by Maria Brophy
If your artwork doesn’t sell after a period of time, you will be asked to either switch it out for something fresh, or take it back. For a gallery to stay in business, they have to move inventory quickly.
There are good galleries and then not-so-good galleries. The good ones will properly market your work through advertising, newsletters and hosting exhibits. They will advise you on how to improve your work for better sales. They will introduce your work to their large list of collectors. They will have a good consignment agreement that benefits both you and them. They will treat you with respect.
HOW TO GET INTO A GALLERY
If you want to get into a gallery, take the time to research galleries and find those that your work would fit best in. If you are a pop artist, don’t attempt to get into a gallery that specializes in impressionistic art. Be sure that your work is congruent with the type of art that the gallery carries.
Before approaching a gallery, be prepared. Read their website thoroughly. Attend their exhibits. Know the names of the people that you need to talk to. Get familiar with the artwork of other artists they represent. Look on their website to see if they have submission guidelines, and if they do, follow their instructions.
Take your time to fully prepare, as it will be appreciated and noticed. If you don’t care enough to put in the work, you are wasting both your time and the gallery’s time.
Prepare a portfolio of a current series of work in digital format, so that it’s easy to show either in person or by email. Don’t show art that you did five or ten years ago. They want to see what you are doing now. If you don’t have current work, you aren’t ready to be represented by a gallery.
Have your Biography and your Artist Statement either printed out or on your website. These things are important to some galleries. If you aren’t sure how to write your Biography or Artist Statement, there are online guides that you can follow and many books written on the subject. A good book that will help with this is titled Art-Write: The Writing Guide for Visual Artists by Vicki Krohn Amerose. Another excellent resource is Alyson Stanfield’s book, I’d Rather be in the Studio.
If you have won awards for your art, or have been written about in the media, have those items clearly shown on your website as well. If you don’t have a website, then do it the old fashioned way and have printouts in a neat booklet.
Getting into a good gallery is easier if you have developed relationships in the art community or your work has already been selling very well. The gallery has to be sure that your work will sell before they commit wall space to your art. Galleries are essentially a retail store; they lose money every day that something on the wall doesn’t sell.
The best way to get into a gallery is to form relationships with people at galleries and in your local art community. You do this by volunteering, joining art associations and befriending other artists.
Attend gallery shows and meet the people who work there. Don’t discuss your art at another artist’s show, as that is poor form. Instead, use that time to get to know the gallery representatives and their exhibiting artists on a personal level. Once you’ve met someone in person, they will be more likely to warm up to you.
Relationship building takes time so begin today; get out and join associations, attend exhibits and form new friendships. One of the top galleries in Laguna Beach, CA recently invited Drew to do a solo exhibit. We were overjoyed. It is to date the finest gallery Drew has ever be invited to exhibit in. This opportunity came about because we have become friends with the owners; we have mutual friends and run into them at parties often. One evening we attended one of their gallery shows. It was that night that the owner came up with the idea. He said, “let’s do a show with Drew.”
The second best way to get into a gallery is by introduction from someone who knows you and knows the decision maker at the gallery. Being introduced is a guarantee to at least get a meeting to show your work.
The least recommended way to get into a gallery is to do what most artists do, which is to cold-call and ask for an appointment with someone they’ve never formed a relationship with. You can do this, but don’t feel bad if it takes many attempts to get a response. Most galleries are so inundated with artists submitting work to them that they can’t respond to all inquiries. Your emails or calls may go unanswered.
When you send an email, remember to include your full name and contact information and links to your website and social media sites. I get emails from artists all the time, asking me to look at their work, and then they don’t even include links to where I can find it! Make it easy on the person who gets your email. If they have to work too hard to find out more about you and your work, they will hit “delete.”
If a gallery doesn’t accept your work for any reason at all, respond gracefully. Never take it personally. Ask them to give you feedback so that you can make improvements to your presentation. Thank them for their time and tell them to let you know if anything changes in the future. Always keep the door open, as what isn’t a fit for them today may be a fit for them next year. Don’t allow yourself to get angry or bitter. You will have to go through a lot of “nos” to get to a “yes.”
CONSIGNMENT AGREEMENT
After being accepted into a gallery, the next step is to discuss the details. Ask questions such as: What is the gallery’s commission? Who pays for the art to be shipped to the gallery? Who pays for the art to be returned, if it doesn’t sell? How many days after a piece sells will you be paid?
Next, determine which of your pieces will go into the gallery. This would be decided by you and/or the gallery representative. Before delivering the work, have a consignment agreement signed by both you and the gallery that includes details. Below are a few examples of important points to include in the agreement:
How much you will be paid (usually in a %)
When will you be paid (i.e. on the fifteenth of each month for sales made the previous month)
Who pays for shipping to and from the gallery (i.e. artist pays to ship items to the gallery, gallery pays to return unsold items)
The gallery is required to insure the artwork while in its possession
A list of each art piece, size, medium and artist’s required retail price
Now for a little out of the box thinking: ask the gallery to provide you with the collector’s name and contact information. We require this of all of our galleries, as we have kept a detailed list of all of Drew’s buyers going back to 1998. Knowing who owns each original is an important historical record. Just this year, our list has come in handy, as we prepare for a museum exhibit of Drew’s work. The museum has asked us for the names of the buyers of some of Drew’s most iconic pieces so that they can obtain them on loan for the exhibit. If we hadn’t been diligent with collecting this information, we wouldn’t know who the owners are.
Some galleries will refuse to provide you with this information, others will oblige. It doesn’t hurt to ask. You could include a statement in your consignment agreement that reads as follows:
“The Gallery will provide Artist with the buyer(s) of any original Artwork(s) contact information including: name, address, phone number and email address at the time of payment to the Artist.”
When deducting the high cost of materials from the gallery/artist split, such as the example I gave earlier when using a high priced surfboard instead of a canvas, you could include a statement in the consignment agreement that reads similar to this (of course, change the wording as necessary):
“The Gallery and the Artist agree that the Gallery’s commission is to be 50% of the Retail Price of the Original Artwork, except for the sale of art on ___________, in which case, the Gallery’s commission is to be 50% of the Retail Price of the Original Artwork after $1,000 is deducted from the sale price. (i.e. art piece sells for $5,000; the 50% commission is determined in this manner: $5,000 sale price minus $1,000 material expenses = $4,000 x 50% = $2,000 total payable to The Gallery.)”
You can access a tem
plate for a consignment agreement through through my website at www.mariabrophy.com.
RED FLAGS
Watch out for red flags in any contract and don’t be afraid to ask for changes to it. Every agreement is negotiable. If a gallery gives you a consignment agreement that has anything in it that you don’t want, ask them to change it. A good business relationship is one that works well for both parties. A good gallery will respect your wishes and work with you on the language.
Watch out for these warning signs when going into an agreement with a gallery:
REFUSES TO SIGN A CONSIGNMENT AGREEMENT
Beware of the gallery representative that won’t sign a consignment agreement. You must have it in writing that they are in possession of your artwork and that it is on consignment. The consignment agreement protects you from loss of art due to theft, natural disaster and bankruptcy. It also details how much and when you will be paid.
When the economy crashed in 2008 and galleries went out of business, many artists lost their artworks. The bankruptcy courts seized all assets of the bankrupt galleries, including prints, paintings and sculptures. Without proof that the artist owned the works, they could not get the art returned to them. A consignment agreement protects against this.
I’ve had gallery owners tell me, “I don’t sign agreements. I work with a hand shake.” I pretend not to hear it, and then bring them an agreement to sign. I’ve been able to get every single one signed to date. If someone doesn’t want to sign an agreement, ask them why. Remind them that it protects both parties, and let them know that you’ll be bringing them an agreement to sign. Don’t take no for an answer. Most likely, they will sign it for you. If they refuse, don’t leave your art in their possession.
EXCLUSIVE
Exclusive means that you agree not to sell art in any other gallery in the area specified. Don’t agree to a worldwide, statewide or even county-wide exclusive with a gallery. If you agree to an exclusive, it should only be in the immediate geographical area in which the gallery is located.
Many galleries don’t want to compete with other galleries to sell your work, and that is completely understandable. However, it will harm your earning potential if you agree to a broad exclusive agreement. Having your art in other galleries elsewhere in the world actually benefits the gallery. The more your work is seen and known, the better it will sell for everyone.
I once had a gallery try to get me to sign an agreement that gave them worldwide exclusivity! That meant that we couldn’t show Drew’s work in any other gallery in the world, which was entirely unreasonable. I convinced the owner to change it to read that it was exclusive to Corona Del Mar, California, which is where they were located. This gave him what he wanted, which was no local competition.
If you’re in a big city, like New York, the agreement might read “Exclusive to the Chelsea District.” If you’re in Los Angeles, it might read “Exclusive to Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.” If you’re in a small town, it might read “Exclusive to Haliewa, Hawaii.”
NOT WILLING TO PAY SHIPPING ONE WAY
Typically the artist pays to ship the art to the gallery. Most galleries will agree to pay for shipping to return any unsold work back to the artist. It is reasonable and fair for a gallery to share in this responsibility.
OVERSEAS GALLERIES
Be careful when sending artwork overseas. Once it’s gone, it is gone forever, and getting art back will be nearly impossible if the people you are dealing with are not reputable. I once had an entire shipment of artwork go to France. It took me three years to get just part of it back and I was not paid for the rest. An alternative is to have the overseas gallery pay you a deposit in advance of what they will make if they sell your work. If the work doesn’t sell, you can return their money when you get it back unharmed.
PAY TO PLAY
Beware of galleries that charge you an excessive fee to be shown in their gallery. These are referred to as “vanity galleries” and they are known for taking money from artists who are desperate to show their work.
A vanity gallery makes its money off of the artist, not off of selling artwork. This business model removes all motivation for the gallery to sell art. The gallery wins, the artist loses.
Vanity galleries target artists who do not have a strong following yet. They will send a letter writing flattering words that pulls the artist into their program. Unfortunately, some artists fall for it and spend a lot of money to be “represented” by a gallery who isn’t truly interested in selling their work.
The fees that vanity galleries charge can be excessive. I know of artists who have fallen prey and have paid tens of thousands of dollars, with the promise that they would make their money back in art sales. But the promises were not kept.
Vanity galleries will accept any artist at any level, as long as they can pay. If you exhibit at a vanity gallery, don’t put it on your website or resume, as it will be a red flag to any reputable gallery that considers you. It harms you more than helps you.
A better option is to apply to juried shows and exhibits. You can find them through online websites such as www.callforentry.org and www.callforentries.com.
RENT A WALL
Some galleries will rent wall space to artists. This helps the gallery cover their overhead costs. This arrangement is a hybrid between the traditional gallery and the vanity gallery. The deals often work like this; the gallery charges the artist a monthly rental fee for wall space (i.e. $250/month) and then when an art piece sells, the artist keeps 80% and the gallery keeps 20%. The deals vary from gallery to gallery, but this is the basic idea.
Many reputable galleries are doing this now, but there are some bad ones out there, too. If you are considering renting gallery wall space, do your homework first. Call at least three other artists who have been renting space from the gallery and ask if the gallery is paying the artists on time and if they have kept their promises. Also, be sure to have a consignment agreement in place.
16
YOUR NETWORK = YOUR NET WORTH
“If you need a cash flow infusion in your business,
reach out to ten previous clients”
—Tiffany Peterson, Success Coach
Many creative entrepreneurs make the mistake of putting all of their marketing efforts into getting new clients, while ignoring the clients who have already bought from them.
It is a fact that your past buyers will buy from you again and again. This is because if they bought from you once, they are a qualified buyer.
It is your responsibility to keep in touch, not theirs. Many think that if a client was happy with their purchase, they will come back for more. But that’s not what happens. People get busy, they lose your contact information, or they just plain forget as their day-to-day lives take over.
SELLING ART IS A LONG-TERM GAME
Selling art isn’t like selling candles; the candle runs out and the buyer needs a new one. Artwork is often bought when one buys a new home, sets up a new office, or redecorates. These events are spread out over years.
This means that your clients may only purchase art once every few years. When they are ready to buy a new piece, you want to be the first artist they think of.
WHY YOUR CLIENTS WILL CONTINUE
TO BUY FROM YOU, AGAIN AND AGAIN
Finding new buyers is hard work. How many times have you had potential clients ask for a price quote or inquire about your work, yet end up not buying? It’s because they weren’t a qualified buyer.
The people who have bought from you before are already qualified. You have already connected with them. You have already done the hardest thing of all—to win them as a client! They will buy from you again because they have the funds, they love your work, and because you were an absolute dream to do business with… right?
It is much easier to sell to someone who has bought from you in the past, than to sell to a complete stranger. This is because people are run by their habits; they tend to shop in the same places for the same t
hings over and over again. Also, people like to buy from people they know.
To sell again and again to your past clients, you have to stay in constant contact with them. Why do you think Coke is still advertising? Everyone knows what Coke is. They know if they like it or not. But if Coke stopped connecting with the public, they would eventually be forgotten. This logic applies to artists, too.
HOW TO NOURISH YOUR NETWORK
To effectively nourish your network, implement a reminder system that is consistent and long term. It is a known standard in sales that people have to see a message at least seven times before they buy. To get results, you have to be consistent. Below are a few ways to do this:
Newsletters
Handwritten Notes
Postcard mailers
Phone calls
Holiday cards
In Person Meetings over coffee, a hike, a golfing session, etc.
Choose two or three methods that work best for you. I will detail a few below.
NEWSLETTERS BY EMAIL
This is a very powerful way to continually connect with your network. It’s results-driven because:
A newsletter allows you to update your clients on new art or projects.
It keeps you in the forefront of their minds.
They watch you grow as an artist over time, and will begin to feel as though they know you well.
They become a part of your story.
Many artists begin a newsletter program only to abandon it later, because it can be a lot of work. But it doesn’t have to be hard. To make it easier, keep your newsletters very simple. It could be one image with a short description, and then a call to action.
A call to action tells the reader what you want them to do, such as “call me if you want to commission a piece” or “click here to buy this print.”