Q and A with Helen Swaby, CEO of DeMontfort

Tell us about yourself and the company history?

I am the founder and CEO of the UK’s most dynamic gallery group - DeMontfort, which includes Clarendon Fine Art and Whitewall Galleries. I started the company determined to tackle the elitism that dominates the world of art and to change the perception that contemporary art was for a chosen few.  25 years later we have over 53 beautiful galleries across the UK as well as on board 10 ocean liners in partnership with Cunard and P&O, and we are the official gallery partner of Sky Arts. My team of 350 amazing people is out there every day, democratising art and encouraging people who had never walked through a gallery door to discover the joy of collecting.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Like a 24/7 Teams meeting at the moment, although the people on screen change every hour or so! Usually though it’s a bit of a whirlwind. I see my role as being to oversee and inspire three key elements of the business, customer experience, artist talent, and team members, so this means a lot of travelling around the country. I might be visiting an artist in their studio, having a meeting with a client, or discussing a forthcoming exhibition with a gallery team, often all in the same day. Technically speaking I’m based at our HQ in Lichfield and I try to spend some time there every week so I can be available for meetings, but also because I think it’s important for morale and motivation to stay connected with your entire team on a personal level.

What’s unique about your business?

Firstly, we’ve never fallen into the trap of aiming our art at a specific and therefore limited audience; rather we believe that quality art should be accessible to everyone and work tirelessly to offer the most enjoyable, personal and memorable encounter with the world of art up and down the country. Secondly, the company’s background as an art publisher and supplier for many years has enabled us to test a vast range of artists and artwork in the marketplace and we have built a uniquely detailed knowledge of the nation’s relationship with art. This means we can be professional, friendly and never forceful in our approach as we have complete confidence that we can always marry up the right piece of artwork with the right client. Thirdly, we are totally committed to a joyful customer experience of art acquisition from start to finish – and beyond!  I believe these are the unique qualities which have established our position as the country’s foremost retailer of fine art, ensuring that our reputation travels, and also that we always gain repeat business.

Tell us three interesting facts about fine art?

1. Fine art is good for your mental health. Scientists have found biological evidence that visual art promotes health and wellness, and improves our mental and physical response to stress. We always knew it was true, but now there’s proof! (Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine, peer reviewed, October 2019.)

2. In 2017, according to the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index, fine art overtook wine as the number one asset to invest in. And art has the added advantage that you don’t need to lay it down for ten years. You can enjoy it every day.

3. Most importantly – fine art is for everyone. People may try to tell you something different, but I can promise you - that is a fact.

What’s the most exciting/ rewarding part of the job?

Quite simply, transforming people’s lives by connecting them with the right piece of art. Whether or not the piece will make their home more impressive, elegant or fashionable, whether or not it is an investment - none of that matters when a client forms an emotional connection with a painting or sculpture, and that is a beautiful thing to see. Art you love will uplift your soul every time you look at it, so when someone gets emotional in the gallery, we know we’ve done our job well!

How has COVID impacted on the business and have you seen a change in the styles of artwork that is selling during this period?

Everything we do is centred on giving our clients a truly personal and enriching encounter with art, so the first time we had to close the galleries it was a huge blow. However we have always believed in building strong personal relationships with each and every collector, so my fabulous gallery teams calmly continued to work at home whenever the physical galleries were closed, contacting their clients personally to let them know about a forthcoming exhibition, arranging virtual viewings of new collections from favourite artists, or just checking how they were, and the response was consistently overwhelming. I think many people discovered that art offered them a way to change their view, or connect with people, places, memories or emotions they valued, and I’ve heard some heart-warming stories from my teams about the conversations they’ve had. So while I’m not sure the style of art we sell is changing, I think that each piece sold has perhaps become more meaningful than ever before.

The other big impact has been on our online presence and the rapid implementation of our new digital strategy to keep our clients in touch with the art they love. We launched our first virtual exhibition in March 2020 and over the year have hosted a whole range of amazing online events including; gallery tours, artist interviews, live painting demonstrations, studio visits, foundry tours and even a Royal Ascot garden party LIVE on Instagram. We were also thrilled to raise over £200k for the NHS Charities Together Emergency Appeal with a series of online auctions. All these things have helped us to stay connected with and inspire our wider community, so I think they are here to stay.

What does post lockdown look like for you?

Joyous - like the sun rising in my favourite Jeffrey Pratt painting! I have nothing but confidence in the future of our business and the country, so we have used this time to refurbish several galleries as well as opening in 7 new locations. Our galleries have always been peaceful sanctuaries for art lovers - comfortable safe spaces away from the crowds. For us it’s always been about getting individuals into the gallery to see the right artwork and we will happily continue to work in this way. We have a superb programme of both gallery-based and online events ready to go, and we will still be offering one-to-one appointments and bespoke virtual viewings where preferred. I believe the lessons we have learned over the last year will only make us stronger, more positive, more effective and more grateful for every opportunity to share the joy of art face to face. So all in all, post lockdown looks likely to  be, well, really quite busy. And we just can’t wait.

If you would like to look at Whitewall Galleries, please click here.