Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Miller Gelber.
Sarah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2017, after years of managing an interior design firm + gallery in downtown Charleston, I decided it was time to take a leap. I had always dreamt of opening up my own gallery. I recently found a copy of a paper I wrote during my freshman year of college. It was a History 101 class. Our teacher asked us to write about how we felt History 101 would prepare us for our future careers. Reading what I wrote about ‘artwork telling the story of the human experience, starting in the Stone Age’ made me giggle. My eighteen-year-old self-confidently knew that exposing people to artwork, in both a historical and contemporary context, was my calling. When I opened Miller Gallery it was like I was stepping into myself.
Has it been a smooth road?
The gallery is still very young. We just hit our three year mark this June. The first year went by in a blink. The novelty didn’t really wear off until into our second year. Everything I was doing was a new experience for me. There is a momentum that adrenaline provides – it’s beautiful and endlessly energizing. Understanding the ebbs and flows of client spending is something I have found intriguing. There are months when it has felt like the bottom would drop out and months when I feel the sky is the limit. I’ve been told that once you get to year three, regularity begins to emerge.
COVID-19 has been our biggest obstacle, as it is for many. Temporarily closing the gallery space and pivoting to e-commerce wasn’t a part of my vision. In an effort to stay afloat in an uncertain time we rapidly redesigned our website to make it very easy to view and buy our artworks online. It has been a blessing in disguise. While I never imagined cancelling in-person opening receptions, we’ve broadened our collector base and made incredible connections via the internet.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Miller Gallery is a full-service contemporary art gallery. We offer art advisory, consulting services, and private collector assistance. Our clientele is 50/50 new collectors and seasoned collectors. I think we appeal to a broad audience because of our roster of artists. Our curated roster of artists ranges from emerging to late-career. This lends to a wide range of prices and styles.
We’re a great gallery to shop if you’re looking to discover new talent, but you can also acquire artwork by artists whose work has been purchased for museum collections and some of the world’s most elite institutions. Our motto is “ART FOR ALL”. Our doors are open to all of humanity. We strive to create a comfortable environment for visitors to learn about contemporary art and share ideas.
Miller Gallery is proud to represent a roster of 85% women artists. As a female business owner, I feel it is important to provide a platform for those who have been under-represented in the arts. Women currently make up 30% of the represented artists in commercial US galleries. I am keeping the bar high and providing a place for these talents to be seen.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Charleston is a creative hub. It’s filled to the brim with inspiration. With a lot of thoughtful sprawl happening on the outer edges of the city, I would recommend new businesses to find affordable space on the edge of the city limits. Adding to the fabric of the Charleston art community is something I’m a champion for! Being mindful about fixed overhead is one piece of advice I can’t stress enough.
Charleston is an endlessly inspiring town. I love that it has been where I’ve landed and can’t wait to see how it continues to evolve!
Contact Info:
- Address: 149 1/2 East Bay Street
Charleston, SC 29401 - Website: millergallerychs.com
- Phone: 843-764-9281
- Email: sarah@millergallerychs.com
- Instagram: @millergallerychs
- Facebook: MillerGalleryCHS
Image Credit:
Kate Blohm Photography
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
