Founded in 2008 in San Francisco, Jessica Silverman Gallery is known for discovering emerging artists and bringing them to a global audience, as well as presenting international artists to collectors in the Bay Area.
The workload
The gallery currently represents 22 artists. They put on 10-12 exhibitions (plus an additional 4-6 at fused space) and participate in 6-8 art fairs around the globe every year. Aside from Jessica herself, there are only 4 full time employees who manage all aspects of their programming. Benjamin Saperstein, JSG’s Director of Operations, is the only staff member overseeing shipping and logistics in support of the gallery’s exhibitions, fairs, and clients.
The challenges
Benjamin manages 20-30 shipments at any given time, about half of which are in the quoting phase and the other half in an active state. One of the most difficult parts of his job is keeping each active shipment organized, especially those with constantly changing details. Being the point person and sole communicator with all parties involved in each shipment, including artists, clients, and shipping companies, means that communication in and of itself can be incredibly time consuming.
ARTA’s solutions
Saving time and staying organized
Benjamin looks to ARTA to help him do his job more efficiently. By saving time previously spent gathering quotes, working with ARTA allows him to dedicate more time to client relations and other important projects around the gallery. “ARTA has consistently saved time for me by streamlining complex shipping logistics…for a regular, domestic U.S. shipment, I could save 30-45 minutes of acquiring quotes and another 30-45 minutes of logistical communications.”
Another benefit of using ARTA is that “the interface keeps jobs neatly organized while facilitating transparency in communication with clients.” Keeping up with quotes and email chains for numerous active shipments can be a headache to keep track of. With ARTA, “the front end of the website is helpful for visual organizing of what stages quotes and shipments are at,” allowing Benjamin to access information about the shipments he is working on all in one place.
Streamlining client communications and ensuring client satisfaction
Being more efficient allows Benjamin to allocate more time to ensuring the best experience for his clients. “Clients like to hear that they have either been provided with the lowest quote, or know that a trusted shipper has quoted in a competitive range,” he says
Not to mention, when questions arise, he no longer has to follow up with multiple shipping vendors. Instead, he relies on the “excellent quality and response time of the [ARTA] staff” who are on top of all the shipments he is working on, so that he too can provide timely updates for his clients.
“I will continue using ARTA because of the organization properties of the interface, the excellent quality and response time of the staff.”
— Benjamin Saperstein, Director of Operations Public Works Department, City of Beverly Hills
International Shipments
Benjamin notes that ARTA helps save him the “most time on international shipments, possibly hours on more difficult jobs with customs issues.” ARTA’s team includes industry veterans that are well versed in the nuances of international shipping, including the varying duties, taxes and customs. ARTA has shipped to over 45 countries thanks to our ever expanding network of shipping partners. International shipping is complex, and thus ARTA’s “international shipment compliance/knowledge” have significantly helped Benjamin “streamline [his] work.”
Access to a wide network of vendors to help lower costs
Aside from saving the gallery operational costs by streamlining their work flows, ARTA has also helped the gallery and their clients save on shipping costs as well.
Knowing that ARTA has “access to trustworthy vendors” means the gallery and their clients know they are always in good hands. “Additionally, the introduction of some regional shippers has saved significant costs versus relying on national shippers for region-specific jobs,” says Saperstein. ARTA’s vast knowledge of each shippers strengths and weaknesses, as well as most commonly serviced routes, means that they are able to offer the most cost-efficient options for every shipment.
Image credits:
- Aleksandra Domanović , Isaac Julien , Christina Quarles, Biomorphic Virtuosity. Taken from Jessica Silverman Gallery.
- Detail from David Huffman’s “Abracadabra,” 2017. Taken from Jessica Silverman Gallery.
- Detail from David Huffman’s, “Afro Hippie,” 2017. Taken from Jessica Silverman Gallery.
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