Recently I wrote a post about the advisability of showing your work in a “vanity” gallery. This post has already received a lot of attention, comments, and questions. I appreciate the input from the community and the willingness to share personal insight from past experiences.
In the comments, it became clear that there is some confusion, or at least a blurry understanding, of the difference between a pay-for-display (“vanity”) gallery and cooperative galleries. I feel it would be a good idea to continue the conversation by expanding it to cover this second type of gallery.
Let’s begin our conversation about co-op galleries with some definitions. As I said, there was some confusion about the difference between “vanity” galleries and co-op galleries. It’s easy to see how the confusion could arise because both of these types of galleries charge some kind of fee or due in order for artists to display their work. A “vanity” gallery, however, is typically a private, for-profit operation that derives a significant portion of its total revenue from the ongoing fees paid by artists to display their works. In essence, the gallery charges a kind of rental fee for the space where an artist will display his or her work.
A co-op gallery also charges for participation and display of work, but typically this charge is a membership fee, rather than a rental fee. The co-op gallery is typically (and I say “typically” because there are many different models for cooperative galleries) a group of artists who have come together to provide a venue where they can jointly display and sell artwork. Sometimes the group of artists will be part of a formally organized community art group or art guild. Other times the artists will have organized themselves around the gallery itself.
Because the co-op gallery is self-organized, members are often required not only to supply artwork to the gallery but also to work in the gallery on a regular basis. Member-artists will man the sales floor and handle the business operations of the gallery.
Depending on the location of the gallery and gallery overhead, the fees to participate in a co-op gallery are usually moderate, significantly lower than a fee-for-representation gallery.
Most major cities and many smaller cities and towns will have a co-op gallery. In some areas that can’t sustain a commercial art gallery, a co-op gallery may be the only fine art venue available to the community.
So, is it worthwhile for an artist to show in a co-op gallery?
In many ways, the same considerations I mentioned in last week’s post on “vanity” galleries apply to this question. There are additional considerations as well. Let’s look at the advantages first.
Advantages of Showing in a Co-op Gallery
- Co-op galleries can provide a great way for artists who are early in their careers to get exposure. Because a co-op gallery is based on membership and community rather than purely profit, it’s often the case that artists who may not have enough experience, or who are still developing style and quality, can show in a co-op gallery when they might not find representation in a commercial gallery.
- The opportunity to work in the gallery and get sales experience is a great chance to learn the sales side of the business. I’ve always found it advantageous to work with an artist who understands this side of the business. Artists who have worked in co-op galleries understand not only the sales side of the gallery business, they often also have experience with the logistics of operating a gallery. This kind of experience will help you build a better business as an artist because you will better understand what buyers and galleries need.
- A co-op gallery can provide a sense of community. You will get to know and work with other members of the co-op and will thus create a network of artists in your community. These artists can help you when you have questions for face challenges in your career.
- Well-established co-op galleries can actually be quite good at selling work in the community. While I’ve never met an artist who built their long-term success solely on their sales from co-op galleries, I’ve met many artists who supplement their income with steady sales from a co-op gallery.
Disadvantages of Showing in a Co-op Gallery
- Because co-op galleries give a venue to a wide range of artists, the consistency of work in a co-op gallery can be hit-and-miss. You may be showing your work with some of the top artists in your area, as well as with artists who are just beginning to create. This inconsistency can be a hamper to sales for the gallery.
- A co-op gallery has incentive to show work by a large number of artists. The more members, the greater the dues that can be collected to offset costs. The gallery also then has motivation to show as much work as possible by as many artists as possible, and this can dilute attention for any individual artist. This can also lead to a cluttered appearance in the gallery.
- For many artists, the prospect of working in the gallery on a regular basis is a negative, rather than a positive. Volunteering in the gallery takes you away from your studio and from creating. Some artists don’t like the prospect of having to talk to buyers and haven’t yet developed sales skills.
- Related to the last one, because the sales staff is constantly rotating, buyers at a co-op gallery may not get the service and consistent follow-up necessary to generate strong sales.
- I’ve heard of co-op galleries that have been destroyed by the politics of having a large group of artists come together to try to sell their art. Egos can get bruised and feelings hurt. Artists are often left wondering why they have less work on display than other members. Some artists have . . . difficult personalities.
If you are considering showing in a co-op gallery, I would encourage you to do the same research prior to applying that I recommended for “vanity” galleries. Call several of the artists who are showing with the gallery and ask them if they feel it is worth the effort. Set definitive benchmarks to gauge the success of your relationship with the gallery, and don’t be afraid to leave the relationship if your needs are not being met.
Finally, take the opportunity to engage with the other artists who are members of the gallery. When I speak to artists who are happily engaged in cooperative representation, I hear repeatedly how valuable they find the sense of community in the gallery. For some artists, this is as valuable as the sales and exposure. If there are calls for volunteers, volunteer. Attend receptions for as many of your fellow artists as possible. Encourage your collectors to visit the gallery and participate in events.
What Have You Learned by Showing Your Art in Co-op Galleries?
Now you’ve heard what I think of co-op galleries, but I’ve never shown my art in one. If you have (or are currently) showing your work in a co-op gallery, I would love to hear your opinion of the experience. Is it worth the effort? Do co-op galleries sell art? What are the challenges you found?
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I had my work in a co-op gallery many years ago. I didn’t sell anything, I volunteered maybe two hours in the shop. So I quit. I also am an introvert and was not comfortable talking to people. I can see now, you need some sales experience….you need to talk to people about your art. I don’t think I would do it again, because as your article said, many volunteers may not know much about your art….so how can they ” talk it up”? I just started a website, which I will have to find my audience, and “romance” them.
Jason, your thoughts on co-op galleries are spot on! I have experienced every one of your advantages and disadvantages in two co-ops galleries. I have truly grown as an artist and loved everything I learned in them, about hanging, framing, selling, clients, professionalism, etc., etc. that intense exposure to the gallery side of the business is very enlightening. And I have also developed the most amazing artist friends and colleagues as a result.
But I left the first co-op as a result of continual frustration about poor hanging techniques, unfair bias in exposure, continual in-fighting that results in no consensus and no change or progress as a result. And as a large co-op they accepted members who were not up to the same standard since they had to fill the vacant slots. Unbelievably frustrating and dysfunctional! It drains your energy and takes too much emotional bandwidth to try and make it work.
I am now in a smaller co-op that is extremely careful about who they admit, in terms of quality of art, and also their ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively. Wall space is carefully portioned for equity between the different artists. We all work extremely well together for the benefit of all.
So my advice is to try out a variety of co-ops if you can, and do not stay in a dysfunctional one. It is possible to find co-ops that fill you with inspiration and training/knowledge and friendships, as well as great art sales!
I am a member of the Art Stall Gallery that has operated continuously at Seattle’s Pike Place Market since 1965. Our founders must have done something right. Nobody is getting rich, but we are able to display and sell our work to people from all over the world.
Among the operating rules that work well are the requirement that we each work in the gallery several days each month and take on responsibilities for the maintenance of the gallery. We take pleasure in promoting and selling each other’s work, and feel we are carrying forward an honored institution.
When selecting new members to replace any who are moving on, the decision must be unanimous.
What I’ve learned from a membership in a coop gallery is that the annual fees and the exhibition fees are the primary revenue stream for the gallery. A certain class of artwork are the primary sale generators which seem to be concentrated in about 15% of the artist members. Aside from the exposure and ability to answer the question, “Where do you show”, the other 85% of the artists subsidize the rest of the gallery operation along with the required gallery sitting. Without a gallery manager devoted to sales who works in the Gallery from day to day, there is no real ongoing effort to develop a collector customer base. People just wander in and out without much interaction from the desk. Most artists figure this out that the return is not worth their time and investment and move on. That means that the Coop is constantly seeking new members to maintain that gallery space for the few artists who have found a niche for their work. There are various business models for Coop Galleries and not all work this way. My advice is to approach with caution and evaluate what your expectations are and figure out if the Coop Gallery is a good fit for your artistic style.
I have been a member of Art 1274 Hollis a co-op gallery since its conception 12 years ago. All of the above comments can hold true for a co-op ,so it’s important for the gallery members to select your members wisely. We say the artist wishing to join must be a good fit for the gallery , we do not take anyone for the sake of filling a spot. The gallery must also be a good fit for the artist wishing to join.This concept has worked well for us.
We have a great core of hard workers that certainly keep our gallery operating but we have had our share of the ” hang and go artists” that do not pull their weight. These artists usually are not serious enough about their art and tend to fade away.
My association with this gallery has all been very positive and we have certainly grown and faced many obstacles and challenges. Through it all we feel we are not just a group of artists but have strong bonds and friendship with each other. We support, guide and help one another. We are also fortunate to have different skills within the gallery that help run a business.Web design ,marketing,scheduling, accountant, shipping, the hanging committee, event planner,membership.and management.
I also have my art work in two private galleries. The owners of both of these galleries are great to work with.and it’s nice to just drop off my work and have no worries or committments in the operation of those galleries.
However, I do miss not knowing or working with the other gallery artists or having a say on the hanging or placement of my art work. My final conclusion is I love the benefits and oppurtunities that both types of galleries can provide.
Great comments Colleen.
I saw your website (thought you might be in Hollis, NH – close enough for a visit). Looks like a nice airy space for art with good visibility. Only looked at the paintings. Nice selection. Thanks for being an example of a co-op that works.
I have recently moved south from Pennsylvania to the Low Country of South Carolina. The art environment is very different here and it is something I’ve had to adjust to. For most co-op galleries artwork is changed monthly which is difficult to do when you have an active lifestyle. I’ve joined 3 co-ops-each a bit different.
One is is an art association in which all skill levels are welcome. I paid an annual fee, must work one shift a month (5 hours), and if something sells a fee is taken as well. I chose to exhibit my acrylic abstract artwork here. This is a touristy seaside town. Lots of traffic from lots of different types of people. I recently brought new work in on a day that I was not working and witnessed a ‘beginner’ artist working the gallery and she was only trying to promote her own work which wasn’t very good in my opinion. So this brings home Jason’s point that the sales aspect is less than stellar for your work.
The second one is in a very artsy town and sees lots of traffic. I paid an annual fee, must work a shift a month if my art is there that month, and a commission fee is deducted if something sells. They select the artwork through a juried process and limit the number of each media. Only one media per artist unless you pay for a second media. For artists that do a few media this is very limiting. I chose to exhibit my photographs here.
The third one has a staff so no gallery sitting for the artists. I paid an annual fee and I could only chose one media unless I pay double or triple. I chose to exhibit my artistic furniture here and I sold a large artistic table a month after I joined so that is promising. This is in a seaside town but not close to the town center. The clientele are very affluent tho.
For me, moving to a completely different area, not knowing anyone, and not knowing how things work, I think I chose fairly well to see how the whole art scene works for my artwork. I have decided to give it a year and will reassess how things are going next summer. I am also building a house here and don’t really have a studio at the moment so I have plenty of time to research all of these markets since I’m not making new artwork.
I am in a co-op gallery in a small town that has a great deal of high-end tourists. We are centrally located and have been here for 24 years. This is my first gallery experience (3 years in). As a new artist, I found it very enlightening about the sales end of an art career. I have developed connections in the wider art community, had a very supportive and cohesive group within the co-op, gotten advice on many aspects of exhibiting my work. We have a system to ensure fairness in wall space, rotating “featured artist” which comes with gallery advertising and front window, rotating wall locations, shared chores, monthly meetings to get everyone’s input. Our business plan is to make no profit for the gallery (focusing on profits for artists instead) so when we have profit we can spend it on improvements, advertising and rent subsidy. We recently did a sales training seminar. We focus on getting information about all our fellow artists to better sell their work as well as our own. Occasionally a selfish artist gets in, but they often don’t last long.
Downside: we don’t get younger artists-they usually have to work “regular” jobs and can’t juggle the changing schedule. We sometimes get artists whose work is not up to par- either the jury process went south or they are aging and the work quality is declining. It seems to me that those issues tend to be short lived, but my perspective is pretty short so …?
Overall, my sales are increasing, my work and presentation is improving steadily. It is definitely worthwhile.
Dear Jason, nice to see your comments proffered elsewhere than your fine blog. I’ve been involved in co-ops for years. For an upcoming artist, it’s a great op to hang in an established space with a minimal fee, work in a gallery, learn to deal with the public. Basics every artist should know and lots besides. It’s an all-round learning curve.
My thought is that in a long-established co-op there is less chance of the gap you describe ‘twixt seasoned & developing artists, as the status quo members do intuit this and choose incoming artists wisely.
My suggestion to artists in any area is: join local large art groups. Meet artists. This can take two or more years, sorry. Attend all local exhibits. The same names will pop up. Mark those whose art grabs you, those you feel you have work in common with, connections. Check where they exhibit and note those connections. Chances are you will ultimately exhibit there as well. Community is a huge part of where an artist sells. I’ve recently joined a co-op I’ve eyed for many years, hoping to be a part of. And now I am. I’m grateful! But working harder. Sold a few here, have a larger eye out! Enjoy your blogs, thanks. S
How does your coop gallery handle artists who do not do their share of the work; hours in gallery, working with specific groups such as marketing, etc. What if someone in the gallery has an accident, is hosptialized, or let’s say a death in family and they have to miss their shifts for a bit of time? How is this handled? Does anyone have to pay extra commission on work sold if they miss some shifts?
Hello Francaise, I am a member of a coop located in a small town in central Virginia that has been operating successfully for 25 years with around 40 artist members. I joined 3 years ago when I retired and moved to this area. During Covid we had many members that were reluctant to come into the gallery and work their required 2 shifts per month. The responsibility for keeping the gallery open fell on a smaller group of members. We instituted a $25 fee for each shift a member did not serve. Any members willing to work more than their 2 (4 hour) shifts in a month would be paid the $25 per shift. This has been working OK, but recently we have had difficulty recruiting new members that are willing to work in the gallery and serve on committees, etc. We are now looking at options for membership “levels” that could allow a certain percentage of “non-participating” members that would pay a higher monthly dues and/or higher commission in lieu of actively participating in the running of the gallery. There are a lot of issues and challenges to be addressed and we are not sure yet if a hybrid model will work.
I am a older artist considering a coop gallery as I close my studio and put work in storage… the one I am looking at has a professional staff so no gallery sitting. Would love it if you would do a bit on artist estates and our options at the end of a long career of showing and selling our work.
Artist estates would be a great topic no matter what our ages. Anything can happen anytime. I’ve been working on a will and what to do with my art is always a stumbling block. Thanks.
Mine time in a co-op was the best experience I have had. Great group of artist and the co-owners both with graduate degrees at UCLA MFA programs. I sold more work in 4 months than I had anywhere else in years. The owners were great in promotion and civic leaders. Unfortunately one of the owners died 4 months after I was request to submit an application for membership. With her death the gallery closed. Big loss to artist and patrons in my city. But a great but short lived experience for me.
I was a member of a co-op for 5 years. Members share gallery expenses (rent, utilities, etc. based on two options of space. A small percentage of the income from a sale went to the gallery. And members worked a number of days monthly, again depending on their chosen wall space. I found it enjoyable, educational and productive. We were in a high traffic tourist locality, and I enjoyed meeting folks from all over the US and many parts of the world. Working offered an opportunity to interact with gallery visitors and learn first hand how potential clients and general browsers viewed art. I did quite in selling my work (as a part time artist) and thanks to Jason’s book, I learned how to sell art, how to negotiate.. Unfortunately we closed the gallery in 2017 because of rising rent and a changing tourist picture (fewer collectors and an increasing flip flop and t-shirt crowd). I highly reccomend co-ops, but caution: choose your partners carefully.
I’m in a co-op gallery in the heart of downtown Seattle. It’s a beautiful venue. Unfortunately we have limited hours due to building restrictions and artist participation. An artist has to meet professional qualifications to apply for membership. We rotate our on-site gallery shows four times a year. We also sponsor juried shows at other galleries and museums around the state. In addition to an annual membership fee, members pay a small fee to participate in shows, and are required to gallery-sit two or three times during the four months of each on-site show they participate in. In addition to gallery-sitting, artists also have to fulfill a role in the management of the organization in order to participate in our shows. My job is marketing/publicity. We have monthly educational programs, so volunteers are needed to facilitate those. We also publish a monthly newsletter. It’s a well-run organization. With that said, sales are disappointing because we don’t have a professional sales staff. My feeling is that if we hired a professional we would do a lot better; they would generate enough sales to cover a portion of their salary. It would be an ideal position for an experienced, knowledgeable person who loves art and wants to work part time.
Two co-op experiences. The first one was a little more than an hour’s drive away, so gallery sitting was out of the question thus the fees were higher. The display space was what you would expect from a house turned into a gallery…broken up, difficult to navigate in. The other artists were nice people, but my interaction with them was minimal due to the distance.
I was accepted into the second one just as covid hit (had to be voted in based on quality of work). It was in Albuquerque’s Old Town and just 7 minutes from home. It was a great experience. For the first time in my life, I could mix with other artists. I already had worked as a framer in a traditional gallery, years ago, and knew my selling skills were abysmal; said skills improved a fraction this time. I got a refresher course in running a gallery. Two of my pieces sold, not while I was on duty.
BIG drawback, but probably the same as with any gallery…I fell in love with a piece I couldn’t afford to buy.
Had to leave after less than a year as we had to moved out of state. Having trouble finding the art community in this new area but this discussion, and the recommendations therein, have reminded me how to look for it.
Many thanks!
I’ve been involved in two variations of Co-op Galleries, both successful in their own ways. Yes, there are challenges with difficult personalities- and it pretty much killed the first Co-op I was involved with – but I’m still very close with some of those artists. The second is a more interesting model as it is run by a registered charitable arts council. Charitable status allows it access to many government grant opportunities. As well, because the organization supports all creative arts it has a much broader view of the community and organizes literary contests, slam events, live entertainment, arts and culture festivals – as well as being located in a quaint tourist town on the Main Street – great for visual art sales. So visual artists are juried in as “Resident” artists and hopefully can serve to gallery sit. But the org recognizes that not all are good at sales, can manage a digital POS system, or even remember how to turn off the alarm! So they line artists up with suitable jobs – and leave the difficult people out. We also find younger artists don’t have the time if they have other jobs – we can’t all be full time artists. Lots of musicians and actors aren’t either – there is no shame in that and none of us need denigrate the quality of their work or their commitment to their craft just because they don’t do “it” as their sole income. It’s another example of “women’s work” in the home or raising children being undervalued. All of us creatives can find a place in society. At this Arts Council space the gallery is warm and inviting to both visitors and creatives. And staying flexible to all kinds of needs is paramount. Two examples; one woodturner is young and had a new baby so we keep his shifts at a minimum; another artist was a high school art teacher, single mom, spent weekends painting – so we told her she didn’t need to “gallery sit” and now that she’s retired she’s a great sitter and a well- loved instructor of our classes. We have a few artists who are amazing sales people, most aren’t. But we team people up. And we pay staff – they work on festivals, keep our website and social media updated, organize studio tours, organize symposia for creatives – and are lovely sales people. Community is the main difference between a Co-op and a for- profit gallery. There’s room for both to support the art world.
I spent several years being part of a co-op gallery that was located a little more than an hour from home. It was a nice gallery in an historic building. There were two types of membership – sitting and paying. Both were juried by the current members. The paying ones paid an annual fee and had a larger percentage taken from sales. The sitting ones worked one day a month (or more) and paid a smaller commission. I learned a lot about hanging artwork, doing special shows, and running the business of a gallery. I also learned about artists’ egos, underhanded means of avoiding commissions on sales, and favoritism. Eventually, those problems became more than I could stomach and I left. I don’t regret my time there, but I would be quite cautious about doing it again.
I have had experience with “vanity gallery”, Co op , and traditional gallery. The “vanity gallery” rental fees have been reasonable and I am able to keep the commission for sales to 10% by working a shift every two months. Going into my 5th year, sales are healthy as collectors return. Visitors to our area are able to find their way to the shop because of the central location on our main street, where cultural events and festivals are frequent. Exposure to this venue has lead to fine art sales on my website. In addition, my presence in the shop yield more sales because of the connection I create for collectors.
My Co-op experience is new, but it is with a group that has been established in the area for over 15 years. Although sales have been few for me, the membership has been an advantage in the art community in our city. ( the group as a whole has very healthy sales) The group is very selective in the membership, so my work has had exposure to a new audience of fine arts collectors. Events for juried shows, and open salons have been very successful in attracting visitors to the gallery. Many sales from these events.
My gallery experiences have been positive for another venue to see work. I am able to offer another venue for work on a larger scale. The longer I have had representation, collectors are returning over the years for new work. One gallery reduces commissions because I have made myself available to meet collectors, and schedule art demos for the gallery tours.
The points in this article are very accurate. I was a member of a local co-op for about eight years and president for two of those years, and I am very familiar with the operations of two other co-op galleries in my area. I benefitted very much – especially from my association with other wonderful artists. The one thing I would add to the list of disadvantages is the fact that in some co-op galleries, the members are often viewed as “family”, which makes it more difficult to run the operation as a “business”. When that is the case, artists whose work doesn’t sell well are allowed to stay in the gallery instead of being replaced by better artists. The result is a gradual degradation of the quality of work for sale in the gallery. The solution is to have a periodic evaluation of the sales of gallery members. While a true business would likely be run that way, most co-ops find that approach distasteful and harsh.
As a member of a successful co-op gallery, I can say it has been a very good experience for me. We jury in new members with high quality artwork. Each of our members have been artists for a number of years
I enjoy being a part of this group. We uplift and encourage each other and work together to promote our gallery. We play dues that cover our basic expenses.
In a city with a large art community, I have found a co-op gallery to be a good choice for me.
Thank you for this post.
I’ve belonged to two coop galleries in my early days of getting my art out there. Two disadvantages that I found was that the other artists were not showing up for their assigned time to work the gallery. They “day” jobs to make a living and they wouldn’t show up or it cut into their studio time. I was a fulltime teacher which limited me to working on Saturdays during the school year. When the other artists didn’t show up for work, the gallery was closed. This was the other disadvantage. One advantage was the community involvement with other artists. We paid a membership and there was a commission on what you sold.
I’ve been in two co-ops. Here are my experiences.
The first was largely operated by the wives of high-ranking military officers near a large base; I didn’t know this until later. The operation was professional in appearance, but it was out of the way, perhaps to reduce costs, and it did not generate foot traffic. There was no real schedule. The wives came in when they wanted to socialize. In my determination, the point of this co-op was that the members wanted to be in a gallery. Once I caught on I asked them how much in sales they generated per month, and they told me that they didn’t worry about such things.
In the second co-op I came in to work the gallery the Saturday after joining. I was basically thrown into the deep end with no training about their processes or operation. As it turned out the place was full of potential customers, many with questions, and I had no one to call.
The moral of the story for me is that I promised myself that if I was ever in a similar position I’d ask these questions up front, although I’m not certain that the co-op world is designed for me.
Group galleries are reliant upon artists who generally have few resources, time or experience and therefore have the attendant issues of slow to 0 sales and costs that are relatively high. The galleries that are run by experienced artists taking in the work [and sometimes participation] of new artists function a bit better but still suffer from burnout of the 10-20% of artists who actually participate. Have a friend who operates one of these adapted operations where the artists run and manage the day to day business while he manages, negotiates, promote s and sets up 2-3 annual event art fairs that do very well. still the overall economic result is minimal but makes a good lifestyle choice.
You will not get rich showing in coop galleries but it could be fun and create a community of artists to interact with.
My viewpoint arrived from operating my own commercial galleries locally, national and intl.
Many years ago, when first starting my art career, I was part of a coop gallery. I had several sales and was enthused to be in the group. I worked one Saturday/month. I soon noticed that several members had the same tired work hanging for months, even years, in the gallery.
We were supposed to change out our work on a regular basis. That rule was ignored and, as a result, patronage suffered.
I then was in a string of traditional galleries. Many of them folded because economic times were tough. One gallery I was in loved my work initially. Over the years, however, my style became increasingly abstract, and no longer fit with the gallery.
I started giving workshops around the country, which was very lucrative (and fun). Because of my travel schedule, it became difficult to supply my galleries with larger fresh pieces. I often would not be available for show openings and other gallery events, so that model of marketing my work just didn’t work.
Now, I’ve come full circle. I have mostly retired from traveling to teach workshops. During the pandemic, I learned how to make videos of my workshops, and market them on my Teachable website.
It might be time to revisit the traditional gallery route.
To me any time I have to send in a fee to be in a possible juried exhibition, whether my art gets in the exhibit or not is starting to feel like a (vanity/co-op) gallery. Why? Because of fee. May times the same group of people get accepted for the exhibition time and time again. We pay a fee it seems to support them. I do get into most of the exhibits that I apply to, but I don’t like wasting money when I don’t get accepted without an explaination. I seriously am in support of artists owning their own galleries if they can because of the jury/fee game. While a jury does insure quality, it also collects INCOME!
Having been on the other side of putting on a show, yes, those fees create income that (possiblly) makes the show break even. As with co-op galleries, etc., all these income sources make it possible to have enough money to run an event – or a gallery – or an organization. I don’t know many of either of these venues that make a ton of money, with the exception of some of the vanity galleries.
I am a member of a co-op gallery in upstate New York, open three days a week plus holidays, and am very pleased with it. Vanity galleries, juried for-fee competitions, and extravagant for-fee publications are merely money making ventures.
My co-op gallery is limited to about twenty members; new applicants can apply to fill a vacancy and members vote, yes or no, majority rules, after seeing the artist’s work.
Wall space rotates in a fixed pattern each month except in rare circumstances. The privileged front window area and front wall space (in addition to the member’s normal wall rotation) is also rotated once a month with no extra fee, including an Opening Reception, but sometimes that privileged space is rented to a non-member for a large sum. Often, other members have sold their own work at these receptions.
Members gallery-sit three hours about twice a month or can pay extra dues. Members also have assigned tasks associated with running a gallery.
The gallery is at the edge of the “downtown” area so normal foot traffic is a bit lower than desired, but still high enough; many members sell enough work to more than cover membership cost, keeping our turnover rate low.
For artists who cannot find a traditional gallery, given the lack of available such space, a co-op gallery can be a wonderful outlet.
I’ve had my art in a co-op gallery for 10 years, with enough sales to keep me there. How it works is described at https://www.theartshoppemgm.com It’s part of a community of small, multiethnic businesses located in the midtownglobalmarket.org which was formed as a neighborhood redevelopment project that transformed a former Sears building into a retail & service space with income-based housing on the upper floors. The Market admin has been very supportive of us throughout the years. They helped us survive the pandemic shutdown, despite struggling financially itself, & last year they built out a new, bigger space for us in a more visible location, while keeping our rent reasonable. The new location has measurably increased our sales.
We had a volunteer who antagonized a lot of the artists & other admin volunteers (though he didn’t pull his crap on me-I think he was afraid of me; everyone else asked me what my secret was), but he quit & we’re now a peaceful (though not lacking in disagreements) group. A small committee of artists decides what new artists/art type to include, based on quality & whether it will fit (physically as well as stylistically) the retail space.
I agree with a lot of the comments here. I was part of 2 juried co-op galleries but I decided to resign from one as working at 2 galleries per month was eating away valuable studio/marketing time. I decided to keep membership to just be in one gallery for cv purposes and when asked if I showed in a gallery.
The most important lesson I learned while being in a co-op is talking to people. I am an introvert and it was so hard for me to talk to people whenever I did shows. The fact that I had to work 8 hours at a gallery once a month and I had to greet customers, enabled me to develop the skill of building rapport with people. Though I haven’t made a lot of sales, I have developed a confidence in speaking to people from all walks of life. I am able to do art shows now with less anxiety and this skill level has also increased my sales.
Our small town co-op has thrived for over 20 years – even during Covid. The area is noted for it’s exceptional 4 seasons and the recreational opportunities it offers to a larger metropolitan area 4 hours away. In other words, we have a tourist based economy. Purchasing art from local artists and craft persons has been high on the items they want to take home.
Members work 1 or more days in the gallery, plus take on one other “job” to help cover all the other items that need to be done to make it work. What I’m most impressed by is that the co-op gallery shares the surplus profit,( once the winter bills are pre paid). It is divided equally between all sitting artists – a bonus. For some artists, it is the most money they receive but they helped the gallery keep the doors open for all our success.