Meet Paloma Larroy | Art gallery owner

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

Hi Paloma, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Since 2003 I have created several companies, guided either by offering solutions to an existing problem or by finding new market niches. After living in Brazil for 4 years, when I went back to Madrid, I saw there was an opportunity for introducing Brazilian artists in Spain. I started by contacting interior designers and architects and showing them the art pieces in my showroom. They loved them and the general comment was…”You should open an art gallery open to everyone…”. So in 2006 I open my first art gallery in Madrid. And now I am offering all the art pieces through my on line gallery, where you can experience seeing each piece in your art wall with Augmented Reality. That way the final customer can experience how each piece will fit in their homes, offices, etc…

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I did my master´s degree in the School of Visual Arts in New York. I don´t consider myself an artist, but a person who knows how to recognize good art pieces. And I think this is my added value. I didn´t have any idea on how to run an art gallery before I created my own, but Rox told me: “to sell art you just need two things: being and expert in sales and have good taste, and you have both”. So I decided to go ahead and try.

It was a success since day one. Of course, I went through challenges, such as in 2008 with the economic crisis. People were not buying art any more. I learnt from that to have different companies, with different incomes, because if one company is not doing well, the other ones will probably do, and I would have the capacity to support my family no matter what.

What I would like people to think about my gallery is that it is unique, putting together artists from all over the world, with different vision, creativity and talent. Helping the customer to see how will it look the art piece in their home before buying it. That way I know they will be satisfied.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I have friends and family coming over, and I usually take them to Wynwood first. I love the neighborhood. There is art everywhere and the atmosphere is very creative. There are also several restaurants that I love from different countries. I try one different every time. South Miami beach is also a good link between art and fun.

Just walking in Ocean Drive, watching the Art Decó buildings is amazing. We usually take a bike and go to the end of road to see where the big cruises are and then spend some time at the beach. Wynwood is a very good area to finish the day dancing. Mayami is one of my favourite discos (you can have dinner there also).

Maybe because we are from Spain and not used to the wild life of Florida, we love to go to the Everglades and watch the aligators. The one we have liked the most is Miccosukee Reservation. The guide has been living in the area since he was a kid and after the airboat ride you can visit a Miccosukee reserve, where you can learn from American Indian history.

Being involved with art, of course Miami has many museums to offer. And of course, the beach and the sandbar are a “must” when someone visits Miami. We love to go also to Sawgrass Outlets, as you can find very good deals.

Time Out is one of the interesting offers for lunch, dinner or cocktails. We have visited many times the one in Lisbon and when we knew there was one in Miami, we couldn´t wait to visit it. There are many options of food and you can gather around nice top tables while listening to music. Very close to Lincoln Avenue, another “must”.

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?
Virginia from Qbo Architects was the first one encouraging me to go ahead with the project, but in art what pushes me to go forward is the creativity, passion and expression capacity from all of my artists. The very first one was Rox Rezende, and we have grown together. He has become a very well known artist in Brazil, present in museums and in the homes of the richest people of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Lately, I have add Eduardo Vega de Seoane. I adore his work. I was buying from him before I even started this project. And all my artists are not only exceptional but very nice persons. I only work with artist which whom I have a special connection.

Website: www.galeriapalomalarroy.com

Instagram: galeriapalomalarroy

Image Credits
Eduardo Vega de Seoane. Title: La Casa por la Ventana Size: 150 cm x 150 cm