We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leonardo Ledesma a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Leonardo , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I always knew that I wanted to do something in the arts. I fell into the art business while I was an architecture student at USC, creating exhibitions for my friends in the art department. Once I began discovering artists, representing them, and finding opportunities for them, I found it to be a natural fit for me. As the business developed and I saw that my efforts were rewarded both professionally and personally this gave me the fuel to stay the course and in that I found my purpose. My purpose is to bring beauty and inspiration to my clients while supporting and propelling the careers of the artists that I represent.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
After finding a path from architecture to the arts, I developed Art Seen, a thriving art firm. Over the past thirty years I’ve cultivated relationships with both artists and potential clients, be they collectors, corporations, real estate developers, architects or interior designers.
I’m most excited about our work at Art Seen as it is a catalyst for the artists we work with to continue pursuing their vision and develop their creative practice further.
I have a longstanding relationship with CBRE since the early 2000s. I have been their exclusive art curator for their Water Garden corporate campus in Santa Monica since 2017. Each year Art Seen presents a group of four artists who produce original paintings for each of the main lobbies. This ongoing project has provided both local and international artists with the opportunity to showcase large-scale artworks publicly. The current exhibition features creations by artists Adele Renault, Charlie Edmiston, Steve Martinez, and Chance Cooper infusing the public spaces with vibrant and thought provoking imagery.
We would love to welcome you to view our work. Visitors can experience the public exhibition at Water Garden in Santa Monica as well as Art Seen’s curation of the Luxury Living Showroom in West Hollywood. Works are also on display at private estates including Marisol Malibu and can be viewed by appointment only. To schedule an appointment contact sea@laartseen.com. You can also sign up for our event and art opening invites at this form https://forms.gle/vj2eyM7EMZSjVz2U7.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Patience, perseverance, and simply enjoying the journey have helped me as an entrepreneur in the arts. The art world has many barriers to entry and if you are an outsider or someone who is not coming from great wealth it can feel daunting to break through. As a young man in my early twenties organizing art shows, representing artists, and curating for clients, I had to operate with the confidence of someone beyond my years. For years I barely made ends meet, but I stuck to my commitment and garnered a reputation for my work that has allowed me more freedom and a steady flow of projects. My advice is – do it because you love it, stay the course even when you feel you’re not making the progress you expect; this attitude will help propel you through many challenges.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
My parents exposed my siblings and I to many art forms from an early age. We visited museums, classical and popular music concerts, ballets, operas, and things of that nature. I had a well-rounded education in the arts, both visual and performing. Our father managed the iconic movie palaces on Broadway in downtown LA for almost 30 years. My youth had a very ‘Cinema Paradiso’ quality to it as I spent every weekend at the movies in those beautiful old theaters, sometimes watching films from the projectionist booth. Those experiences were integral to my creative development.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laartseen.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artseenla/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/art-seen/
Image Credits
Art Seen, Greg DeGuire, Luxury Living Group, Markilux, Takahashi Residence, Laura Wilson, Brad Howe, Chance Cooper, Christine Finley, Miguel Osuna, Moises Ortiz, Todd Williamson, The Endless Summer / John Van Hamersveld
