{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"46: Art for Everyone with Liz Lidgett","description":"2026 - and series five - kicks off with An Art to It\u2019s first ever transatlantic episode: this week I\u2019m joined by gallerist Liz Lidgett of Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design in Des Moines, Iowa. https:\/\/www.lizlidgett.com\/ Liz shares how growing up with a free local museum - and a grandmother who bought her art lessons every Christmas - shaped her belief that art should be for everyone. After studying art history and working as an in-house curator for a major corporate collection, she left the corporate world after exactly one year to become a freelance art advisor before opening her own gallery in 2019\u2026 just months before the pandemic. In our lively chat we talk about how being based in the midwest - rather than LA or New York City - gave Liz the space to experiment with selling art, and how Instagram and lockdown turned a her local gallery into a global business.&amp;nbsp; and why Liz treats her gallery as her biggest artwork \u2013 built on joy, ethics, and a strict \u201cno jerks\u201d rule. Inspired by her belief that art really IS for everyone, 2026 sees the launch of Liz\u2019s book, Art for Everyone where she demystifies buying, hanging and living with art for people who \u201clove art but don\u2019t know where to start.\u201d It can be pre-ordered now on Amazon.&amp;nbsp; In this episode, we chat about:   Why being in the \u201coverlooked\u201d Midwest gave Liz freedom to play, make mistakes and experiment   Moving from art history and corporate curation into art advising - and what she learned from seeing behind the scenes of galleries.   How her Midwest gallery now ships to all 50 US states and 11+ countries, and why location matters less when your voice and eye are strong   The values at the heart of her business: accessibility, kindness, paying artists on time, \u201cno jerks\u201d, and approachable (never snooty) language   Building a community for artists: annual surveys, honest questions, and a legendary 5-year party that brought 35\u201340 artists together in person   The emotional and as Liz says, \u201cslightly woo-woo\u201d side of gallery work: believing that each artwork has a person it\u2019s \u201cmeant\u201d for \u2013 and her job is to connect them   What galleries can still offer artists in an age of direct sales and social media   Treating the gallery itself as her biggest artwork, and why joy is non-negotiable in how she runs her business.   @lizlidgettgallery @lizlidgett&amp;nbsp; @elaine_dye_ @thebyregallery &amp;nbsp; ","author_name":"An Art To It","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/539737","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39748815\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/197534170"}