“A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.”  Bo Bennett

Our summer juried shows are a mixed blessing for me.  Each year I marvel at the infinite and diverse ways in which artists find to express themselves.  I admire and respect each and every artist for the extraordinary effort they make every day to share their gift. Again, we were happily overwhelmed with a large number of excellent quality entries, and the competition for this show was very stiff. The 93 artists in this exhibition were … Continue Reading

“It won’t always be summer: build barns.” Hesiod 700 B.C.

A lot of people don’t realize that the art world revolves around a seasonal schedule. Galleries begin their season in September, usually after Labor Day, often opening with their strongest artist and continue until about the middle of June. Many galleries use the summer months to mount group shows of gallery artists, or shows that they wouldn’t consider during their “prime season.” Generally, the magazines and gallery guides follow suit by issuing combined July/August issues. For artists, … Continue Reading

“You only have to do a very few things right in your life so long as you don’t do too many things wrong.”
Warren Buffett

If you are lucky enough to have scheduled a gallery interview or studio visit, it’s a good idea to keep some key issues in mind. Your goal is to make sure this will be an enjoyable and profitable experience for all concerned. Showing your work and/or having people in your studio can be a major stressor for most artists. You need to prepare yourself emotionally, as well as prepare your studio visually, … Continue Reading

“We were having one of those really great first dates, the kind you can only have if it’s not really a date.” Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City

After reading the article “Matchmaker, Matchmaker”, you should have a fairly good idea of how to determine which galleries are appropriate for your work. Once you’ve narrowed your target list down to those galleries that you feel relate to your work, and would be a good fit for you both stylistically and as a match for your career level, you are ready to develop an approach. Ideally, if you … Continue Reading

“Knock, knock,”

“Who’s there?”

“Another artist with his portfolio under his arm.”  (Sigh)

To many artists, being an artist isn’t “real” unless you have a gallery to exhibit your work. Although there are several other options available to artists in terms of showing and selling their work, it seems, for some, there is just no substitute for getting gallery representation. To this end, many artists are willing to bend over backwards, do insane things, make ridiculous claims, and, in short, embarrass themselves. The truth of matter is, not all artists are ready for galleries, nor are galleries, … Continue Reading

“Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match…” Fiddler on the Roof

One of the most difficult aspects of being an artist doesn’t take place behind the studio walls. It is an unpleasant, sometimes degrading aspect of your career: promotion. Nevertheless, as an artist, you need to develop a method to promote your work and still maintain your integrity. To minimize the unpleasantness of this particular responsibility, the method you devise should complement your personality and temperament. The problem begins when you decide it’s time to start approaching galleries.

At this point, it’s important to examine your feelings about … Continue Reading

“It won’t always be summer: build barns.” Hesiod 700 B.C.

A lot of people don’t realize that the art world revolves around a seasonal schedule. Galleries begin their season in September, usually after Labor Day, often opening with their strongest artist and continue until about the middle of June. Many galleries use the summer months to mount group shows of gallery artists, or shows that they wouldn’t consider during their “prime season.” Generally, the magazines and gallery guides follow suit by issuing combined July/August issues. For artists, however, this is not a time to … Continue Reading

“Have no fear of perfection, you will never achieve it”  Salvador Dali

Visual artists are constantly worrying about what the standard artist/gallery relationship should consist of. Feeling insecure about how to handle these negotiations are natural…artists are not business people and are often ill-equipped as well as inexperienced at handling their own business affairs. Following is a set of guidelines that I recommend artists use when considering establishing a relationship with a gallery. Remember, the ideal gallery does not exist. The best way to use this information is as a standard, by which you can grade the level of commitment of … Continue Reading

“Actors search for rejection, when they don’t get it, they reject themselves.”  Charlie Chaplin

Most artists harbor the fantasy that if they could only find one art dealer that loved and believed in their work, their career would be set. They secretly believe that there exists a special person that can catapult them to fame. Many artists spend most of their careers searching for “the perfect gallery.” And, as all quests towards perfection, it is never ending. If they already have a gallery, it’s not good enough; if they are looking for their first gallery, they dream about the moment when … Continue Reading