Case Study
The Digital Pivot During a Pandemic
Company: Art Piece Soul Gallery & Studio
Role: Founder, Creative Director, and CMO
Campaign: “Affordable & Original Art” – Google Video Ad (Spring 2020)
Timeline: March 20 – May 20, 2020
Platforms: Google Performance Max, Facebook, Wix, Square
Origin Story
Art Peace Soul Gallery & Studio was born in June 2017, inside my Saint Paul apartment.
I began by selling my own art at local festivals, pop-ups, and trade shows—building my reputation as both a visual artist and art agent. With no external funding, I designed my own brand, fixtures and collateral, created billboards, and networked tirelessly to gain clients and earn enough to reinvest.
A solo trip to New Orleans in 2017 changed everything. After exploring small galleries in the French Quarter, I envisioned a commission-based gallery that could amplify emerging artists. That vision merged my love for fine art with my passion for and background in advertising and marketing.
By late 2018, I secured a space with Rondo Community Land Trust, which offers below-market commercial rent to entrepreneurs within the Saint Paul neighborhood known as Rondo. I officially opened the gallery in June 2019 by hosting an opening reception.
The Challenge
A Global Shutdown
Less than a year later, in March 2020, COVID-19 hit.
In-person foot traffic disappeared. Artists—who relied on the consignment model—were fearful. All had paid monthly to showcase their work in the gallery, and I was responsible for turning that visibility into sales.
Faced with closures and chaos, I pivoted quickly—building the gallery’s first eCommerce site, developing a CRM and CMS system, and launching a video ad campaign on Google to keep visibility high.
The Campaign
Affordable & Original Art
The ad was short: 11 seconds. Two people silently observed artwork on gallery walls. One pulled out a phone to capture a favorite piece. Overlay text read:
Affordable & Original Art
artpeacesoulgs.com
I intentionally used pre-pandemic footage. While masking was required in-store, I knew featuring masked shoppers would cause anxiety—and deter emotional connection. This was about warmth, familiarity, and trust.
Campaign Results
(March 20–May 20, 2020)
With just $1,500 in ad spend, the gallery achieved:
150,000+ ad impressions
1,500+ clicks (calls + website visits)
132 confirmed walk-ins
$5,800 in product sales (art, jewelry, prints)
One visitor—traveling from San Francisco—Googled “art galleries near me” and discovered the gallery through this ad. He walked in and purchased a piece by artist Emily Henthorne, who would later become the gallery’s top-selling artist.
Strategic Response: Artist Transition + Inventory Expansion
With many artists afraid to continue, I offered early contract exits without penalty. The roster dropped from 30 artists to 5.
To maintain inventory, I expanded a relationship with Jack’s Gallery in NYC, negotiating a 50% wholesale discount to resupply with high-quality prints and framed works. I managed all sales tracking, payouts via Square, and used Wix to maintain the online store.
I also coached remaining artists on digital self-promotion—helping them repost gallery items, write captions, and link back to the store. Everyone still featured was expected to treat the gallery as a partnership, not just a retail space.
From Ads to Civil Unrest:
Community Events Post-Rioting
In late May 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, I was forced to end all ad campaigns and shift to community engagement.
With the gallery boarded up, I partnered with the contracted artists to host outdoor art experiences using wood panels as canvases for public expression. These events became healing spaces—and subtle promotional opportunities. Doors remained open, and visitors were encouraged to browse without pressure to buy.
This experiential marketing helped regain public interest and created a more fluid sales cycle: view in person, purchase online later.
Community Commons
A Partnership that gave small businesses leverage
That summer, Mall of America reached out. They’d been researching local businesses that had pivoted successfully and stayed active. My gallery was selected to join Community Commons, a collective retail space supporting BIPOC-owned businesses affected by the pandemic and civil unrest.
The gallery launched in MOA in October 2020, and sales surged again. I expanded the artist roster, curated new collections, and made the most of this high-traffic opportunity.
Final Outcome
In December 2021, after nearly five years of operation (from home hustle to retail expansion to mall partnership), I closed the gallery. Burnout, changing sales patterns, and the weight of carrying a full-time job alongside gallery operations prompted me to exit with pride and clarity.
I walked away with:
Real-world experience running a consignment-based art business
A case study in pivoting under pressure
A portfolio of campaigns with real sales results
A renewed commitment to strategic marketing, storytelling, and building businesses
Read More
Visit the Art Peace Soul Archive on Yelp
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