We talk extensively about supporting local businesses and #buyingsmall, but when do we ever thank customers for their patronage? This series of posts is meant to honor the unsung heroes who recognize the hard work, passion and dedication we put into our craft and shine the light back onto them. Without them, we couldn't continue to do the work that we love and for that I am so grateful.
NEXT UP we have Local Austin Art Collectors, Katy & Celina!
I am so grateful that this beautiful couple supports my art, my Gallery, and the artists I represent. Not only do they own pieces by me, but by 2 of the female artists at my Gallery as well!
Tell us about yourself!
Who are you? What do you do? What area of town do you live in?
We are Katy and Celina, we’ve been married 5 years. Katy works in retail leadership and Celina is a Social Worker in Healthcare. We live in cute established neighborhood in South Austin.
How did you discover Julie Ahmad Contemporary Art Gallery? Why do you buy original art? Is this the first piece of original art you have ever owned? What does it mean to you to support a local artist?
We discovered Julie in the fall of 2022 at the West Austin Studio Tour. We had attended East in previous years and that year we went to West. After lunch with friends we headed over to see the Galleries on Thornton Rd.
We buy original art because we love being surrounded by unique pieces! We feel like original art allows us to make our home truly ours.
We’ve both been buying original art for decades, and we both still own the first original pieces we bought.
Supporting local artists is important to us because we love Austin and the people here. Knowing we are helping local artists grow their businesses and get their beautiful art into the world feels like a privilege. In todays trying times supporting someone like Julie also feels personal. We love how she is championing not only her work but the work of other female artists in Austin.
What drew you to these original pieces of art? Why these pieces?
Low Key Rock Star by Julie Ahmad - Celina was drawn to the colors and playful nature of the piece. Katy loved the scale and the bright pink low key rockstar. Our 76 year old neighbor dog/house sits for us and shared that every time she looks at it she notices something new.
Lord of the Flies by Julie Ahmad - Katy adored the small graphic fly at the bottom of the piece. Along with the brilliant Greens and geometric pattern, which was very different than anything we owned, that fly was too cool not to make ours. When Julie shared how the fly came to be it made if even better. The piece is covered in resin and she had it laying out drying. The next morning when she came in there was a small fruit fly stuck in the resin. She had a show and didn’t quite know what to do…then she had nothing short of a stroke of genius and painted the small fly to cover the imperfection. Obviously, the fly is perfect.
Weathering by Lucy MacQueen - We have friends who have a similar work from Lucy, and Celina was very drawn to it. Since we met, Celina’s fascination with and love of the desert has grown. I’m originally from Tucson and she’s from Corpus so we often pick art that reminds us of the desert or the ocean. Celina saw this piece online, we think Julie posted on Instagram as part of the promotion for her big opening in February with all the female artists earlier this year, The American Dream TV Viewing + Art Party. Celina mentioned to me that it would be a wonderful early 60th birthday present for her. When we saw it in person I was in complete agreement.
We also have a piece we bought at the gallery of Lisa Zinna’s - Glistening Saguaro - This was something fun, bright, colorful and we love cacti. I grew up with a beautiful saguaro cactus right behind our home in Tucson. The first time Celina went with me to Tucson she couldn’t stop taking photos of cactus at the airport. I had to reassure her there were plenty more of them to see!!!
What can we say, we love Julie’s art and the women she represents.
How did you feel about your space before you added the artwork and how does it feel now?
We’ve always loved our bedroom and the art we have in it. However, when we put Low Key Rockstar up, it felt complete.
What was the journey like leading up to your finding of this piece?
We go to East and West with a budget and every year we are so excited to see what will catch our eye. Low Key Rockstar caught our eye and was in budget, thanks in part to one of Julies Sexy Sales. With Lord of the Flies, we went to an event of Julie's and didn't really intending to purchase anything, but like we said earlier Katy had to have the piece.
Did you utilize any of the complimentary services that Julie offers? How did this compare to other experiences you have had purchasing a high-ticket item?
Ie. Try before you buy (take the guess-work out & see the art in your space before your purchase with no obligation), free local delivery, or our photo rendering service
With Low Key Rock Star, which is 5ft x 5ft, we were grateful for the free delivery! Julie and Kalista personally delivered the art.
THANK YOU, Katy & Celina, for supporting local female artists!!!
Are you a collector of Julie's & want to be featured in this Collector Series?
Email Julie directly at art@julieahmad.com to get your complimentary photo shoot scheduled!
Become a Collector by purchasing an Original Artwork from the Gallery!
Comments