What Is the Nature of Being a Professional in the Arts?

The word professional gets tossed around a lot. It shows up on resumes, in bios, on LinkedIn profiles, and in funding proposals. It implies credibility, mastery, and often, innovation. But in the arts, where the boundaries are more fluid and the path less linear, professionalism doesn’t always look the way the wider world expects. It rarely fits neatly into a traditional space. And more importantly, it doesn't have to.

For more than 25 years, I was creative director at Patina Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico—a space that celebrated contemporary studio jewelry artists working at the highest level of their disciplines. We didn’t represent work that merely looked good under lights. We represented work made with intention, with heart, with soul, and with vision. That was the benchmark for professionalism as I came to understand it: not a title, but a way of being.

Now, through Serious Play, I work with artists, gallerists, and cultural leaders who ask deeper questions. How do I define success on my own terms? How do I grow without losing my center? What does it mean to be a working artist or arts leader right now, in the face of global uncertainty, shifting values, and vanishing support systems?

Professionalism Begins with Devotion to Practice and Consistency
To be a professional is, first and foremost, to show up. It means tending to your practice with consistency, even when inspiration is elusive, the stakes feel high, or only you are watching. It’s not about performing creatively for others. It’s about cultivating it from within, again and again, and honoring it as vital work.

This devotion doesn’t necessarily mean working full-time as an artist or earning a specific income. Some of the most dedicated professionals I know also teach, run businesses, or hold day jobs to support their studio life. Professionalism is more about the posture you bring to your craft: a deep commitment to inquiry, excellence, and moving forward. 


Amish Farm Tools, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2024, photo by Ivan Barnett.



Professionals Create Individual Structures to Support their Vision
One of the biggest myths in the arts is that creativity and craft are opposites. In my experience, the most successful and satisfied jewelry artists are those who have designed their own rhythms and boundaries that protect their time, their energy, and their vision. They may not clock in at 9 a.m., but they know what their process requires, and they make space for it.

In thinking back over the decades of fostering artist’s careers, a handful of makers stand out to me. One of the most unwavering American makers is the acclaimed Harold O’Connor. I have known Harold now for almost three decades. We first met here in Santa Fe at the 1997 Snag Conference, where I was co- chair along with the brilliant Carrie Adele. Harold epitomizes what professionalism is with a 50-year career as a teacher, author, maker, speaker and, of course, one of America’s jewelry masters. Harold has always been fierce about his boundaries as an artist. Without his daily studio discipline, he’d be the first one to tell you it is about “still loving what you do." He would not be the creative treasure that he is.

In Serious Play, I help creatives develop strategies that serve their work, rather than stifling it. That might mean reshaping a studio schedule, rethinking how a gallery team collaborates, or creating a marketing plan that feels like a natural extension of the artist’s voice. Structure should never feel like a cage. When designed with care, it becomes a container where creative fire can thrive.

Professionalism Is Relational
To be a professional in the arts is to understand that we don’t work in a vacuum. Whether you’re an independent maker or part of a large institution, you’re always in relationship with audiences, collectors, clients, curators, collaborators, and yourself. Professionalism means being aware of that ecosystem and engaging with it honestly and respectfully.

This includes honoring deadlines, communicating clearly, crediting those who support your work, and showing up prepared. But more than that, it means building trust. In my years at Patina, trust was the currency. Artists trusted us to represent their work with integrity. Clients trusted us to guide them toward meaningful acquisitions. That trust was never assumed; it was earned, nurtured, and protected.


Image of Iron Wall Star Detail in Amish Country, photo by Ivan Barnett, 2024.



Professionals Adapt and Respond
The arts have never been static, but the past few years have shown us just how quickly and dramatically our realities can shift. Professionalism today requires resilience. It asks us to be responsive without abandoning our values, listening carefully, recalibrating when needed, and remaining focused.

At Serious Play, I often work with artists who are facing turning points—emerging from a residency, preparing for a solo exhibition, navigating loss or burnout, or even questioning whether to continue. Part of being a professional is recognizing those thresholds and meeting them with both courage and curiosity. It’s okay not to have all the answers. What matters is that you keep asking better questions.  

One such “turning point” moment was the transition in 2005, or so, of Michael Zobel and his then younger protege Peter Schmid. The Zobel torch was being passed from the elder to the younger. The struggles were many and time consuming. The big formal launch of the transition of talent was staged at the Inhorgenta Fair. It took a handful of years to see things settle. When following in the footsteps of a giant like Michael, things came at a price, which is not new. 

There were many unexpected twists and turns. Of course, as a gallerist, it didn't make for the easiest time. However, things smoothed out and I had the privilege of watching Peter take the reins of the Altier Zobel and craft it into the global studio that it is today. The rest you might say is jewelry history. I’m also proud to be able to say that my wisdom became its own asset as the two men “hammered out the details” of their formal agreement.

Professionalism Also Means Knowing When to Ask for Help
There’s a quiet myth in the creative world that to be truly serious, you must go it alone. That myth is not only false, but also shortsighted. Every great artist, director, or visionary I know has, regularly, leaned on someone else: a mentor, a peer, a coach, a curator, or a friend.

Professionals invest in their growth. They seek out critique. They welcome perspective. They understand that support doesn’t dilute the work—it strengthens it. That’s why Serious Play exists to offer a place where creatives can speak openly, think clearly, and take brave steps toward what’s next. Not from a place of fear, but from a place of intention.


Vincent van Gogh, Self Portrait, 1889. 1853-1890.



The Nature of Being a Professional Is a Practice
It’s tempting to treat professionalism like a badge of honor, something you earn once and wear forever. But I believe it’s more like a cadence. It deepens over time. It asks for attention. And it can be expressed in a thousand different ways.

For one artist, it might mean learning how to tell their story with more confidence. For a gallerist, it might mean shifting their gallery programming to reflect the times. While for a cultural leader, it might mean creating brave new models for engagement and access. There is no single formula. There is only the work and how you choose to meet it.

Storytelling at profound levels is the hallmark of Serious Play’s philosophy. As much as we all love and often cling to our early stories, as artists we can take for granted that one story is enough. It is not. Take the current geopolitical climate and how it is altering “the arts” in ways that can be shocking. To have at least one eye on the changing social landscape is necessary for you as a professional.

The Covid pandemic was one of the most stressful and difficult times for me as a gallery owner and creative director. The gallery’s artists were in a state of shock for a while until I was able to pivot enough and begin to see that sales of their work happen. They were looking at the gallery for answers, and answers sooner than later. I felt at times like a military strategist, having to figure out how to make a successful “beach landing” for artists. The years 2021 to 2022 were profitable years. After ten years of development, our e-commerce website would now be tested. Consequently, our online sales saved not only our artists but their gallery. 

So, what is the nature of being a professional in the arts? It is showing up. Asking even more questions. Presenting yourself with authenticity. Inviting others in. And building a life and career around the work that matters most to you. Not because it’s easy. But because it belongs to you.

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.
/ Vincent van Gogh


© Ivan Barnett 2025, All rights reserved.

 

About the author

Ivan Barnett
As co-founder and creative director of Patina Gallery, Ivan played a pivotal role in elevating artists’ careers and shaping the gallery’s international reputation. His expertise in gallery management, marketing, and exhibition planning allows him to support creatives in crafting sustainable careers. Through one-on-one coaching and curatorial support, he encourages artists to refine their narratives, embrace risk, and find deeper creative meaning.
Raised in a family of artists, Ivan was influenced by his father, Isa Barnett, a celebrated painter. After studying at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, he pursued a career in painting, metalwork, sculpture, and mixed media. In 2023, he launched Serious Play, integrating mentorship with innovative business strategies to help artists refine their messaging and expand their careers.
Unlike most consultancies, Ivan’s empathetic and intuitive approach fosters creative dot connecting, collaboration and profound storytelling, proving that art is not just something we create—it’s something we are. Learning the art of playing seriously can transform and propel our lives toward new heights.

Serious Play, based in Santa Fe, NM, is a creative consultancy founded by Ivan Barnett, an artist, curator, and mentor with over five decades of experience in the art world. Ivan helps artists, galleries, and arts organizations navigate the complexities of creative careers by blending artistic exploration with strategic business acumen.
Serious Play’s purpose is to mentor artists and art organizations to tell more of their untold stories.

creativemornings.com/individuals/ivanbarnett
seriousplaysf@gmail.com