Thank you Layne, Laura Jane Roland, Irene Jena Karthik, and many others for tuning into my live video with Pam Smilow!
“We weren’t born rich. We had to figure out a way to make a living.”
That’s how Pam Smilow, a prolific artist with a long career, describes the moment she and her late husband decided to rethink how they shared—and sold—their art. Rather than follow the gallery system, they began showing their work in people’s homes.
Over time, Pam developed a quietly radical model: intimate, sustainable, and grounded in connection. Her approach is intuitive, relational, and quietly radical. I spoke with her last Friday about her early influences, the evolution of her model, and her advice for emerging artists seeking a more authentic, self-sustaining practice.
A Childhood Shaped by Creativity
Pam was immersed in art from the beginning. Her father, originally a furniture salesman, became a well-known mid-century modern furniture designer with his own retail stores. Her mother loved crafts, and there were always art supplies around the house.
She also received a strong arts education in school, though she chose not to go to art school. Instead, she studied other subjects and often convinced professors to let her turn in art projects instead of written papers. “I’ve always been an out-of-the-box thinker,” she says.
Pam grew up in a Frank Lloyd Wright community—a place where design, space, and aesthetics were part of everyday life. That environment not only shaped her visual sensibility but also her ideas about how and where art belongs.
Gallery Life—and Its Limits
In her early career, Pam and her husband, Gert Mathiesen, a Danish painter, focused on galleries. They often showed work with similar themes—trees, animals, houses—and sometimes sold paintings as pairs to collectors.
But the economics never quite worked.
“Although we would get shows, after stretching and framing everything, it’s very hard to come out ahead and really make good money and support a family.”
Their creative solution? Paint on unstretched canvas, pin it to the wall while working, and roll it up in ski bags when it was time to travel. This made it easier to show their work on the road—especially during frequent trips to Europe.
Pam also found the social atmosphere of galleries awkward and alienating. “A lot of times the owners were independently wealthy and had very little understanding of art,” she says. And the practice of offering free inventory to galleries in exchange for exposure didn’t sit well with her.
A Home-Based Model, Born by Chance
The idea of showing in people’s homes started casually. A friend invited her over and offered to gather some neighbors. The turning point came when she reconnected with a high school friend who had rebuilt her home after a firestorm in Berkeley. That friend came to Pam’s studio, bought some work, and invited her to host an event in the new space.
It was a revelation.
“We unrolled the canvases like Persian carpets. We didn’t put holes in the walls—we just needed floor space.”
Pam’s upbringing in a Frank Lloyd Wright community made her sensitive to how art changes a space. “Going to people’s homes and holding up different pieces would totally change the feeling of the room,” she says. “Art can either open up a space or close it off.”
From there, the model spread through word of mouth.
Want to Know How It All Works?
In the second half of this interview, Pam lays out:
How she organizes her home shows
What she offers her hosts (including a $1500 gift!)
How she sets prices and navigates gallery relationships ethically
How artists can find their “connector friend”
What to do (and avoid) when starting this model
Why she believes creativity—not convention—is what matters most
💡 If you’re an emerging artist or curious collector, this is a generous, practical masterclass in building an art life on your own terms.
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How the Home Shows Work
Pam’s home exhibitions are part cocktail party, part studio visit, part art sale.
When someone agrees to host, Pam offers a gift: typically a 22” x 30” work on paper valued at $1,500 or a discount toward a larger piece. She helps organize the event—sending out invitations, coordinating food if needed, and setting the tone. These gatherings usually last two to three hours and are filled with conversation, energy, and connection.
“We don’t hang anything—we just unroll the canvases,” she says. “People gather around, and it becomes this intimate, exciting moment. It’s not static—it’s alive.”
Many guests schedule follow-up visits to try pieces in their own homes. Pam believes placement is everything. “A piece of art can totally open up a room—or close it off. When you see the right work in the right space, you just feel it.”
The intimacy of the setting allows guests to connect not only with the work, but with Pam herself. “It’s energizing,” she says. “Instead of being alone in your studio all the time, you get out and talk to people about what you love.”
Pricing, Ethics, and Selling Big Work
Pam sells her larger canvases—up to 50” x 80”—for around $8,500 to $9,500. Despite the home setting, she keeps her prices consistent with what she’d charge through a gallery.
“Even though a gallery might sell someone like me for $15K and up, I price my work the same whether it’s in a gallery or a home,” she says. “It’s important to be ethical. I don’t want to undercut galleries—it’s about relationships.”
Still, she’s clear-eyed about the limits of the gallery model. “Often artists think they’re failing if they can’t make a living through galleries. But it’s not you. The model just isn’t built to support most artists financially.”
She compares her method to house concerts that musicians do. “The connection is better. You see people’s faces. You hear what your work means to them. That’s the part that lasts.”
Advice for Emerging Artists
Pam believes her model is accessible to artists at all stages, especially those just beginning to build visibility.
1. Find Your “Connector” Friend
“Everyone knows someone who knows people,” Pam says. “Start there. Ask them if they’d be open to hosting, or if they know someone who might.”
2. Know Your Audience
“You can’t go into a party with a bunch of young people and expect to sell a $10,000 painting. You have to know your buyers—and adjust your pricing accordingly.”
3. Start Small, Then Scale
“If you’re early in your career, price low. Build relationships. As demand grows, so can your prices.”
4. Avoid “Exposure” Gigs Without Boundaries
“You’ll be asked to hang your work in a restaurant, and people will say, ‘Oh, so many people will see it!’ But no one goes to a restaurant to buy art. It’s rare to make a sale. I always ask them to buy one piece—that’s fair.”
5. Consider Other Unconventional Venues
“For artists who feel nervous about parties, you can show in housewares stores, home decor shops, or places that align with your work visually.”
Saying No to Teaching—and Yes to Focus
At one point, Pam considered taking a teaching job. But her husband talked her out of it. “When you teach, it’s a full-time commitment. If you want to do it well, it takes a lot of energy—and that energy doesn’t always leave space for your own work.”
Instead, she built her art life step by step, always guided by what felt true.
New Directions: Virtual Shows & Creative Coaching
In recent years, Pam has begun experimenting with virtual appointments and shows. She’s spoken at Rancho La Puerta, a health and wellness retreat in Mexico, and she’s appeared on podcasts and interviews that expand her reach beyond physical shows.
She’s also launching a new project called Jumpstart Your Creativity—a program designed to help people (especially later in life) reconnect with their creative instincts. Whether it’s painting, sewing, cooking, or building sandcastles, Pam believes the creative spark lives in everyone.
She’ll help participants choose the right paints, brushes, and supplies—and more importantly, help them get started.
On Loving the Work
“I think it comes down to loving what you’re doing every day and really working hard at it. It doesn’t come instantly. But I always felt like if I just keep doing what I’m doing, at some point somebody’s going to notice.”
Pam sees her career as part of a lineage of visionaries who didn’t follow convention—Frank Lloyd Wright included. Her path wasn’t built on institutional recognition but on relationships, resourcefulness, and a sense of purpose.
On Home—and Where Art Belongs
“I split my time between New York and Maine, and I’m trying to figure out where I really want my home base to be. But I realized the other day—art is my home. My art is my home. It’s something I live and breathe. It gives my life meaning.”
Conclusion: Redefining Success
Pam Smilow’s story is not just about selling art differently—it’s about living differently. For artists searching for sustainable paths outside the traditional art world, her story is an invitation to build a life rooted in values, community, and creativity.
“Everyone’s journey is unique,” she says. “It’s okay to be unconventional. Try to do what feels right and good and ethical. That’s enough.”
