five ways to get noticed by a gallery
As an artist, finding the right connection with a gallery is essential if you want to be represented and have your work find a wider audience. For emerging artists, you want make sure you find the right balance of representation of your branding and showcasing your work for sale. Below i have typed out my five best suggestions for getting you work discovered.
have a way to visually showcase your work.
no one will be able to find you if you don’t give them a way to see you. Every artist needs to create a social media presence and a portfolio of collective works to potential galleries can see what you might offer.
2. photograph your works in context.
every artist needs two photos of completed works. One will be for for digital use of the piece by itself in the best lighting possible edited to its exact shape and size. This photo can be used for your personal records as well as used for merchandising your work. Next you need to create a few areas in your studio to photograph your pieces as they would appear in your client’s home. Set the space, get some greenery, and make the piece look like something that would brighten up someone’s own house.
3. use your social media to connect with others
Social media means nothing if you can’t be social with it. Make it your mission to comment on other artists work, post as often as possible, and make things others want to share. The more people who see your work, the more visibility you will towards galleries and potential clients. You can connect with galleries yourself by looking at their pages and showing love to the artists they already represent.
4. have pieces available to go out now
Once you are represented they might give you time to take months to create a new series they want to showcase but when they first find you they want to have work ready now. If it’s a gallery looking to fill their walls they don’t want to hold space open for even a week. Find out if they will accept framed prints or smaller works if you don’t have the work now but just continue to create and make your work.
5. decide what kind of gallery you to work with
All galleries will take a percentage of your work as commission but decide how much of their cost is worth your time. Most galleries are 50%/50% but have a look around and see how their other artists are presented: does the gallery take out advertisements with their work, does the gallery keep their work on the walls or is most of it in storage, do they have work like yours already or will you be able to stand out? Ask these questions and search for the answers yourself to make an informed decision for your work.