The Right Art Gallery - How to Find One

 

Finding a new gallery for your art can be a daunting task for many artists and not all artists have that natural-sales-ability. But, the number one Cardinal Rule for any type of sales is sell yourself! So how does one do that?

First of all, honestly ask yourself a few important questions:

• Am I ready for a gallery?
• Is my art salable?
• Is my art technically good?
• Have I developed a recognizable style?
• Do I have a cohesive body of work ready to display?
• Have I had success selling my work in art/craft shows, out of your studio and other non-gallery venues?
• Do I have the time to fulfill the supply & demand of a gallery?
• Do I have a website that showcases my art and information? (This is not a must, but highly suggested)
• Do I have a portfolio, bio, resume & artist statement?

If the answers are yes, great - you might be ready to take the next step toward finding the right gallery. If the answer is no, then do not put yourself in a vulnerable position. Approaching a gallery before you are ready is kind of like putting a gangly teenager in modeling school. It won't help your self-esteem and it most likely will bruise your ego. Be patient and hone your craft until the ugly duckling turns into a swan.Okay. So you are ready for a gallery-n. Now it is important to do-your-homework and think about where your artwork belongs in the art market. This is easy to do and you can start from home:

• Flip through art magazines and look at gallery ads and the artists they represent.
• Checkout gallery websites and see if your work would be a good fit for them.
• Talk to fellow artists and have them suggest galleries to you.
• If you paint traditional floral still life paintings don't bother approaching a gallery that specializes in contemporary abstract art.
• On the other hand, all galleries are looking for that fresh artist to add to their "artists' stable" but - within its own genre.

The next step is to venture out and visit some local gallery-n in your area or take a road trip to some galleries of your targeted art market. But, observe the gallery through the eyes of a collector, not as an artist.

• Watch and see how the staff greats and treats you.
• Are they courteous and professional?
• Walk through the gallery and scan the art, look how it is hung and check the lighting.
• Ask for a price sheet if available.
• Be sure and get references on the gallery from other artists.
• Try and visualize your art hanging in the gallery and see how it compares in quality to their other artists.
• Searching for the right gallery is a process of elimination.

The more galleries you visit and research, the more informed you will be about making the right choice. Now you have a short list of galleries that are a good match and you are ready to approach a gallery. But, remember that a successful gallery with a good reputation gets inundated with dozens of artists' submissions each week. I keep in close contact with the galleries that represent me across the country. They all have stellar reputations and therefore they are flooded with artists' inquiries each week. So how do you make yourself stand out from the crowd?

Check your target gallery website and see if they do have guidelines, follow them (or be a rebel and do it your own way, but you might get shut down). If there are no guidelines then you can try some of the suggestions below:

But, first a bit more about Specific Gallery Requirements:

Some galleries, especially within the high end fine art market have specific submission requirements and policies. Usually artists must submit work for review. This generally means a professional portfolio of at least 10 slides, photos or transparencies or a CD depicting recent works. Always send a self-addressed, stamped envelope or risk never seeing your material again.