How to get an art gallery, part two
Last post I addressed websites and creating a database. This week I want to discuss researching galleries you may be interested in (and then add those puppies to your database!).
First, add to your database the galleries you've already got your eye on. These may be local or at a distance. So what is it you should look for, and what makes a good match for you?
Do you work in a similar vein? What kind of work do they show? Would your work compliment what they already exhibit, and compliment the artists they represent? Are you incredibly similar to the other work? If so, you may not get interest because you may be competition for the artists they already have. But note, I said incredibly similar. If you work in the same vein as other artists they rep and show, if you compliment, then you may get a positive response.
Find out what kind of business model they have? Are they non-profit or commercial? Usually art centers or college/university affiliated galleries are non-profit. In which case, they most likely do not represent artists because representation involves looking long term for financial and reputational gain. Non-profits rely on donors and fundraisers (like auctions) to stay afloat and not as much on sales, where as commercial galleries cannot accept donations, and rely purely on sales. Knowing how a gallery operates is important because you will understand their motivations and priorities more.
Are they looking for new artists? If not, you can choose to take them off your list, or you can find out if you know any of their current roster, or have some other connection, allowing you to get an introduction (this is the best way inside).
How can you build a relationship? Do they have calls for entry that you could use a way in? Are there other ways to build a relationship such as workshops, artist talks you could attend, sign up for their newsletters, follow on social and comment. Mark these on your database so you remain consistent and can track responses over time.
Make a list of artists who work in the same vein as you. Find what galleries they are showing at or represented by, and add those galleries to your list. Again, make sure you're not incredibly similar, as you will reduce your chances of being represented.
Think regionally. Organize your database into geographic regions. A great goal is to have a gallery in several regions across the US. This avoids competition between galleries if they are selling the same artist's work.
Think about your audience. Who is most likely to buy your work? This is a very hard question for most artists because it truly is unknown in the beginning of a career. To get a better handle on it, you may want to do an art fair close to your hometown (or in it, preferably to save money) and chat with the people who purchase or are drawn to your work. Some artists have a clearer audience niche, for example, artists who do landscapes of a particular area. They would want to approach galleries in that area, and also target tourists who frequent that area. Some artists paint/draw only horses, so they would want to target equine communities, or galleries where horses are a visual element (think Colorado, Wyoming, Montana).
The goal is to make your list of galleries to approach after researching, researching, researching. Add those to your database, which you will be using to track and update as the years go by.
