by Monica Chamness
Staff Writer
A photographer by trade, Daryl Bunn has spent many years building a network in the art community. But instead of using his connections for invitations to the hottest art parties, Bunn created Winright’s, a direct mail catalog of original local art, which is being circulated to art patrons nationwide.
“I’ve supported the arts for years,” said Bunn, who owns Daryl Bunn Studios in Riverside. “I’ve always been real interested in it. I have donated services, space and hosted benefits for artists for 20 years. Then I had this epiphany of doing a direct mail catalog of fine art.”
Each participating artist contributed their own personal mailing list for solicitation. Of the 21 artists taking part in the pilot production, roughly 2,500 names were generated. One piece in the catalog sold to an employee of a large gallery in New York City just a week and a half after it was published.
“This is a real group of like-minded, serious connoisseurs of regional art,” he said.
Unlike other retailers, Winright’s (named after Bunn’s mother) showcases only original pieces.
“Nothing in Winright’s is available outside of galleries or going to the artists themselves,” he explained. “They’re all pretty one-of-a-kind, unique pieces. This concept is not being done out there nationally. Most catalogs are repeatable items manufactured in the thousands or millions.”
Leveraging his background in commercial photography for advertising agencies and manufacturers, Bunn was able to cost-effectively produce the initial run of the multi-color, glossy catalog in-house. Subsequent issues will require contributions from participating artists, who receive 65 percent of Winright’s proceeds.
Louise Freshman Brown, Joe Segal, Enzo Torcoletti and Jerry Uelsmann are some of the artists included in the catalog.
“The people represented in the brochure are indisputably the serious, well-known artists in our region,” said Bunn. “There wasn’t a whole lot of question as to who we would approach to participate.”
Bunn is attempting to keep most items in the catalog within reach of the average consumer.
“I don’t want everything to be $2,000-3,000,” he said. “I really do want a range. I don’t want everything to be impossibly expensive.”
All selections are on display in Bunn’s studio in addition to being posted on the Internet. Biographical information and previous experience of the artists is also available.
Recruiting artists for the catalog has not been a problem either.
“I’m already being inundated with artists wanting to be in the next issue,” he said. “It takes them an excruciating amount of time, energy and money to promote themselves right. With Winright’s, it’s such a targeted exposure that it gives them the presence they desire but that they wouldn’t know how to go about it. Certainly, no one artist could spend this kind of money but if you divide it by 20, it becomes possible.”
The size of the catalog dictates how many artists will participate. Bunn believes 20 is the optimum level to be manageable, though.
Bunn says the catalog can help collectors keep track of their favorite artists.
“If you had a favorite artist, you would almost have to contact all the galleries in town until you found the one that represented him,” he explained. “Many of these artists [in the catalog] are heavily represented, others are not represented at all. We do not wish to exclusively represent any artist but most galleries tend to want that exclusivity.”
As for the future of Winright’s, Bunn is optimistic.
“I really like Winright’s because of its co-op twist. It’s a concept that hopefully will prove itself out. It’s a concept that had to be tried out.”