Conversations with Cassie and Jake Greatens

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie and Jake Greatens.

Hi Cassie and Jake, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Jake went to school for art and was a practicing artist while I was studying education and government. So, our backgrounds are different, however, I was raised in a business world. Then about 12 years ago, we traveled to Europe and stayed for a month. Most of our trip consisted of visiting museums or galleries throughout Paris, Berlin and London. When we got home, as cliché as it sounds, CASS was born over dinner. We came up with the idea of opening up a gallery in Tampa and making it something different than anything anyone had seen. Then CASS evolved into a consulting company, we still have our gallery, but we also manage individual collections and provide art programming for large commercial developments or businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and other things similar to that.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Hard work is never smooth and when you own your own business- work doesn’t stop, EVER. But one thing is very important, surround yourself with the best team and that’s what we have done at CASS. If something happens on a project, shows need to be installed, there are three meetings at once, when stressful things come up, you want to make sure you have people you trust to step up for your company. We are super lucky that we have a CASS family and no obstacles can stop us from achieving what we want to do.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We own an Art Gallery and Art Consulting/Art Management Company. We host exhibitions in our gallery two to three times a year featuring artists from all over the world. We also work closely with developers and businesses and assist in their art programming needs. In addition to our commercial clients, we also manage residential art collections. We help buy, manage and sell works from our individual clients. Whether it’s helping them build a collection or purchasing investment works from masters such as Basquiat and Warhol, CASS is a full-service art company. We are known for forming long-term relationships with artists, collectors, and people in our industry. Our goal has always been to be an artist-friendly gallery, just as much as a client-driven gallery. Many of our clients have become our friends and we pride ourselves on having great relationships with influential people in the art industry. We are most proud of what we have accomplished in the last ten years. From our sold-out exhibits to bringing world-renowned artists to the walls and streets in cities all over and being able to manage masterpieces, CASS has done things we could have never imagined. We are humbled by our support from communities and art enthusiasts worldwide, but we are just getting started, the best has yet to come.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
What makes us the most happy, is seeing people at our art openings having a good time, interacting with our public art installations, or posting a mural that we brought to a city. There is nothing better than seeing kids engage with the art or acquiring a piece for an individual and hearing them talk about how much joy it brings to their day being in their home. We love art, we value art and we know that people need art in their lives, watching that happen and knowing CASS is a part of it makes us the happiest.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.casscontemporary.com
• Instagram: @casscontemporary