What Kind of Artwork Sells Best?
I’m often asked what kind of artwork sells best – traditional or contemporary, paintings or sculpture, large or small works? On its face, this is a pretty easy question to answer – all I have to do is look over my sales records to see which media and subjects have been selling the best. We’re constantly looking at this kind of information in the gallery to get a sense of where our sales are coming from. I’m hesitant to share this information, however, because I’m not certain how helpful it is for artists who read the blog.
The problem with this kind of data is that we are in such a small industry that it’s very, very difficult to draw truly useful information from these kinds of statistics. Sales can fluctuate dramatically from month to month, and what’s selling today, may not be selling tomorrow. I wouldn’t want an artist to change direction or think that what he or she is creating can’t sell because it’s not what’s “hot” at the moment.
Video: Ask a Gallery Owner | Is it okay to sell prints and merchandise of my art?
Leanne from Minnesota asks: “Is it frowned upon by gallery owners for artists to sell prints of their work at fairs and online, or to be represented by a gallery?…
Ask a Gallery Owner | Should Artists Seek an Agent to Represent Them?
I recently received the following email asking about artists’ agents: Dear Jason, I have joined a discussion line on LinkedIn and we are discussing the pros and cons of hiring…
How are you making money from your art?
As a gallery owner, my attention is focused on generating sales in our galleries, and helping artists learn how to get into galleries and build great relationships with gallery owners….
Henri Matisse
“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse Henri Matisse was born on December 31, 1869, in the small town of Le Cateau-Cambrésis in northern France. His father was a grain merchant, and…
Protecting Creativity: A Story of Art and Copyright Infringement
As the owner of Xanadu Gallery, I often come across stories of artists facing challenges in their creative journeys. We represent one such artist at Xanadu Gallery, Elisabeth Ladwig, whose…
Broadening Your Reach: Strategies for Finding and Cultivating Art Buyers
As artists, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea of finding the perfect collector—a mythical person who perfectly aligns with our art and is just waiting to discover…
The Biggest Challenges Facing Successful Artists
Many artists struggle to generate reliable sales. Many of my posts here are about how to begin creating more robust, more consistent sales by increasing your exposure and optimizing your…
Artistic Productivity | Cornerstone of a Successful Art Career
Having spent over 20 years in the gallery business, I’ve noticed a key common trait of financially successful artists: they are constantly in the studio, hard at work. I would describe these artists as productive and prolific.
The realities of the art market today are such, that in order to generate regular sales and establish a strong collector base for your work, you have to have significant inventory. To a certain degree it’s a numbers game. You have to have enough work available so that you can show the work in a variety of venues and get the work in front of enough people to reach the buyers.
Video: Ask a Gallery Owner | Should I include frames in artwork photos?
In this session, I answer a question from James in CA: “I’m putting together my portfolio using Google Slides and wondered about pictures and the frame. I make custom frames…