An art gallery is a cultural institution where artworks are displayed for the public to see. Art galleries promote the sale of art and increase public awareness of artists’ work through regular exhibitions.
Art galleries are typically found in urban areas and are clustered together in neighborhoods referred to as art districts or art clusters. While some art museums have a permanent collection, most have a rotating exhibition program that showcases works from various artists or time periods.
An important part of the role of an art gallery is to provide professional services to both individual collectors and corporations. These include advisory services open to the general public, art consulting for home decor and interior design, art investment services, as well as purchases and sales within the secondary market. In addition, many art galleries offer art education and organize special events to educate the public about specific art topics.
Another important function of art galleries is to curate a portfolio of artists that the gallery commits to representing and/or monitoring over the course of a long-term collaboration. Artists that the gallery represents are referred to as represented artists, and those that the gallery collaborates with for one particular exhibition are referred to as exhibited artists.
In order to maintain a stable relationship with the artists they represent, art galleries take care of the logistical side of things, such as handling transportation, invoicing, recording sales and inventory, and monitoring the value of a piece of art on the secondary market. Aside from these responsibilities, an art gallery also provides support to its artists through networking events with curators and collectors and by participating in fairs where they promote their artists.
Creating an effective online presence is a critical part of running an art gallery. This includes a comprehensive artist website, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and social media management. The content of the art website should be clearly written, concise, and easy to navigate. In addition, all images used on the site should be protected by copyright. For example, the images of paintings should not be cropped or distorted in any way, and text should be added to all art descriptions to help potential buyers understand and appreciate the context and significance of each work.
Despite the many roles of an art gallery, there are some key elements that all galleries must have in common to operate successfully. These include a strong and cohesive body of work, previous exhibitions in respected venues, a track record of sales, and press reviews. In addition, the highest level galleries select artists who have a clear visual language and aesthetic direction that fits with their brand and philosophy. In some cases, this means collaborating with an artist for multiple projects over several years. For example, Dia invited artist Robert Irwin to conceive the master plan for their twenty-first century museum at Dia Beacon that includes a series of spaces specifically designed for installations by single artists.