Designers, homeowners, and corporations rely on Julie Wynne Jones’ expert eye for art
Art advisory is one of those creative niches that seems nebulous, but actually serves as a vital bridge between the art world, the design world, and clients. And for the past 11 years, Julie Wynne Jones has quietly supported all three through her art consultancy, Julie Wynne Jones Art + Design Consulting.
A Fashionable Start
Jones has always loved fashion and design, but identified her personal limitations early on. “I was not a great artist and knew that was never going to be a path for me, but I loved everything around it,” the Gainesville native says. After graduating from the University of Georgia, she moved to New York, where she pursued an associate’s degree in fashion marketing and design from Parsons School of Design. While there, she cut her fashion teeth working at brands like Steve Madden and Tibi, honing her eye for color, scale, and pattern.
While working corporate jobs, she nurtured a budding interest in art and galleries. “I loved following smaller, independent artists on Instagram, especially when the platform first launched,” she says. “It was a great way to learn and connect with artists all over the country.” That hobby planted the seed for touchpoints of her future consultancy—having a pulse on emerging artists and creating a nationwide network of artists and galleries.
She then moved to Atlanta and began working for the High Museum of Art’s Wine Auction, where art became an everyday part of her life and solidified her interest in a career in the industry. A stint in-house for Atlanta-born artist Sally King Benedict further sharpened her business skills, where Jones performed day-to-day marketing and sales for the popular artist. “I learned the business side, but also what artists go through creatively in the studio,” she says.
After a friend gave her the idea, Jones eventually went out on her own after giving birth to her first child, establishing Julie Wynne Jones Art + Design Consulting in 2015. Gallerist Spalding Nix and art advisor Shelli Beermann encouraged her to take the leap, acknowledging that she would be able to fill a gap with her unique skillset and connections.
Connecting the Dots
Art consultants like Jones can work in a variety of capacities: independently with a homeowner, in conjunction with an interior designer, or as a commercial art buyer/commissioner. Jones serves all three functions.
For most residential clients, Jones starts by assessing a space and a client’s preferences, walking them through their likes and dislikes, and translating and articulating their style. She measures, photographs, and identifies opportunities for art in the home. Then, clients receive an index of artists from all over the country that could appeal to them and satisfy their needs, a detail that is important to Jones, who doesn’t want all of her residential clients to look cookie-cutter and have the same local and regional artists featured.
She says that part of the fun for her is that every client and every project is different. “I have clients who don’t know where to start, or those who want to fill a specific spot in their house,” she says. Many come to her after visiting galleries, frustrated they can’t quite pinpoint what they are looking for. She also has designers who outsource art completely to her. “Art is so personal, so designers will often recommend me to interface with their clients to do the heavy lifting,” she says. In most residential cases, Jones’ fee structure is similar to that of an interior designer, paid by the artist or gallery, although occasionally she charges consulting fees based on the artist or gallery’s fee structures.
Joy Through Art
Jones primarily works with painters, photographers, and sculptors, although she has undertaken commercial jobs that require more unique commissions. One such project sticks out: a collaboration with Branded Environments at Perkins & Will on the new Google Atlanta office. It was a four-year project, spanning 14 floors. The project was completed in 2024.
“The great thing is that Meredith Kinney and her team had designed the entire space, down to every light fixture, fabric, and paint color. They zoned floors, giving them themes such as ‘love’ and ‘celebrate,’” she remembers. The overall effect was a “Love Letter to Atlanta,” highlighting the city’s culture through local artists, ranging from the established, like Dr. Fahamu Pécou and Shanequa Gay, to the emerging, like Kaiye Naomi, a then SCAD student whom she commissioned for a mural in the cafe. “We got to give a lot of opportunities to so many artists,” she says.
At the end of the day, whether commercial or residential, art should function as a way to make people happy, says Jones. Her most recent work includes installations for Shepherd Center, where she has curated and commissioned art for the two new buildings, as well as the main campus’s renovation. “People there are going through the hardest thing they’ve ever been through, so if we can put something on the walls in their rooms or the waiting areas that sparks joy or makes their day a little bit better, then we’ve done our job,” she says.
