BEHIND M Meet elody Mejia
Originally from Los Angeles, the bubbly art consultant just celebrated her first anniversary with EC Gallery Gaslamp in America’s Finest City.
The Cal State Northridge graduate stumbled upon EC Galleries over coffee. Literally. Working no more than a block away at Starbucks, Melody’s amicable nature led her into conversation with the Gallery Director of the Gaslamp location, Tony Wagner. After telling him that she was an art history major, Wagner invited her to come by.
As hopeful as she was, Melody’s first visit to the gallery did not result in a job offer.
“I really wanted a job there, I just kept stopping by and stayed persistent,” she said. “After six months of me visiting, he offered me a job.”
Melody is part of a team of five. Although the team may be small, the camaraderie between them makes a huge difference. At the Gaslamp location, just like any of the other EC Gallery locations, the dynamic between the staff is truly familial.
Beyond having the opportunity to work with people she views as friends, mentors, and her everything, the biggest perk of the job is being able to work with art.
Greatly influenced by Mark Rothko’s No.16, Melody has spent numerous hours, on more than one occasion, allowing herself to be “swallowed” by the piece. She attributes that to be the turning point in her life and where the desire to work with art was born.
Everyone interprets art differently. Being able to share her interpretation of what she sees, or seeing artwork through somebody else’s eyes, is something she really appreciates.
32 Photo Credit: Cornelius Mandel Johnson with Pure Chic Visions
It only took three days before Melody made her first big sale. It was the thrill of matching a collector to exactly what they were looking for, to a piece that suddenly became a part of them, that has kept her around.
“As a collector myself, I know that feeling of being able to take that piece home and put it on your wall. There’s nothing like it,” she said. “Being able to give that feeling and that experience to other people is really why I stay and why I really want to keep doing it.”
The cherry on top of the fine art sundae for Melody is personally knowing all of the wonderful artists that EC Galleries represents, a privilege others may not have.
Despite her title being listed as “Art Consultant,” Melody takes it upon herself to be much more than that.
“Every single person who walks in through that door of our gallery should feel at home and should feel comfortable with the artwork that we have and with us. Tat’s my primary role, being a guide, a welcome friendly face in the place.”
OFF THE EASEL MAGAZINE – FALL 2014
THE CUR T AIN
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