An art gallery is a venue where artists and the public can showcase and appreciate the visual arts. Art galleries are also business establishments that earn funds by charging a commission on the sale of art works. They may also offer a variety of other professional services within the art context, including advisory services for home art placement and investment services. An art gallery’s main purpose is to provide the public with access to artworks of varying genres from local and international artists.
An important function of an art gallery is to assist emerging artists in building their portfolio by giving them the opportunity to exhibit their work. Many successful artists credit galleries for providing them with essential support at the beginning of their careers. For example, gallery owner Peggy Guggenheim first exhibited the paintings of Mark Rothko and helped to launch his career.
In addition to exhibiting art, galleries are a hub for education about the arts. They host art talks, workshops and other events for their clients to learn more about the artworks displayed in the gallery. They also have a library of books and magazines that provide practical information about the art world. They can also help to arrange educational field trips for schools and other groups interested in the visual arts.
Gallery owners also play an important role in promoting their artists internationally. They often attend art fairs and seek out other exhibition opportunities for their artists both in the gallery space and outside of it. The gallery will typically promote these activities through social media and the press to reach a wide range of art enthusiasts.
Another way that art galleries make money is by acquiring and selling artworks from the secondary market. They will often acquire these works from private collectors or other galleries and then resell them to clients. This helps to bring in income and also ensures that the quality of artworks is maintained throughout the process.
Unlike museums, which typically only display art from a specific period or genre, art galleries can be more flexible with the art that they sell. However, they will still usually have a niche that they specialise in, such as contemporary or abstract art or art on paper.
If you want to have your work represented by an art gallery, it’s a good idea to research the galleries that are closest to you and the type of work that they represent. It’s a bad idea to approach a gallery without having done any research, and even more so if you don’t have a pre-existing relationship with them.
It’s also a good idea to join their mailing list and get involved in their community. You can even volunteer to be a member of the committee, or get involved with fund-raising events. If you can demonstrate that you are a giver and not a taker, it will be easier to convince a gallery to represent your work.