Today we’d like to introduce you to Katharine Earnhardt.
Hi Katharine, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I see myself as a self-motivated doer, and entrepreneurship comes naturally to me. I love merging my interests in art and business while driving a company that keeps me engaged in different ways of thinking. When I started Mason Lane 10 years ago, I intended to help people buy art. I worked alone and named the firm something other than my own name, like “Katharine Earnhardt Art Advisory.” There were several reasons for this – one being that my name is hard to spell, another being that my last name oddly rhymes with “art.” The third was that I felt naming the firm after me would limit its reach. There are countless examples of this not being the case with major global companies, but regardless, I’m glad I named it “Mason Lane,” which felt like a blank slate. With this name and simple mission, I could be agile, working with a wide variety of clients to develop new skills, expand my reach, and be experimental. Ten years later, I am proud of what the firm has evolved into. We have offices in 4 cities with business partners I am lucky to know. We also do not simply sell art; we help individuals learn about art and build collections that feel timeless, meaningful, and personal to them. We take pride in adding value to people’s lives because living in a home with art has huge emotional dividends. It’s also satisfying to do this work with others – colleagues, vendors, and clients – who keep every day interesting as we navigate different challenges and opportunities.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road, but I would not have had it any other way because I am proud of the place I’m in today. I have dropped a ton of money on services and efforts that had no financial return, let emotions rather than logic drive decisions around various business relationships, and differed to others’ expertise instead of trusting my own intuition. All of this was hugely informative, and if you can look for the lessons in any experience, you will be stronger going forward. You will also have more headspace to be present in the moment rather than stuck in the past. The best lesson I took from my mistakes is that self-awareness is an essential skill to build throughout your life. When you give yourself the space to consider your own reaction, thoughts, and intuition, you gain clarity on the actions you need to take to support the goals you set. This also paves the way for you to better communicate what’s important to you and be more open to hearing what is important to others. It fosters an inspiring sense of collaboration, creativity, and opportunity.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mason Lane builds Contemporary Art collections for private and corporate clients with an eye for quality, individual goals, and surrounding environment. Each project involves art discovery and acquisitions that align with clients’ unique vision and ethos. We value transparency in our business transactions, diversity in the collections we build, and approachability in the way we connect with our clients.
It’s interesting to consider what sets us apart from others. I just don’t believe we have competitors. Yes, there are other art advisors, but I certainly do not see them as my competition because every art advisor has their own eye for art and personal style for how they work with clients. We have built a brand, something very few art advisors have done successfully, with offices in different regions of North America. That is entirely unique, and it positions us well for servicing our clients and growing our business.
What am I most proud of? I would say our company values. Our team of driven, insightful women lift each other up. We eagerly contribute to our communities (through our annual Halloween Window Painting Day for kids, various art-related fundraiser, and more), and we run an ethical, transparent, solid business. That feels satisfying.
What are your plans for the future?
I am excited by our new interest in servicing not just the art collector but the “art curious” — people who are curious about art but are not going to buy or even dive into an art fair just yet. This group is much broader than the art collectors, giving us flexibility to do more than just sell art. Accordingly, we have developed a robust calendar of programming, such as a summer class, workshops at design centers, studio visits, webinars, corporate talks, and more. This converts some of the art curious into art collectors, but that’s just a nice byproduct — the point is to just help people understand how art can be relevant and valuable in their lives. When working with this broader group alongside helping our clients build collections, we see more opportunities open up in terms of projects, programming, travel, and more. It makes the everyday more exciting, and the learning never stops.
Contact Info:
- Website: masonlaneart.com
- Instagram: @masonlane_art
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kearnhardt/
Image Credits
Sean Litchfield
Glen Allsop
Jane Beiles
Amelie Belanger
