Cultivating the Art of the Sale: A Guide for the Reluctant Marketer
I often hear a specific phrase from artists, usually delivered with a heavy sigh of resignation: “I am not a natural salesperson.” It is a feeling that plagues the creative…
When Your Art Hits Deep: Understanding Powerful Viewer Reactions
Every so often, an artist witnesses something remarkable: a viewer stands before a piece and is visibly affected. Sometimes it shows up as tears, but just as often it’s a…
Is this “Good” Art?
Every so often, I find myself in a conversation with an artist who has just seen something—at a show, online, or even hanging in my gallery—and can’t quite believe it’s…
The Shift Away From Event-Driven Sales: Why Gallery Nights Don’t Carry the Market Anymore
For many years, gallery events were one of the most reliable engines of the art business. Openings, receptions, seasonal celebrations, and art walks brought excited crowds through the doors and…
Why Slowdowns Are a Gift: The Case for Making More Art During Downturns
In recent articles, I’ve talked about how seasonality shapes sales and how economic uncertainty influences buyer behavior more than actual financial conditions. These patterns matter because they help us understand…
When a Best-Seller Takes a Turn: How Artistic Pivots Shape Sales
Every artist evolves. New interests emerge, techniques develop, and creative impulses shift. That evolution is healthy and often necessary. But in the gallery world, I’ve seen a pattern repeat itself…
The Surprising Power of Low- to Mid-Priced Work: Why Bread-and-Butter Sales Matter
One of the most consistent patterns I’ve seen in gallery sales—across many seasons and market conditions—is the quiet strength of mid-priced work. Artists often imagine that the most important momentum…
Selling Art in Uncertain Times
It’s been a wild few years for headlines. Markets up, markets down. Inflation fears, election cycles, global tension, interest rates, banking scares, booming months followed by surprisingly quiet ones. It’s…
Seasonal Cycles in the Art Market: Reading the Rhythm Instead of the Noise
One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned through running a gallery in Scottsdale is that the art market doesn’t move in a straight line. It rises, plateaus, softens, and…
The Hidden Risk of Overpricing: Why Galleries Raising Prices Too High Can Hurt You
I recently received an email from an artist who discovered—much to their surprise—that a gallery had marked up their work to nearly four times the established retail price. The artist…