Jerry’s Knows the Average Joe by TMNK

 


Forgive me if this sounds like an advertisement or some sort of paid endorsement. It’s not. Jerry’s Art Arama is, for this artist, more than a corporate entity that merchandises the art supplies we use. They’re real people who dig art and have made a business from supporting that which they love.

I was discovered by one of the owners of Jerry’s on the streets of New York. And shortly thereafter he and his wife began to collect my art. They never tried to pressure me to switch from purchasing my supplies from “The House the Oyster Built.” Instead, they just offered to be a resource for exposing me to new products and supplies, and continued to be patrons. More importantly, my new found friend was always accessible, responsive, and supportive.

So, I of course have links on my blog to Jerry’s, and have featured their logo on some of my exhibition flyers and web page. It’s the least I could do. Besides it being an expression of the friendship I feel, it’s just good business, one hand washing the other. But as an artist, I’m not much into promoting corporate interests, business out to just profit off the little guy. But like I’ve said, from day one, my experience with Jerry’s has been that these are “real people” who, like myself, are in the business of art, but REALLY love art, artists, and collectors. Art is in there blood, literally.

So, why now, do I decide to write this, what amounts to a public endorsement? Well, much like my initial encounter with Jerry’s, just call it fate. I was at the building hosting the G40 – The Summit exhibit, working on my Installation, when I decided to take a walk around and check out the other artists. That’s when I encountered Joe Iurato and the awesome mural he was painting.

As I scanned the area trying to get a sense of what he used to create his work (as I am always trying to learn, grow, get inspired), I saw a plastic bag laying on the floor that looked like… Could it be? Yes it was, Jerry’s Artarama. I smiled a private smile, and walked over and said “Yo, Joe, you get your supplies from them too?” His reply, and I quote, “Dude, they’re the greatest, I love Jerry’s, I’m there all the time.” I smiled and shared my Jerry’s story with him, then snapped this picture.

It made for the perfect story for me to share with my patron, the unofficial sponsor of G40. In this day of ATM machines and corporate entities with their overseas customer service call centers, it’s special to have a relationship with a business that cares about the “Average Joe” and a “nobody” like me.

-TMNK
menobodyknows.com
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