collection of ten works for a beginning collector with a mid-century aesthetic which artists from your stable would you include, and why?
JB: I happen to love all that is mid-century so presenting a contemporary spin on this genre would be a dream project. These ten works represent a cohesive collection that incorporates a modernist sensibility in terms of color, media and style.
CM: How do you see the relationship between art and interior design?
JB: I see the relationship between art and interior design continue to strengthen. I have worked closely with the New York and California interior design communities since day one in this business. Designers depend on art consultants to source art for their projects, orchestrate commissions and often present art and offer their expertise to their clients. More and more designers are seeing the importance of including noteworthy art in their projects, not only from an integrity standpoint, but for photoshoots and pitching editorial.
CM: And lastly, what do you love most about the art industry?
JB: I believe what I love most about this industry is sharing and experiencing the passions of all the players, a wonderful sense of community, the opportunity to continue to enjoy longevity and success, and to feel that I still have a relevant future in this business.
The Shops at 1345
1345 Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Hours: Thursday–Monday, 11:00am–5:00pm
JamesBacchiContemporary.com
@jamesbacchicontemporary