7 Steps to Great Gallery Representation
In a recent chat with a gallery director, I found there are just seven steps artists need to follow to make a good gallery connection. Stephen Nall is a Director at Dickerson Gallery at 44 Oxford St Collingwood and a casual chat revealed this great little list of things to know when you aim to approach a gallery.
- The gallery’s style… - Have you looked at the gallery’s website and the artists they represent? Check out the type of works the gallery has, often the select artists work that fits to their target market. They know their clients and the works they like and purchase. So if you are into street art or grungy ephemera of some kind a gallery that has highly finished landscapes and still lives will probably ditch you in a second, so save yourself the hassle and rejection go for a gallery with a closer match.
- Are you passionate about art? - It’s one thing to say you are, but how does that show up? Is your portfolio of work showing it somehow? Is your visual diary or journal gushing to communicate your passion? Are you able to hold a reasonable conversation about Visual Art with a range of people… all of these things can assist in showing your prowess as a passionate person thoroughly engaged in the pursuit of artistic notoriety…
- Is the work well finished? - Quality framing, if it requires it… Quality materials used, student based paints can fade fast… The difference can be subtle but make the world of difference. Take the buyers perspective, when they get the work delivered they want it to stay in one piece for a LONG while to come, so quality counts.
- How compelling is making art for you? - If a gallery represents you the aim is for a long term relationship, of mutual benefit for both parties… So they want to represent artists who truly want to be engaged in the creative and practical process of making art. Sure you can have a creative slump now and again, but the art process should be seen as a long term goal from your perspective.
- Family support - People are only as good as the foundations that support them, partners, and their extended family can assist in setting the artist up for success or they can do the opposite… Art creation in the main can be a tough road to traverse so the familial support the artists gets can be a vital factor to ongoing success. Therefore be aware of how negative communication about the artist making work can put too much downward pressure on art making and creative development. This may not be a question a gallery will directly ask about, but may well be something they look for, perhaps subconsciously
- Be market savvy - Know that being an artist is about being a small business operator, you have to market yourself, be willing to be marketed, can communicate with people in a professional way, can manage yourself and your “business” effectively.
- Likability - Just because your partner or your Mum likes your work, doesn’t mean everyone else will, sometimes you may need to “harden up” and take some hard knocks along the way. Not every artist has sell out shows, not every gallery will love what you do. This does not mean your work is not valid, it does however mean you may have to be resilient and have the ability to bounce back fast to move on to the next level.
Thanks for the chat Stephen I appreciate it, and to the readers, I trust it’s of value to understand more about what a gallery might be looking for, so do your homework to avoid some hassles along the way…
October 3, 2008 | Filed Under Around the Galleries, The Business of Art
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2 Responses to “7 Steps to Great Gallery Representation”
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Short, sharp, to the point. Excellent and very helpful.
Keep them coming.
[...] with an Art Gallery Director the team at the Visual Arts blog Art-Resource have compiled a seven step list for artists wanting to get represented by an Art Gallery. Great list, but I also think it’s [...]