September 01, 2019

In her 23 years as director and curator for a few of Chicago’s top art galleries, Emily Watson-Rice ’96 met a lot of artists and collectors. She loved meeting them—and often left those meetings concerned.

“I would meet artists and be shocked that they had all kinds of training in how to paint and no training in how to sell those paintings—no communication skills, no business skills,” she said.

Watson-Rice graduated from Calvin with a bachelor’s of fine arts and recognized something of herself in these artists.

December 02, 2017

"I believe I'm f-ing awesome and can get through anything."

At 38 years old, Emily Watson-Rice, owner of Gossamer Arts, was in the best shape of her life. But due to some unforeseen health issues, she entered her 40th year far from the top of her game. ​​

June 20, 2017

Much has changed in the art world over our 50 year history. The markets have been up and down and we’ve seen great galleries close their doors. Fortunately Atlas Galleries has an amazing staff of art specialists and incredibly talented artists who have kept the gallery going strong even in difficult years. Yet the true foundation of our success is our collectors. Our customer service sets us apart from other galleries and our collectors have rewarded us with their loyalty.

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Atlas recruited me while I was the Director of the Marshall Fields Fine Art Gallery. I have now been with Atlas Galleries nearly 15 years. As Curator & Director, I fully believe in Atlas’s goal to promote talented artists and assist clients in finding a work of art that really speaks to them. I find it especially rewarding to...