Meet Jay Scott | Art Dealer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Scott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The success of my brand, Habatat Galleries has come from vision, consistency, integrity, & quality. The gallery turns 50 years old in 2021. Our longevity has come from having a loyal customer base that trust the quality & expertise we offer them in building their art collection. They know that the artists we represent are among the best in the world at what they do. We don’t play games with our pricing and offer prompt, reliable service. Our clientele has continued to build over the years as a result of our vision. 8 or 9 years ago not many high end fine art galleries weren’t taking Instagram & social media platforms seriously. We were. As a result, we are approaching 40K followers on IG that are all organic. Because of this presence on social media, our website has 5K visitors a month. This is the type of vision you must have to keep your business ahead of the curve. You must take calculated risks and do things that none of your competition is doing. In this year of COVID-19, this philosophy is even more important. This year has demanded that you reinvent the way you do business, overnight. The small businesses with the vision to imagine how their business might look in a year or 5 years, are the ones who will thrive in this new uncertain landscape.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Habatat Galleries has grown into an internationally recognized gallery for contemporary studio glass sculpture. We were the first gallery of its kind in the United States. We along with a few others, were responsible for the huge growth in popularity and acceptance of glass sculpture into the fine art world. Over the years there has been many obstacles to overcome. The biggest to overcome have been worldwide financial and economic crisis like the crash in 2008. Fine Art is many times, the first thing people cut from their budget when tough times hit. You must be able to manage your overhead, yet keep your business running efficiently. That is what we have done well over the years. You must stay flexible and aware of the economic climate.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In West Palm Beach you have many amazing places to eat/drink, places to visit and enjoy. I’d have to say my favorite place to eat for a sit down dinner would be Table 26. If you are looking to take it easy and get lunch, check out Hullabaloo on Clematis St and Subculture next door for a cup of coffee. As far as having fun and hanging out, beach time and snorkeling are a must in South FL. The crystal clear blue warm ocean water is something you don’t have in may other places in the world. I highly recommend Singer Island for snorkeling and beach time. Its by far the best beach for an all day outing. And lastly don’t forget the world class museum, The Norton. With its recently finished expansion, it is out of this world!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mentor, former mother-in-law & original founder of the gallery, Linda Boone is the reason for my success. When I met her through my ex wife, Lindsey Scott in 1999, she brought me on board at the gallery, and slowly taught me everything there was to know about the business from the ground up. She was patient with me and showed me every detail there was to know about running a fine art gallery. I owe a lot of my success to her for sure.

Website: www.habatatgalleries.com
Instagram: @habatatgalleriesfl
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/habatat-galleries
Twitter: habatatfl
Facebook: habatatgalleriesfl