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Paintings adorn the walls at Josh Moulton Fine Art Gallery, 2218 N. Clark St., in Lincoln Park. Credit: Colin Boyle\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n
Moulton\u2019s success, longtime supporters say, stems as much from business savvy as artistic talent.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of the few artists that\u2019s actually opened his own business that\u2019s been able to make a living without having to do something else to support himself,\u201d said Helen Cameron, co-owner of Uncommon Ground, which has exhibited Moulton\u2019s work since the \u201990s<\/a>. \u201cHe\u2019s the only singular artist that I know that\u2019s been able to have a storefront business for 15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n Moulton\u2019s father, Conrad Moulton, was a commercial illustrator and portrait artist <\/a>who spent nearly four decades working in New York during the height of the print advertising industry. As a kid growing up outside Detroit, Moulton often painted alongside him, setting up a second easel in his father\u2019s studio.<\/p>\n By his early 20s, Moulton had committed to painting full-time. He collaborated with galleries and showed his work across the country early on, but the arrangement became frustrating, with commissions often consuming half of every sale.<\/p>\n Rather than continuing to rely on gallery representation, Moulton took what he called the biggest risk of his career: opening Moulton Fine Art Gallery on Clark Street and selling directly to collectors. Over time, he expanded beyond original paintings by adding prints, corporate commissions and restaurant partnerships, and he started a newsletter to promote his work.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be a great painter first,\u201d Moulton said. \u201cYou have to produce something that people want. But then you also have to be a good people person. You have to know how to market yourself. You have to get your work in front of people.\u201d<\/p>\n Cameron was one of the first people to put Moulton\u2019s work in front of people.<\/p>\n As the arts coordinator at Uncommon Ground, Cameron was regularly searching for artists to feature at the restaurant. Moulton stood out early.<\/p>\n Over the years, Cameron watched Moulton build a career that looked different from those of most artists she encountered. Many artists are talented but struggle with the business side of making a living, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cNot everybody has the capacity to be good at working both sides of your brain,\u201d Cameron said. \u201cCreating your art, but then also having that business savvy.\u201d<\/p>\n When Moulton opened his gallery, he wasn\u2019t just responsible for creating the work: He also had to find customers, maintain relationships and make sure people actually saw what he was making. The gallery became less of a traditional showroom and more of an extension of his studio.<\/p>\n Customers walk in looking for paintings of favorite neighborhoods, restaurants or landmarks. Some commission a piece of a place that means something to them.<\/p>\n Others leave with a $20 print; offering those was an intentional decision for the studio. Moulton wanted people who loved his work but could not afford an original painting to still have a way to own some of his art.<\/p>\n \u201cNot everyone can afford a painting that\u2019s thousands of dollars,\u201d Moulton said. \u201cSome people might only afford $20, but I still want them to have something.\u201d<\/p>\n The approach also helped Moulton reach people who might not consider themselves art collectors. A person might start with a print of their favorite bar or Chicago landmark. Years later, they might return for an original.<\/p>\n For Moulton, it was another way to keep his work moving beyond the walls of a traditional art gallery.<\/p>\n The other hat Moulton has been trying on is that of online content creator.<\/p>\n \u201cI just throw stuff out there and leave it up to the viewer to see if they like it or not,\u201d Moulton said of his TikTok videos<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cameron said what makes Moulton\u2019s work last is not just the technical skill but the connection people feel when they see a place they know. His paintings remind people of a favorite restaurant, a neighborhood they lived in or a moment they do not want to forget.<\/p>\n \u201cHe really is sort of that person who\u2019s painting Chicago,\u201d Cameron said. \u201cAnd if you\u2019re a lover of our city, it\u2019s just such a joy to look at all that work.\u201d<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782836653_252_image6.jpeg\")
Paintings by Lakeview artist Josh Moulton. Provided\/Josh Moulton<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/101322-Josh-Moulin-Fine-Art-Gallery-Colin-Boyle-1262.jpg\")
Prints for sale at Josh Moulton Fine Art Gallery, 2218 N. Clark St., in Lincoln Park. Credit: Colin Boyle\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n