Meet Jessica Helfrecht

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Helfrecht and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Atlanta is a city filled with incredible creatives in the visual arts, music, dance and film but there are not enough venues to support their artistic careers. I started Echo Contemporary Art to provide a space for Atlanta’s and the Southeast’s visual artists. Echo’s mission is to provide space for up-and-coming artists to introduce their work to the Atlanta Art Community. Echo primarily exhibits emerging and mid-career artists during month long exhibitions. Echo also has a gallery rental program and has hosted exhibitions for Spelman College, Morehouse College, Georgia State University and SCAD.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I graduated from UGA with a BFA in Art Education but never got to teach in a traditional classroom. I moved to Birmingham, AL because a friend was starting a gallery with two videographers. The four of us opened ARTomotive and my career in retail art galleries began. I opened my own space, Barehands Gallery, in 1996 and exhibited emerging Birmingham Artists. After 5 years, I sold the galllery and moved to Minneapolis for my husband’s grad school. In Minneapolis, I had the great experience of working for two incredible non-profit art centers: the Minnestoa Center for Book Arts and the Northern Clay Center. I truly enjoyed working on their missions to support artists in their respective mediums. After moving to Atlanta, I got to work for the Hambidge Center and MINT, two non-profits organizations that support artists and art administrators. The challenges of the nonprofit art world include unstable revenue streams, constant fundraising and their Board of Directors. Along the way, I’ve learned that clear communication is the best way to build relationships with artists, coworkers and collectors. Having the difficult conversations moves the relationship forward, hopefully to a better place.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I’m a gallery owner, ceramic artist and am married to a sculptor, Art is always the focus when friends are visiting. My first stop is usually the Beltline. When I moved to Atlanta in 2005 it did not exist and now it is such a defining Atlanta landmark. The art on the Beltline is incredible and it’s a great way to see the city. I’m a big fan of the Atlanta Contemporary, Cat Eye Creative, the Supermarket, Marcia Wood Gallery, Kai Lin Gallery and Whitespace. Gallery. I always check what’s on exhibit at the High too. I love to bring people to Home Grown or Flying Bisquit for breakfast. Lunch is always fun at Ponce City Market or Pollo Primo. For dinner, we’ll either go out for sushi at Wagaya or Mexican at El Tesoro

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate this shoutout to two people: Eileen Kunzman of Magic City Art connection in Birmingham, Alabama for mentoring me in the art business and Jamie Badoud of the Hambidge Center for giving me my break into the Atlanta Art Community

Website: https://echocontemporary.com

Instagram: @echo_contemporary_art

Facebook: Echo Contemporary Art

Image Credits
Photos are by me or family and credit not needed