Our Latest Video Gallery Tour
We just completed our latest video gallery tour of our Scottsdale Gallery. These tours have been a great way to reach out to clients who may not be able to…
How Galleries Select Artists
One of the great mysteries of the art business is how galleries select the artists they represent. The reality is that there are far fewer galleries, and far less wall-space than it would take to show the work of all of the artists who would like to show in galleries. It can feel overwhelming to think about the odds that seem to be stacked against you if you are seeking gallery representation.
So what is the process that occurs in galleries as they are selecting new artists to show? It seems like it would be helpful to understand this process in order to prepare your work and submission materials so you can optimize your chances for success.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as “the process” for selecting artists. Every gallery approaches the question differently. Let’s explore the different review processes and discuss how you can best approach the galleries that employ each.
Watch This: Jackson Pollock’s Mural: The Story of a Modern Masterpiece
I love art history, and, over the years, have particularly enjoyed learning about mid-century, modern artists. I’ve read biographies on Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, and others. The…
Online Critique Group Recording 2020-01-13 | Featured Artist Marc Schimsky
Featured Artist January 13: Marc Schimsky (Yardley, Pennsylvania) The Artwork Title: Horsehead Medium: Oil & Cold Wax Medium Size: 30″ x 30″ x 1.5″ Price: $1400 Title: The Pipes, The…
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?
Online Critique Group Recording 2021-01-06 | Featured Artist Nena Cirkovic, Vienna, Austria
The Artwork (Click on Image to View Larger Photo) Title: The Power of a Woman Medium: Acrylic on canvas Size: 34×39 in (80×100 cm) Price: 1300.00 Title: My Mind…
Art Salesmanship (Is that a Dirty Word?) | Xanadu Gallery’s Art Marketing Minute
Salesmanship has a bit of a bad name in the art world. As a gallery owner, I know that many artists look at what I do with suspicion. They suspect that I use underhanded methods and pressure to compel the unwilling to buy art.
They think that the selling process somehow taints the purity of art.
I’m convinced that this disdain artists feel toward salesmanship stems from a fundamental misunderstanding about what the sales process is, and what’s really happening when I sell a piece of art.
What is the Scariest Thing you Face as an Artist? | Overcoming Your Fears
I’m sure I’ve only scratched the surface of the fears you face as an artist, and I hope you’ll share others in the comments below. Whatever your fears are, however, the important question is how can you overcome them?
I have several suggestions from my experience as a business owner. I don’t mean to imply that fear can be easily overcome, nor that these suggestions will revolutionize your life by helping you instantly vanquish your fear.
Keeping in Touch With your Art Collectors
Whenever I talk about keeping in touch with collectors, the number one concern I hear expressed by artists and gallery sales staff alike is “I don’t want to annoy my customers.” A valid concern, to be sure, but while there certainly is a point where you would be crossing the line and being too persistent, most of the time you are erring on the opposite side and not contacting your collectors nearly enough.
As a general rule, I like to contact my collectors every 4-6 weeks. By varying the type of contact and keeping the contact relevant there is little risk of offending. Remember, your contact isn’t made in a vacuum – these are not strangers you are contacting cold – these are people with whom you have already begun to establish a relationship and who have bought your work – they want to hear from you.