Jennifer's Life in the Arts 


Jennifer's passion for creativity is absolutely genetic. Her father Bill Glavé, was a brilliant engineer who was contracted by everyone from Kodak to NASA. Her Uncle John Glavé enjoyed many years as an Interior Designer and Artist while her other Uncle Jim established the Nationally recognized Architectural Firm "Glavé, Newman, Anderson" in 1965.  Jennifer had a shared love of architecture especially the contemporary designs of Frank Lloyd Wright and it was her intention to study the field but her Uncle dissuaded her saying the architecture world was highly competitive and maddening at times. It was then that Jennifer opted for a much safer career path, THE ARTS! Graduating with an Arts History Major and Studio Minor from Randolph Macon College she immediately launched her career as a gallerist.  She worked closely with Jean-Michel Lareuse of Galerie Lareuse, in Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC, who procured the likes of Rembrandt and Picasso. Then Glavé began a 12 year run at one of Richmond's oldest and prominent galleries at the time, Cudahys. Jennifer became the gallery's Assistant Director where she worked closely with artists such as James Del Grosso, Peter Max and the estate of Alice Neel. In 2004 Jennifer established the Rentz Gallery where she carried on her curation with her very enthusiastic husband, BJ Kocen.  

In 2007  they opened the Glavé Kocen Gallery converting a warehouse (formerly Pepsi Bottling of Richmond) into a warm and inviting space where all were welcome. They hosted 12-15 exhibitions a year, multiple fundraisers, house concerts featuring national touring artists and Grammy winners, gallery talks, yoga, meditation and numerous other events. This, alongside the stellar roster of unique artists, established Glavé Kocen Gallery as one of Richmond's favorite places to gather. Many exhibits sold out quickly largely in part to Jennifer Glavé's knack for spotting talent creating vibrant work for a fair price.  They also took a spin at helming The Current Art Fair which brought some of the most respected and emerging gallerists under one roof. When COVID-19 forced everyone inside, Jennifer focused on a new online business model, Glavé Kocen Consulting.  


Pouring her 30 years of experience into her new largely online venture has already proved fruitful. Exhibits on the Glavé Kocen Consulting's website continue to delight new patrons and long time supporters due to her expertise in curation. As the pandemic fades away, Jennifer plans on including more pop-up exhibits similar to the partnership with The Visual Arts Center of Richmond in 2021. She continues to seek out new and exciting artists to represent daily, book commissions, and source art for residential and commercial clients. Her passion for the arts has never waned and has only expanded as Glavé Kocen Consulting's clientele has spread throughout the country. 
 



Follow us on Instagram


Copyright © 2024, Art Gallery Software by ArtCloudCopyright © 2024, Art Gallery Software by ArtCloud