Beau Alexander - Paying Homage to the Past, While Focusing on the Future
Beau Alexander is the owner and operator of Maxwell Alexander Gallery, a world-renowned art gallery that curates and celebrates “a new breed of fine art” here in the American West and beyond. Beau and his brother, the famed western artist Logan Maxwell Hagege, officially opened the gallery back in 2012, and their goals were simple: Represent one-of-a-kind artists, put the artists’ interests first, and serve as a trusted resource for a wide range of collectors around the globe. After many years of scrappy hard work and outside-the-box thinking, Maxwell Alexander Gallery has become a cornerstone of the Western art world.
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Beau was born and raised in Los Angles, and from an early age, he showed a talent for entrepreneurship and marketing. He and his brother Logan started a number of businesses together, combining their proclivity for creativity with the tireless work ethic they learned from their immigrant father. As Logan’s art career exploded, they both saw an opportunity to create an art gallery that takes care of its artists and clients– one that plays the long game and is deeply invested in the people behind the art… not solely focused on making a sale. So, in 2012 they opened Maxwell Alexander Gallery and have steadily risen to the top of the western contemporary art world. And just a few weeks ago, Beau was awarded the Autry Museum’s John J. Geraghty Award, which recognizes an individual for his or her Advancement of Contemporary Western art.
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Beau and I met last fall in L.A. at Maxwell Alexander Gallery’s 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition, so I was thrilled to have him join me for a more in-depth conversation about his journey in western art. We started by discussing his upbringing in LA and how entrepreneurship has always been a part of his life. We discuss some of the good and bad aspects of the old-school art gallery world that sparked the idea to start Maxwell Alexander Gallery. We discussed the early days of the business, and how he had to grind and be extremely creative in order to gain a foothold in the art world. We also discuss his irreverent, often times hilarious, approach to using social media as a marketing tool and the importance of introducing new collectors to western art. We discuss art valuation, the importance of treating people fairly, his other artistic influences, and his brother Logan’s evolution as an artist.
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We talk a lot about Logan and the 10 Year Anniversary exhibition– you can listen to those podcasts by following the links in the episode notes. But for now, I hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation with Beau Alexander.
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- Maxwell Alexander Gallery
- Maxwell Alexander Gallery on Instagram
- Live podcast from the 10th Anniversary Exhibition
- M&P podcast with Logan Maxwell Hagege
- Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/beau-alexander/
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TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- 3:45 – Setting the scene in Beau’s year leading up to starting the Maxwell Alexander Gallery
- 10:00 – Discussing Beau’s time studying business, before which he had actually started his own business
- 14:00 – How Beau prioritizes relationships in his business
- 17:30 – Beau’s process of evaluating artwork
- 21:30 – How the Maxwell Alexander Gallery is different from other art galleries
- 24:00 – When Beau figured out that the Maxwell Alexander Gallery was a unique idea to run with in the art world, and the early process of establishing the gallery
- 29:45 – Discussing Beau’s unconventional ways of advertising the gallery
- 31:15 – How long it took for the established art community to recognize and embrace the Maxwell Alexander Gallery model
- 36:45 – Discussing the 10 Year Anniversary of the gallery
- 39:30 – Talking about the finances and value of art
- 49:30 – Advice for young art collectors
- 52:30 – Beau’s favorite art
- 59:30 – Beau’s other influences outside of painting and sculpture, as well as the impact Logan Maxwell has had on the art world
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