Antoinette Genevieve Williams talks about life, art, and how it feels to be a blasian woman in a time of upheaval.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I grew up in the suburbs of Las Vegas, in Henderson, NV with my mother and two older sisters. It was actually my middle sister that took me to my first museum exhibition. The show was a retrospective of Dale Chihuly’s work and a video installation by Jennifer Steinkamp. It was an exceptional experience and altered the way I had always consumed and interacted with art.

What inspired you to start your business?

I officially started the company in 2016 and

 registered an LLC in 2017. At the time I had worked with a few online galleries and felt that the offerings were limited. I knew that there was another option for people to connect and appreciate art, but also that there were unexplored options that were already being implemented and utilized by architects, graphic designers, and artists. At that moment I decided that even if I couldn’t make a true online gallery work, I was willing to see how far I could go. 

Where is your business based?

The business is based in San Diego, but I am currently in Copenhagen. I hope to maintain a global perspective as we grow since my practice has always been focused on global dialogue. We already represent artists based in the US, EU,  and Australia.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I started the gallery with an exhibition.  It wasn’t official and I hadn’t invested in branding, a website, or a means to start a real business or company. At the time, it was very much an idealistic vision of what an online gallery could be. Since then I have been pushing the boundaries regarding what an online gallery does, how they represent artists, and where we can offer some opportunities for emerging artists.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

It was very hard to get everything on track, and we are still trying to find a way to get funding to complete the virtual gallery. I had envisioned the somewhat “common” digital galleries in 2016 / 2017 and have since tried to find a way to fund the company and get the model built without VC funding.  I worked closely with the SBA in late 2017 / 2018 and was told I had qualified for a CDC small business loan (through SBA) and should have no major issues.  Unfortunately when everything was finalized I did not qualify as my personal credit score was 3 points shy of their requirements - the inquiry alone ended up hurting my credit score by 30+ points.  This was especially disheartening when I read more about it and realized that this is not uncommon for women-run enterprises, and is also backed up by the stats.  Actually, it is more disturbing to me that female-owned companies in both the US and UK are severely underfunded despite representing more than 40% of small business (figures vary) in both nations ((https://www.computerworld.com/article/3584734/minority-tech-startups-in-the-us-have-seen-almost-no-progress-in-vc-funding.html) / https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/uk-vc-female-founders-report/

 This figure is even worse for women of color, who tend to receive about 2.4-2.6% of VC funding.  The US Small Business Association recently had a survey which showed that of the 14% of businesses which chose to identify race in their loan application, Black-owned businesses received 1.9% of loans while White-owned businesses received 83%. So in essence I was fighting to gain access in an industry that did not represent me well, and a small business association funded by the government that wasn’t made to support me.  I should also note that I identify as mixed-race (Chinese, Taiwanese) & African American) on most of my documents, but was recently informed that they will classify you into (1) ethnic category when qualifying you for SBA loans.

After the many trials struggling to find a way to get funding or support, or guidance/mentorship,  I realized that the only way forward was through my own dedicated efforts.  It was in late 2019 that I ended up finding a gallery in DTLA that invited me to be a guest curator.  Then 2020 hit and I had to reevaluate everything again.  I’m happy to announce that the gallery is now on its way to launching an app this summer and we have found other avenues to continue creating a space for all people. 

Every show I have tried to execute was always a small effort and it was always tricky to find a way to find a space.  I hope that in the near future we can find a way to secure consistent collectors or funding that will allow us to continue focusing on what we set out to do from the initiation of Apotheosis.

How do you stay focused?

Staying focused is hard. It is even harder for entrepreneurs that have to work full time and still find a way to push their business idea.  I find that the best way to keep myself motivated, balanced, and calm is by meditating daily, eating yummy food (not always healthy), and reminding myself of the why?  Everyone’s “why” will be different, but I know that my purpose is to tear down boundaries, and limiting belief systems, while still making sure that I am providing all I can to artists that I work with. It isn’t always easy to remind yourself that the fight is worth the potential victory, especially as a founder or entrepreneur without a team. However, I know that regardless of what happens in the future I can look back and be proud of the efforts and work that has been done thus far.  Having friends or someone to support you never hurts either, so if you have a friend that has started a side-gig, small business, or something in that vein, support them!  The best thing you can do for them is to remind them that they are working toward something that is worthwhile, even when they forget that themselves.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I am not sure if we are so different from our competition, and I am not certain why we all have to be.  There is a certain level of regionalism that occurs in art collecting at the lower price tier, but there is always room for varying perspectives.  In my opinion, there is no way the world would work with just 10 or 15 big-name galleries.  Real art happens in the spaces in between.  The best art just happens.  If we push our spaces and institutions in a certain direction, that will inevitably influence the young, emerging artists that need to find their way through their practice and experimentation.  There is no other way for an artist to become great - despite what you have been taught.