We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cristina Salmastrelli a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cristina , thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
I have been told before that my level of optimism borders on delusional thinking and while I can be a critic and look at the glass as half empty, there is something magical that happens when you start from a place of yes.
Many think that analytical people, with a passion for data and charts, cannot be optimistic, but that is wrong, in my opinion. Isn’t it more exciting to think about everything as a possibility?
My optimism has developed overtime. The excitement of opportunities and daydreaming about what could be, is too much fun to not embrace in my conversations. Most of the time, I end up being the most optimistic person in the room and, in my opinion, that is a wonderful gift to bring to the table.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Since graduating from New York University with a Masters in Museum Studies, I have always wanted to work in a museum. It’s been almost 20 years since I completed that degree and ironically I still have yet to work in one.
Once I found art fairs, I fell in love with them because of their dynamic and frenetic energy and never looked back since. I have organized over 70 art fairs since 2006 and there is always something new and challenging that presents itself, which is why I am still in love with my job.
The goal at Ramsay Fairs, where I have spent that last decade and a half of my career, is to spread the joy of collecting art. Ramsay Fairs owns multiple brands that all have that same mission, but for different audiences. I am lucky to work on two of their brands, Affordable Art Fair and VOLTA. Nothing tops watching someone buy their first artwork, or witnessing a top collector come and purchase an emerging artist’s work at your fair. There is a spark of joy that you can relate to immediately. There truly is a separate language in the art world that I am so grateful to have become fluent in.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Working in events, it’s imperative that one is flexible and has the ability to pivot. There is always something that will not work out as expected, but if you think about these situations as opportunities disguised as problems, there will always be a workable solution. And when in these high pressure situations, the more you listen the better. Active listening is where all collaborations maximize their effectiveness, so less talking and more listening. Lastly, remaining positive and in tune with your overall goals of connecting people to art, will keep you in a mental space of excitement and opportunity!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Collaboration is always key when maximizing any experience. Both Affordable Art Fair and VOLTA comes with a specific experience and cultural day out their 30,000 annual visitors. From cocktails and tours for young collectors to family hours where we create an art experience for the entire family, we have endless opportunities for activations to inspire, educate, and wow. We are always looking for brands that have our same type of mission and focus to bring our art lovers more to engage with at every edition, so if interested, email me at cristina@ramsayfairs.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ramsayfairs.com, WWW.AFFORDABLEARTFAIR.COM, WWW.VOLTA.COM
- Instagram: @affordableartfairnyc, @affordableartfairaustin, @voltaartfairs
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