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.
Ask a Gallery Owner | Should I Use a Pseudonym?
Do you think it’s a bad business move to give yourself an artist name? If when you may concerned or want to protect your private life from your business life would that be a sufficient reason to have an artist name?
I was wondering what your thoughts were?
–Victoria
Many artists have asked variations of this same question. I’ve worked with artists who use their real names, along with a number of artists who have adopted pseudonyms. It’s quite common for actors and authors to change their names.
Should Artists Present Artwork in Bins at Art Shows, or is it a Distraction?
In the comments on a recent post about giving buyers too many choices, artist Eric Saint Georges asked, In a show: What about the bins? Would you also limit the…
Ask a Gallery Owner: What Advice Would You Give to Someone About to Open a Gallery?
I regularly receive emails from readers who are considering opening art galleries. These prospective gallery owners are looking for any insights or advice I might offer. I’m happy to help…
Choice Overload | Cramming in too Much Art Hurts your Sales
I have long maintained that it’s a bad idea to try and show too much art at once. Whether the art is being shown in a gallery, or at a weekend art festival, I believe it’s better to show a limited number of pieces instead of trying to cram everything you can into your space.
I believe that having too much art in one space hurts you in several ways. First, it makes your display look crowded and unprofessional. Most art needs some space to breathe. Your display will look better if each piece has its own visual space.
Becoming a Better Art Salesperson | Restating Questions and Objections
The typical reaction to a question or objection raised by a potential customer is to try and provide an immediate answer. After gaining some sales experience, you will have heard all the questions and objections, and will have a ready answer for each. I would encourage you to resist the temptation to blurt out an immediate answer, and instead restate your client’s question or objection in your own words. This is a simple thing to do once you get the hang of it, but you will be amazed at how much it impacts your ability to help your customer solve her own questions or perceived problems. That’s a real key – helping your client solve her own problems, instead of trying to solve them for her.
Create a Mobile Art Hanging/Installation Kit
I’ve written before about how much I enjoy having the opportunity to install art in clients’ homes. Installations are a great opportunity to provide customer service and build relationships with…
Discussion: Are Promotional Sales Appropriate in the Art World?
Recently, I received an email from an artist announcing her “End of the Season Sale.” According to the email, this is the fifth consecutive year she has held the sale….
Utilizing the Off Season
For many of you, the deep winter is the off season. Because my gallery is located in Scottsdale, and because Arizona is so blazing hot during the summer, our art season is exactly the opposite of a lot of other art markets who do most of their business during the summer. Our traffic declines dramatically during the summer, and as a result, so do our sales.
Our summer slow-down is long too. People often ask me when our “off” season is, and I reply that it begins when the temperatures climb above 105° fahrenheit and ends when the temperature drops back below 105°. This usually corresponds with dates in mid May and mid October. This means that we have five long months without much activity in the gallery.
Cultivating your Brand as an Artist
It’s easy to see that branding is important to large corporations, but did you know that you can implement branding principles that will help you sell more of your art? So what is branding?