THE SCENARIO
An Artist gets a new Assistant. Shortly after they join the team, the Artist asks them, “Can you get me a list of all of my costumes from my last tour? I’m looking for (insert item here). I’d like to wear it for (insert event here).”
The answer to this question should be simple. The location should be a no brainer.
The scary thing is, the Assistant’s answer is probably not a confident, “No problem,” but rather a sheepish, “Let me look into that for you.” Why? Because they have NO IDEA where these costumes are.
Hard to believe this happens, right? But, many Artists have no idea where all of their iconic and important career pieces are actually located. It’s not that these pieces aren’t important, it’s just that there are so many of them and many Artists and their team lack a system to locate and track them down quickly and easily.
A catalogued collection can help an Artist establish a clear overview of their belongings for future career objectives, expedite and simplify collection accessibility, eliminate unnecessary travel costs, save valuable (paid) time of Artist team members in locating pieces, and aid in risk management.
And above all – it can be used to help an Artist MONETIZE their collection down the line.
WHY GET ORGANIZED?
You may still be asking these questions and not see why it's necessary, NOW.
But, a catalogued collection is incredibly valuable throughout an Artist's career, both now and as an Artist's career develops and here are several reasons WHY.
You have accomplished so much in your career. We know you can probably remember...
Major Artist memorabilia is often extremely iconic and valuable. In order to insure these pieces...
An organized collection is a valuable tool for risk management and loss prevention...
• ORGANIZATION • Artists are often pulling items for events, retrospectives, museums, and charity donations, and these items are often difficult to track down. Artists (and their teams) can forget what they have and where items are located, and unfortunately, this sometimes leads to important pieces getting lost. A catalogued collection creates a simple easy way for an Artist and their team to review their belongings, and saves an Artist's team time, frustration, and the stress of scrambling and digging through road boxes at the 11th hour.
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• PRESENTATION & PRESERVATION • You have accomplished so much in your career. We know you can probably remember those experiences like they were yesterday, but over the years, Artists often lose track of the physical reminders of these special moments. A catalogued collection is imperative for you and your loved ones for presentation, and also preservation of your physical belongings. Items are also often stored incorrectly, which can lead to valuable pieces becoming damaged.
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• MUSEUMS • If an Artist ever does a special exhibit, museums love an organized collection. A digitized catalogue is a necessity when presenting your collection for exhibit consideration, and digitized inventories make the curator's life so much easier and the process for the exhibitor and an Artist's team, a breeze throughout the curation process.
• INSURANCE & APPRAISALS • Major Artist memorabilia is often extremely iconic and valuable. In order to insure individual pieces, they must be appraised. In order to appraise a collection quickly, it should be catalogued. A catalogue will expedite the on site appraisal process, appraisals that are needed for insurance policies and museum registrar documentation. An organized collection can maximize the number of pieces reviewed during a daily appraisal session, sessions which can cost several thousand dollars a day!
• TIME = MONEY • Organizing a collection takes time, and a project of this nature can draw valuable (paid) time from team members that could be dedicating their efforts to other important Artist goals. Without a system in place, items still go missing or are inaccessible. Establishing a catalogue simplifies collection accessibility for team members, eliminates unnecessary travel costs, and saves valuable time of Artist team members in locating these pieces. As Artists’ teams are cyclical, it also relieves growing pains throughout these inevitable transitions.
• LEGACY • Your collection is the physical embodiment of your milestone moments, and is not only an important part of your personal legacy, but also an important part of history. A catalogued collection is an investment in your future because your pieces are important and iconic.
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• MONETIZE • Your belongings have value. An organized collection can be used to assist in valuing items you may choose to donate (tax deductions) or sell for your personal estate. It can also be used to help your team creatively integrate these iconic pieces into future career objectives and Artist goals.
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• RISK MANAGEMENT • ​An organized collection is a valuable tool for risk management and loss prevention. A catalogued collection can provide an Artist with a complete overview of their belongings, which must be used for insurance purposes to file claims, recoup losses, and help an Artist become financially whole following damage, disaster, or theft.
WHAT WE DO
SERVICES
We want to help you get organized as soon as possible so all you have to do is think about the sweet sweet music. After we have spoken with you regarding your organizational needs and goals, our team will come in and document and organize your collection for you.
You tell us when and where works for you and we will take it from there. We organize, photograph, and digitize everything. After this is complete, your team can view your catalogue from wherever you are.
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Sounds easy? It is and it will make you and your team’s life easier too.
* ORGANIZATION & CATALOGUING *
* CATALOGUE DIGITIZATION *
* ASSET RETRIEVAL & REVIEW *
* APPRAISAL LIASON *
* RESALE & PLACEMENT *
* LOGISTICS & REMOVAL *
Ms. Gatenby’s involvement was crucial in helping to bring this very well-received exhibit to fruition. Most importantly, Katharine provided us with very extensive and detailed inventories of Shania Twain memorabilia, and these were a tremendous asset. Her attention to detail, her excellent communication skills, and her very positive attitude and personality were of a high caliber that our staff and I wish we encountered more often. I look forward to opportunities to work with Katharine in the future, and recommend her without reservation.
MICK BUCK, Curatorial Director
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum ®
Nashville, TN
ABOUT
My ARTIST ARCHIVE
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After working in the music business for over a decade, we came across an often surprisingly overlooked necessity: a streamlined way of cataloguing Artist inventories. From memorabilia to touring gear - Artists can rack up a lot of stuff. Sometimes it's not all in one place and sometimes it's not all in the same country. Tours end; Management, Tour Managers, and Assistants change, and in this process, Artists often lose track of important items or pieces are misplaced along the way.
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My ARTIST ARCHIVE's goal is to help Artist's get organized and provide an Artist and their Team with the much needed access to a master catalogue that will carry over throughout the years in an easily accessible visual format.
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We know what Artists want and more importantly what they need, and simplification and organization are essential in saving both time and money, and above all - helping make an Artist and their Team's life easier and more productive.
Katharine Gatenby, Founder, PMP
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Having Management, Agency, and EA experience, Katharine Gatenby has worked with a broad range of Artists. From Broadway to Rock, R&B to Country, she's been up close and personal with an Artist's career from all sides of the spectrum, and she knows that organization is essential in helping make an Artist's life easier. She began her career at the Queen Musical, We Will Rock You, working in Stage Management and assisting Brian May and Ben Elton. She went on to work at Hairspray Las Vegas and WICKED LA in Company Management; ICM Partners in Touring; and Azoff Music in Artist Management.
Before starting My ARTIST ARCHIVE, Katharine worked with Shania Twain, where she led a catalogue reorganization of her collection, working to get a career exhibit into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In June 2017, Shania Twain: Rock This Country opened as a part of the museums 50th Anniversary Celebration. Having worked in management and touring, Katharine often needed to request and access Artist memorabilia, but it wasn't until working on this project, that she saw how imperative an organized collection was for an Artist and their Team. They needed a system to not only save time and money in accessibility, but help them understand the value of what they have, to create opportunities to monetize and protect their collection for the future.
CONTACT
We would love to work with you!
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If you have any questions, would like to request a quote, or just want to learn more about our services, please contact us via email or fill out your information below and we will get back to you asap!
