Meet Allison Bartholomew of ONYX Art & Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Bartholomew.

Allison, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I come from a family of Denver creatives and small business owners. My mom, Betsy owns an all-women ad agency called Launch, and my dad, Brad is a local photographer and educator. Thanks to them, I always knew entrepreneurship was an option and grew up planning what I would create. I got degrees in Entrepreneurship and Fine Art from Hofstra University in New York, allowing me to experience NYC’s inspiring art scene. Living in New York was a huge game-changer for me, and I started dreaming up a businesses modeled after exciting multi-use spaces in NY and Brooklyn that brought together the worlds of art, and experiential events – a phenomenon I am happy to see so prevalent today.

So I moved back to my hometown of Denver to try to recreate that NYC art community energy (after doing events for a large company in D.C. for two years). Then something crazy happened… one of Denver’s best businesswomen offered me her pristine gallery space to operate my business out of. No strings attached. The gallery operated as a rentable venue that artists could also rent to exhibit their work without the parameters and high commissions traditional galleries offered. I learned most of what I do know from those days busting my ass seven days a week during my first few years in business. I’m forever grateful for this generous, serendipitous gesture, and gestures from many others that allowed me to continue my business when it would have otherwise faded.

I ran this business, Von Tornow Gallery until the end of 2013, at which point I decided to start a business that was more centered around the service of planning and designing events, versus selling a specific space as I had been doing at the gallery.

I launched ONYX Art & Events in 2014 and have phased in and out of different consulting roles for venues, artists, and event hosts ever since. From the beginning, I have always differentiated myself as venue-focused, perhaps non-traditional, event planner. I have executed countless weddings, dozens of art shows, outdoor festivals, pop-ups, and performances. I also worked with artists and non-profits to find suitable workspace or additional revenue from optimizing their own space. ONYX and its clients have been my professional priority and source of livelihood for five years now. I find this work to be extremely gratifying; primarily in that, it has connected me to the people (and places) that I would choose to surround myself with anyway.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, I would not say it has been a smooth road. But bumpy roads are more fun! I think most business owners enjoy the rush of unexpected growth or constant surprises in the case of the events industry. What is less fun is losing big clients for reasons outside of your control, working with unreliable people, and sometimes even being your own boss. I often feel more pressure as my own boss than I ever did as someone else’s employee. Knowing that I am intrinsically motivated is key to my success, and I have to get real with myself regularly. Entrepreneurship means learning something new every day, but here are things I had to learn the hard way:

*If your mind, health, home, or relationships are unhealthy, it will be nearly impossible to have a thriving business. Take care of yourself first. Grow your business from a healthy, stable foundation.
*Don’t fight your weaknesses. Delegate these things (for me, accounting, and time-sensitive daily tasks like social media and initial inquiries) to someone who can do them more effortlessly.
*The importance of saving money for growth, employee security and taxes. An ongoing battle.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
As a creative consultant for ONYX Art & Events, I scout, source, style and produce elevated imagery and experiences. For the first few years, I primarily worked in the event realm, offering consulting services like big picture planning, design, onsite event management, and production or service staffing solutions. We also work with a lot of venues and have put a lot of effort into developing partnerships with Denver’s unlisted, hidden gem venues like rooftops greenhouses, galleries, breweries, warehouses and workspaces.

Because of that, people know to call me if they’re looking for something unique or have difficult requirements, and I can, in turn, connect the venues to their ideal clientele. I have consulted and contributed to the growth of some of the most popular and personal favorite events and venues in town, including Colorado Ballet, Denver Design Week, Stanley Marketplace, K Contemporary Art, The Maven Hotel, The Boiler Room and the Art District on Santa Fe.

Moving forward, I am excited to share the events division with my growing team and focus more on my background in design and photography as a Prop Stylist. This means working with commercial photographers, businesses and event pros to create dynamic imagery for their brand. Like my events, in image creation, I am always hoping to offer inclusive, upbeat energy, a more deliberate context, and an unexpected artistic twist. 

I am currently working with some of my favorite photographers on advertisements, editorial, and social content. I hope to work with more fun, experimental local brands with ongoing event and imagery needs in the coming year.

What were you like growing up?
Mom, would you like to take this one? That wouldn’t end well. I’d say I was fairly angelic as a young child. I had a big imagination, liked alone time, and loved learning. I had great friends, some are still my best friends and chosen family today. Through my adolescence though, I let my teen angst take over, I leaned into the counterculture, and started enjoying pissing people off.

I went through lots of phases including punk, sporty, f-it, and so on. During high school and college, I wanted to have fun, experience everything, and spend as much time with friends and some boy as possible. Submerged under the silliness was always my love of art, especially photography, and I found a way to express myself in a healthier way. I also had a lot of practice throwing parties; if only my parents had known it was my calling all along.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.onyxae.com
• Phone: 7203239021
• Email: allison@onyxae.com
• Instagram: @onyxae

Image Credit:
Ashlee Kay Photography, From the Hip Photo, Apanda Piela, Brad Bartholomew Photography

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