|
A
Business Tips from A to Z |
|
Approaching and Working With Galleries |
 |
RETAILERS'
TOP
FIVE
SUGGESTIONS
FOR
ARTISTS |
|
1. Don't make promises you can't keep -- delivery by Nov. 1 should mean just that. 2. If you use a rep, stay in close communication; always know what commitments are being made on your behalf. 3. Avoid the hard sell. Most retailers know what they can and can't sell and don't need you to tell them whether or not your work will sell in their gallery. Listen to them; it will benefit both of you. 4. When sending information to a gallery, include up-to-date price lists specifying whether the prices are retail or wholesale to avoid unnecessary embarrassment. 5. Politeness and consideration go a long way; put yourself in the retailer's position. |
Whether they're expanding or just starting out, thousands of artists are vying for space in galleries. How competitive is it? Some galleries receive several hundred inquiries from artists a week.
Breaking in
Artists break into the gallery market in a variety of ways, and no two artists' experiences are exactly alike. But some artists who maintain successful relationships with galleries share common approaches to getting in and sustaining the relationships.
- Exhibit at wholesale shows. While whole-sale shows can be expensive and time-consuming, thousands of artists have found them invaluable to establishing and growing a wholesale business.
- Advertise. Which publications do the retailers read? Advertising in those publications can not only generate wholesale orders, but it can help create aware-ness of your work and name recognition, which will help when you submit your work to galleries. This also helps create a professional and stable image of your business.
- Contact the gallery and ask if they accept artist's submissions; how they prefer to receive them (via mail, in person); and if they prefer to review slides or prints. Some gallery owners hate phone calls; others suggest always calling first. Some hate drop-ins, while others prefer drop-ins. Inquiring about the gallery owner's or manager's preferences can start the relationship on the right foot. It is a good to idea to visit a gallery in advance to review the gallery's atmosphere and type of work sold. Does your work fit in? If so, mention this in your letter, phone call or appointment (whichever method the gallery owner preferred).
- Some artists suggest creating a script for yourself before you call a gallery. This can help remind you to ask all of the questions you intended to ask, and can help you be more concise in the conversation.
- Follow up with the appropriate materials. When submitting a packet of information to a gallery, include professional-quality color prints or slides, an artist's statement, information about the processes used in your work (if not included in your artist's statement) and why it would be salable in the gallery, a biography, a wholesale price list, and any other background information about you and your business that might be relevant. If you sell your work in other galleries, listing these, especially any in the area, is a good idea.
- View the gallery-artist relationship as a partnership. The gallery owners need artists' work to sell to maintain their businesses, just as artists need galleries to sell their work.
Building a successful relationship
- Communicate. Lack of communication is one of the most common causes of relationship failure -- business or personal. Think about every aspect of the partnership and get answers to any relevant questions about each partner's responsibilities before you agree to enter into it:
- What are the payment terms (e.g., the gallery takes 40 percent commission and pays artists within 30 days of each sale)?
- Who will pay shipping (both to the gallery and to return unsold consigned work to the artist)?
- Who will insure the work if it will be held on consignment?
- How long will unsold work be held on consignment before it is returned to the artist?
- If the gallery puts an artist's consigned work on sale, will the discount be absorbed by the artist or the gallery?
Communication also means letting a gallery owner know immediately if you will be late with an order. Proper production scheduling should help you avoid this, but in the event that it occurs, be honest. The sooner you let the gallery owner know, the sooner the gallery owner can make any adjustments.
- Get it in writing. While communicating is essential, putting every agreement in writing is even more so. Gallery owners should provide you with a contract that addresses the above, but if not, ask for one or develop one yourself and ask them to sign it. If you have any concerns that are not covered in the contract, ask the gallery owner about them, and then ask to have them added to the contract. It is not a good idea to enter into any business relationship without a written agreement about the terms of the relationship.
Most of the information in this column was excerpted from "Getting Your Foot in the Door" by Barbara Marquand, TCR June 1998, and "What Makes Craft Retailers Tick? And What Ticks Them Off?" by Amy Feinstein, TCR June 1998.