Excited to share the next installment of the Women Working in the Arts series with Veronica Petty! Veronica founded Domingo Comms in 2020 to offer her services as an arts communications professional to both businesses and individuals. Through her work with Domingo, she aims to help others rediscover their love of home through meaningful and affordable art and interior design. With over a decade of experience in international brand management and art fairs, she has overseen marketing and communications for organizations such as Money20/20 Europe, Affordable Art Fair New York City, and PULSE Art Fair. Having spent years cultivating her passion, Veronica has taken specialist courses in art, history of architecture and interior design, visual merchandising, creative writing, and branding at prestigious institutions including Central Saint Martins, Tate Modern, London College of Fashion, Chelsea College of Arts, and Brighton’s Phoenix Gallery. Veronica has a Masters Degree in Cultural and Creative Industries from King’s College London and a degree in Media Studies from CUNY Hunter College.
What are your earliest memories of art? Did you always know you'd end up working in the arts? How did you get your start in the industry?
An art project in elementary school was inspired by Keith Haring and I remember it was so fun to recognize his work everywhere as a kid as it’s so distinct. It’s what sparked an early appreciation for discovering art. Another important memory of art was seeing Guernica in Madrid on a school trip when I was sixteen. It was like I was alive for the first time in my life.
My mother’s art always decorated our home and those of friends and family which makes me proud. It wasn’t until I moved into the city for college and later moved to London for an MA program however that I really started to take an interest in contemporary art. That’s when I began to take a more professional interest in the arts, but without having studied art history it took a long time to acquire the experience and learning required to break through on my own. It was my marketing and events experience that eventually led me back to the arts by way of art fairs and allowed me to apply that skill set to my passion for the arts which I had cultivated over the years.
Tell us about your newest venture, Domingo Comms? What has it been like launching a business during the pandemic?
It’s been an adventure! Working out of a studio apartment that I share with my husband and loud-mouthed Schnauzer-Shih Tzu has its moments but it all helped inspire Domingo’s mission to create beautiful and practical spaces working with what you have, to start with. We each have our sections which helps.
Domingo was launched to help others rediscover their love of home through meaningful and affordable art and interior design back in August. Soon after, Domingo also became a space for emerging artists to promote their work through Domingo Featured Artists with an online store that opened in December.
One of the advantages of this period has been staying put in New York and connecting to local artists. Starting a business during such an unpredictable moment has its pitfalls; not having the opportunity to showcase the works on the Domingo online store in person, or visiting clients in their home all the time. Facetime interior decorating is an experience and I love that I can work on spaces across the country now more easily than ever but nothing beats seeing the space in person and moving pieces around together.
I look forward to traveling again, discovering new art, and expanding the Domingo footprint.
How do you approach your clients who you help with interior design projects versus those who come to you seeking marketing assistance? How do these two endeavors work together in your business?
The projects are quite different but I approach our interactions the only way I know how - with enthusiasm and transparency.
They are two very different types of work. With my interiors clients, it’s much more of a creative process. Sourcing pieces, artworks, decor, creating boards, and drawing when needed. When we’re together, or on Zoom, we’re focused on what’s in front of us. I love this work because it’s so present and in the moment.
With my communications and PR work, it’s all in the planning and organization. There is a ton of research and looking ahead, discussing the future, and laying the groundwork for what can come down the line. Sometimes you don’t see immediate results but you are building a foundation, relationships, and the structure for success in the future, which is really important.
Finally, with all my clients, my goal is to give them the tools, tips, and insights to be able to re-curate their living rooms one day or to manage an exhibition marketing campaign independently and with more confidence. Of course, my hope would be that I can always be a resource and that as Domingo continues to expand that I’ll have more to offer.
I'd guess that both require a strong ability to network and build relationships! What advice can you give to emerging artists regarding how best to connect with clients and/or media contacts?
My advice would be to stay organized with your outreach. Be strategic and thoughtful! Impress others with your authenticity and the best way to know you can do that when connecting to influential people is to research and come to the conversation confident and clear with what you offer, and what you’re looking for. This takes a lot of time, development, and preparation -- this is what Domingo often helps artists with.
Another important tip would be, to have as many in-person experiences (when it’s safe), calls, and Zooms. This can feel intimidating but it’s often the best way to develop impactful relationships.
Who are a few exciting artists you're currently working with that we should know about?
I’m so in awe of all ten Domingo Featured Artists. I’m excited that the online store has been doing so well and you can find pieces for under $500 from each artist there. It’s such a simple way to support Latinx and Latin American artists while adding something beautiful to your art collection. To highlight a few:
Francisco Donoso who creates mixed-media paintings, collages, and installations to explore the often unarticulated yet deeply felt complexities of the immigrant experience, just launched an amazing commissions package a few weeks ago where he offers a curated Spotify playlist of songs to complement the artwork, before/after reveals, and real-time updates of the piece in progress -- in addition to an upcoming bag collection dropping soon.
Maria Liebana who confronts wealth inequality, racial and gender stereotyping, and her own disillusionment with the American dream as a first-generation Latinx artist, has been busy preparing for some very busy months ahead including a group show with Paradice Palase, following a successful solo exhibition ‘Devour’ late last year.
Most recently I proudly announced Paola de la Calle and Diana Paz to the Domingo Featured Artists roster. Diana Paz, a multidisciplinary artist from Venezuela and based between Bogotá, Colombia and Miami, Florida is working on a clothing collaboration with a Chilean brand at the moment that will be coming out soon as well as exhibiting work with Bandy Bandy Gallery in Paris, France this Spring.
Paola de la Calle is currently working as the lead artist on a project with The Caravan for the Children where she’ll be creating a quilt to be used as an art intervention 100 days after the inauguration. Taking inspiration from the AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at the National Mall in Washington DC in 1987, the proposed artwork stitches together different voices and perspectives on healing, joy, and resistance from across the United States with a relationship to the border to call attention to the missing migrant children. She’ll also be showing two new collage artworks this spring in Milwaukee at the AIR space Gallery in an exhibition about Money, Labor, Capital, & Collage.
New York Artist Demarcus McGaughey, is also one to highlight and whose work inspires me so much. I’m excited for his participation in The Other Fair later this year here in Brooklyn where he’s based in addition to his exhibiting a number of works in museums and galleries across the country. His art is motivated by his passion to capture the beauty, strength, and vibrancy of being alive — with each subject demonstrating what it means to create your life.
What's next for you and Domingo Comms in 2021 (& beyond!)?
I’m still planting seeds, only 6 months in but I’m obsessed with some of my upcoming interiors projects. Two are entire homes that have required a lot of thought and hard work from both myself and the families so I’m excited to share the outcomes of those soon.
Recently I enrolled in an interior design course at RISD to keep learning; I always try to take a class in something creative so this year I thought why not get back to basics.
I have a few new artists in mind for Featured Artists and will be bringing back 90/90 Consultations in Spring once my schedule clears up a bit.
And finally, I’ve been playing around with a curatorial proposal for a concept I’m working on called ‘Suenos de Papel’ -- Paper Dreams. Hopefully more on that the next time we talk.
