A gallery is a place, either online or as a brick and mortar business, where artworks are displayed and offered for sale. Unlike art museums, a gallery is primarily an art salesroom and earns money from the sale of artwork to support its operations. Some galleries specialise in specific art genres and eras.
The word gallery derives from the Italian word “galeria” (“gallery”). A gallery can also refer to a building or room in which art is displayed. It can also mean a group of paintings, sculptures or other art objects that are curated and organised by a person or organization, such as an artist, museum, library or art center.
A gallery can be an agent for artists, representing them and promoting their work to collectors. Galleries also offer professional advice on how to best market an artist’s work. Additionally, they act as a bridge between artists and collectors, scouting for new talent and continuing to showcase established artists in their exhibition programs.
While there are many different types of galleries, the most well-established galleries have a portfolio of carefully curated artists that they represent long-term and for which they have a contractual agreement of showcasing, marketing, selling, distributing and supporting. These artists are called represented artists, whereas those from whom the gallery collaborates only for one exhibition are known as exhibited artists.
As the exhibition of contemporary art continues to grow in popularity, so does the need for a more structured way to present it to the public. This is why the concept of popup galleries has been developed, a practice that is facilitated by using vacant commercial spaces to host exhibitions for periods ranging from one day to a month.
In order to get a gallery to consider representing you, it is essential that you submit your work in a format and with a message that will resonate with them. For instance, it is important to personalize your email by making a connection with the person receiving it. You can reference a mutual friend or colleague, give them a compliment about their program, recent exhibitions or press (if applicable) and explain why you think your work is a good fit for their gallery.
In addition, it is a good idea to include your contact information in the body of your email. This will help avoid any confusion regarding how to reach you. It is also a good idea to send your emails individually, instead of sending them in bulk and CCing or BCCing recipients. Sending your emails in bulk makes you look like a nuisance and can be perceived as pushy. Additionally, including too much information in the initial email may overwhelm the person reviewing it. For these reasons, it is advisable to keep your submissions as brief as possible and to provide clear links to where the artwork can be viewed online or via WeTransfer or Dropbox. This will make it easier for the person reviewing your submission to take action and schedule a call with you.