Expert Art Advice

from a Professional Curator

Sonya Sparks is the owner and chief curator at Sparks Gallery. Sonya studied art in conjunction with obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at the University of San Diego. With over 10 years of curatorial experience, Sonya has curated exhibitions for multiple organizations, including, but not limited to: the Oceanside Museum of Art Artist Alliance, Allied Craftsmen of San Diego, Cannon Art Gallery (Carlsbad, CA), and the Escondido Arts Partnership.

Artists:

No more guessing why galleries are not taking your calls and emails. Whether you are an established artist, or just starting your career, I am happy to sit down with you to discuss your work, your career, and you can pick my brain about anything art-related. At the end of our first meeting, you will have actionable guidance on what direction you should take for selling artwork, building your credentials, experimenting with new work, and where to find opportunities to show work.

• Portfolio review/art consultation $75 per 45 minutes (IN GALLERY)
• In-studio art consultation (VIRTUAL) $100 per hour 

In our one-on-one art consultation, you will discover:

• 5 things every artist needs to have before getting into a commercial art gallery
• How setting up your foundations will allow for a solid base to build your artist “brand”
• How to propose exhibitions/work to galleries
• Inspirations based on my impression of the direction of your work
• Actionable advice for your personal art journey

Book an Art Consult With Sonya

Collectors:

Whether you are just starting your collection, or have a large collection, I am here to support your personal curation project. I will meet in your space to provide guidance for your overall collection and provide visual recommendations to curate your space, so you can feel confident that the collection is visually and/or thematically cohesive, accounted for, and preserved appropriately.

• On-site consultation $100 per hour 
• Add-on digital curation $200 per hour

In our curatorial session, you will receive:

• Guidance based on your existing collection
• Placement suggestions based on visual rhythm throughout the space
• Recommendations for maintaining and servicing your collection
• For those selecting “digital curation”, your artwork will be curated digitally on images provided to you to help guide your space planning.

Book a Curatorial Session With Sonya

Examples of Notable Past Curatorial Projects

Chief Curator, Sparks Gallery, 2012 – present

2021 Juried Biennial, Cannon Art Gallery, Co-Juror with Andrew Ütt

2021 Art Glass Association of Southern California 40th Annual Members’ Exhibition at Spanish Village Art Center Gallery 21 in Balboa Park, Co-Juror

 Escondido Arts Partnership, “The Big Little Art Show” 2020, Juror

References available upon request.

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“Sonya is a visionary and consummate professional- from the overall mission down to the finite details.  Her open minded collaborative style, while keeping on a productive schedule, resulted in a spectacular exhibition and series of events for my solo show!  I look forward to all opportunities to work with her.”

-Alexandra Hart, 2017 “Symbiosis” Solo Exhibition Artist 

What artists are saying:

“I had the pleasure of meeting Sonya Sparks at her beautiful art gallery for a one-on-one portfolio review of my bronze sculpture series. As a long-time artist and first-time participant in a portfolio review, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, Sonya exceeded my expectations with her informative and insightful thoughts and ideas about my style and approach to my art. She recommended valuable strategies to keep me going in the right direction and answered all my questions with candor.
As an artist, it’s great to know that there are people like Sonya that are willing to be present in the art community and help artists thrive and improve their work from the knowledge she has gained from years of experience as a gallery owner and her passion for art.
I highly recommend Sonya’s expertise to artists seeking guidance and inspiration, and a fresh perspective on their work. I look forward to applying her suggestions to help me achieve my goals as an artist.
Thank you, Sonya, for your dedication to the art community and for providing me with an invaluable portfolio review experience.”

-IAN SISO ART