Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Judith Zehmke of Southpark, Charlotte

Judith Zehmke shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Judith , it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m not necessarily a morning person, but I still have one kiddo in high school. It’s a 6:15 wake up followed by feeding the dogs and cats. Once my husband has left for work and my son has departed from school, it’s my quiet time. I sit with my coffee and make my TO DO list for the day. I knock out about an hour of marketing on social media and return all the communications that came in the night before (after I shut down). After my marketing and coffee are complete, I get ready for the day as my clients usually start between 9am and 10am. If clients start later, I’ll try and get a workout in. Nothing remarkable about my mornings, but they are the most productive time of the day for me.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Judith Zehmke and I’m an art dealer. I specialize in selling original, local, affordable art in the Charlotte, NC area (and beyond) and have been at my craft for 17 years. I represent over 25 artists and work from my 1960’s ranch in the Southpark area of Charlotte where I live with my family. It’s a centrally located area that is generally easy enough for people to get to in the congested Charlotte metro area. The work I sell is ONLY original, with nothing having been photographed for reproduction and everything is under $3K. I worked for an art collector when I lived in Honolulu in my late twenties. His name was Thurston Twigg-Smith III and he was a descendant of one of the original missionary families of Hawaii. He started the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu also known as the Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House (which has since been integrated into Honolulu Museum of Art). My job purview was broad, but one of my favorite resposnibilites was helping with the receipt and storage of his acquisitions and his museum receptions. When I returned to the mainland, I wanted to purchase original art but I couldn’t find anywhere that offered work I could afford. Outside of antique shops and reproductions, there was no place to buy original art for hundreds, not thousands of dollars. When I moved to Charlotte, NC in 2007 I saw this huge hole in the market for people like me. So I created a business to fill that void. My available artwork starts at $30 and stops at $3000. I strive to have something for everyone. There shouldn’t be a barrier to entry for owning original artwork.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My Dad taught me the most about work. He’s a retired Air Force Colonel and he worked HARD. He would get up at 5am every day and meticulously put on his uniform. When I was little, I would get up early and I remember watching him carefully pin all of his insignia on and polish his shoes. And then he was off to work and we would see him at the end of a long day and always with warmth and a smile on his face. He taught me that anything worth doing is worth doing well. He taught me that hard work and tenacity is what wins the race. And he taught me that it’s okay to not know the answer and to do your best to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and to listen more than you talk. He also taught me that it’s okay to ask questions in any situation when you feel you need to and you can do so unapologetically. He has been the role model of my life and I’m so grateful to both of my parents for their constant interest, attention and caring. I realize how fortunate I am in them.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I was painfully shy and anxious. I struggled with that until middle school when I began to find a bit more confidence. I would tell my younger self to let go of the worries of what other people might think. I would tell my younger self to be brazenly, unapologetically ME. I would tell her to not to make herself small for anyone else. To not tip toe around eggshells in life, but to stomp them into a million pieces with glee. I would encourage little Judith to be quiet and confident and I would let her know there is nothing to be scared of…everything has a way of working out as it should be.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The art world exists in tiers…a hierarchy if you will. People buy art for varied reasons. Some people buy it as an investment. Some folks are just trying to keep up with the Jones’. Others just crave something original that was created by another human, and even others want something that coordinates with their couch and window coverings. I don’t judge the reasons people buy art, but I do judge when others poo poo art that is not offered in a traditional gallery or painted by a known artist. I don’t think there is more value in art purchased in a gallery versus at an art festival or vintage store. The PRICE might be different, but the value and the outcome is the same to the person who purchased it. I can’t do pretension.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people remember me as someone who didn’t conform. I turned my formal living and dining room into an art gallery / office and I sell between 70-100 pieces of art every month. I do all the marketing, curating, bookkeeping, selling…I do it all myself. I created the space for people like me who were priced out of the existing art market. So I created another market for the rest of us.

I hope I am remembered for always shooting it straight and keeping it real. Integrity is important to me and I won’t sell something to someone that doesn’t work for their space just to make a sale. I always offer my honest opinion and I’m here for honest feedback. My office is a space where my clients come to shop for art, but we also have meaningful human connections. We talk about life, parents, kids, politics and more. I sell art…that’s what I do. But I enjoy the human connection and the laughs and cries we all have along the way. So many of my clients tell me they come to Art House to look at art and also for therapy. We keep it real around here. And I hope people will remember my authenticity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arthousecharlotte.com
• Instagram: @arthousecharlotte
• Facebook: Art House Charlotte

Image Credits
Photo Credits Include:
Amy Kolodziej – Amy Kolo Photography
Nan Gray Photography – Black Dress Only