An art gallery is a business that represents artists, curates exhibitions, and sells their work. A successful art gallery is a vital part of the artistic community, helping artists to build their careers and making art accessible to many.
Gallery Overview
A good art gallery should represent a diverse range of artists, from emerging and established names to international superstars. The gallery’s role is to incubate and support their artists, as well as presenting them for exhibition at public collections, museums, biennials, and salons around the world.
The gallery must also promote and market its artists’ works, establishing a strong digital presence on a variety of social media platforms. This is a costly effort that requires creativity, strategy, and organization.
To ensure that the artworks in the gallery are safely handled, the gallery must have proper insurance coverage. This protects the artworks against loss, theft, damage, and other unexpected events.
In addition, the gallery should have a proper inventory of each artist’s work to track sales and monitor their value on the secondary market. The inventory should include the name of the artist, their date of birth and year of birth, and the size and materials used for each work of art.
Galleries must also have a working agreement with each artist, in which they define the retail price for their artworks. This is done in advance and is usually a 50-50 split between the artists and the gallery.
The artists can choose to define the prices themselves, or if they are not comfortable with the 50-50 split, they may negotiate a better deal with the gallery. It is important to note that the gallery has a legal obligation to pay the artists for their work, so it is essential to make sure they are getting a fair price.
Some galleries will offer discounts for special clients, such as museum institutions. In this case, the gallery is allowed to reduce its retail price by up to 50%. This is a way to encourage clients to buy the work and boost the artists’ reputation, as well as help the gallery earn its commission.
A gallery should have a staff of experienced and knowledgeable art professionals to answer questions about the artists’ works. The staff should be able to explain the history of an artist, their style, and their techniques. The staff should also be able to help potential collectors understand the value of an artist’s work and their relationship with it.
If you are a new artist looking for a gallery to exhibit with, it is crucial that you attend as many openings and exhibitions as possible. This will allow you to establish a network of fellow artists and collectors and increase your chances of being accepted into the gallery of your choice.
It is also a good idea to establish personal relationships with gallery owners, curators, and critics by attending lectures and other art-related events. By doing so, you will become a trusted and valuable resource in the art world and this will likely result in invitations to your next show.