Amy sat down with Johnny Sagan, director of Superchief Gallery at CultureFix, on June 27th to talk about her new monthly salon, I Like You: Maker’s Night. Check out the original piece on the CultureFix blog (and be sure to check it regularly for interviews and details about the awesome arts program Johnny curates there!)
For the record, the first installment of Maker’s Night was a huge success! The CultureFix gallery was full of fascinating and gorgeous guys and gals who shared their passions with the group, the food was delicious, and the beer was flowing. Richard Kennedy performed a fun acoustic set to cap the evening, including covers and original songs. At the end of the evening, we had quite a few messages in our glittery new missed connections box!
Read Amy and Johnny’s full interview below:
Interview: Amy Doran
June 27, 2013
Tonight is the first installment of legendary Downtown matchmaker Amy Doran’s new salon, I Like You: Maker’s Night. We spoke to Amy about her plans for the night:
1) You are a matchmaker! Tell me about that, what are your clients like?
Yes, I am. People outsource their love lives to me.
Every matchmaker is different, but my clientele definitely tends to be “hip” or “artsy.” My background is in New York’s fashion and art world, and I wanted my business to be a natural extension of my social and creative life.
2) What can people expect to do and see at Maker’s Night as the series unfolds?
I just want to create a venue where interesting and interested people can come together and make new friends. Why not do it over delicious food, with exciting art as a backdrop?
3. And what is the connection to matchmaking?
I throw parties for my clients all the time, and I’ve found that my specialty is curating people. Just like a good curator’s arrangement of artwork can make or break an exhibition, who you sit next to can make or break your night. Why not optimize people’s experiences by seating them next to the kind of person they really want to meet?
Plus, most of my fabulous clients are “Makers” in their own right—they either make art, or make art happen by being patrons, so this is an opportunity for them to mingle alongside all of our new friends!
4) Tell me what’s special about CultureFix and what people can expect to see and experience there week after week, week in, week out.
Well, the bar at CultureFix is tiny and the art space is four times bigger. From a business owner’s perspective, this is usually the last thing you’d want! But the boys are in it for all the right reasons.
CultureFix provides a home for many, many emerging artists, and the rotating weekly shows aren’t limited by the pressure to make sales. Food and drink revenue keeps the doors open, so that CultureFix can be one of the few places where passion and interest dictate the art selection.
I personally love the idea that every time I drink a beer, an artist is directly benefiting.
And I don’t know what y’all have been up to with the shows, but every week has been a surprise thus far! I have been consistently floored by the talent that I have been exposed to by just hanging out and seeing what’s next.
5) Tell me about what you love about New York, and about love in New York…(hint: this brings us back to question 1).
My passion is for people! I think that everyone has incredible stories, experiences, and talent. I am constantly overwhelmed by how devastatingly, heartbreakingly brilliant the people here are.
I think I need a vacation before my heart explodes!
LOVES, thanks Amy, see you momentarily!
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