Artists and galleries
The Internet has forever changed our life, turning the life of the world of art. More recently, the sale of works of art involved in the gallery. Artists put up with this, because they had little chance of selling paintings on the Internet on their own. But now everything is different. This is due to social networks and other Internet resources, using which artists can now forge their happiness completely independently.
And galleries, and artists fit to revise their relationships. Proper alignment of them will be effective for both parties.
Artists are faced with a new reality. We have to think how, taking the fate into our own hands, at the same time not losing the sales partner for our works in the person of galleries. After all, having no exclusivity in selling works of the artist, the gallery may lose interest in it. Therefore, the artist needs to designate who and how will help him sell paintings. If the author intends to promote them himself, but at the same time cooperates with the gallery, it is important to identify areas of interest that ideally should not overlap. You can, for example, trust the gallery owners in the case when you want to sell paintings expensive, and independently implement the work of a lower price range. Or offer the gallery something fresh from their work, while most to attach their early works. The same approach will be relevant if you collaborate with several galleries. One can offer his paintings, the other – for example, his sculptures. After all, collectors who are looking for work of a certain type know well where to turn to them.
If the gallery organizes an exhibition of your works, it is important to observe the agreements reached on the timing of the exhibition, because galleries often plan such events for the year ahead. Without forgetting about the agreed strategy for the period after the end of the exhibition. If during the exhibition or shortly after its completion someone appeals to you directly with an offer to sell works seen at the exhibition, it is better to honestly send them on this issue to the gallery, if it was agreed with her management. Even if the proposal to sell the picture directly looks very tempting. After all, the more trusting and partnership relations you have with the gallery, the higher is the motivation to promote and sell your art. It is all the more important to carefully follow the rules of good tone in relations with galleries, if you are a novice brush master, so far little known on the Internet. However, how profitable it is to entrust the gallery with the promotion of your works of art, in the end, only you decide.
At the same time, it is important for gallery owners to understand that nowadays artists have much more opportunities than in the recent past to promote their art. Before setting up cooperation with creators, conditions that are too burdensome for them, you must be sure that you can sell paintings better than they or your competitors can do. If there is no confidence in the success of sales, it is important to allow artists to sell their works on their own or to cooperate with other galleries, so be prepared to negotiate with them until mutual benefit is achieved.
When working with more eminent artists who are well represented on the Internet, galleries will have to give them more freedom of maneuver: the more famous the artist, the more flexible the policy of relations with him must be built.
Providing artists with the opportunity to promote their works may be in the interests of both parties. The possibilities of the Internet only contribute to such an equal relationship. The gallery for its part should be interested in the success of the artist as well as himself.
It is important for artists to figure out all the options, to be ready to make a reasonable compromise, cooperating with the gallery. However, care must be taken when choosing partners from this area. Carefully weigh the offers of galleries or art curators who want to get exclusive rights to all or most of your works, as well as watch how they are offered to buyers. Even if you really want to participate in an organized exhibition gallery, or you need to be promoted on its part, make sure that you are not offered complete control, or do not seriously limit your actions in presenting your art on the Internet. Sometimes it is better to say a firm “no.”
In our time, new opportunities have emerged for the development of virtual spaces, not only among artists, but also among galleries. You can create online art galleries and art exhibitions that are not tied to a specific city and country, and now the whole world will see them. Collaborating with such virtual art centers is certainly beneficial for artists. After all, the buyer will know which online resource to go to in search of a piece that meets his tastes and requests. This facilitates the search and brings the artist and customer closer to each other.