The Ultimate Approach to Selling Your Art | ©Mr Daniel M. Fisher | The Best Gallery Approach.

As a gallerist and curator, have a go-to document for regular enquirers who approach you about exhibiting or to get some advice, because by doing your research you hone down a handful of curators/commissioners/galleries whose work you respect and think about whether it chimes with your ambitions and values. Find out who to speak to – sending an email starting ‘Dear Sir’ to a feminist curating partnership will not get you the result you hope for.

Visit a range of art fairs – they are a suitable place to quickly see different galleries and different perspectives internationally and from across the country. You may not get a chance to talk to them, but it can give you some insight into the commercial art world, here is an introduction…

Ask them, do you accept unsolicited proposals? What is the best way to enter a proposal? I have read about your work, and my work fits your approach, here are links to my work…. And I have updated my website with recent work I would love you to take a look. Here are my contact details I am looking for galleries to work with for a new piece I am developing, and I think your approach would make a great match if you would like to follow up…

I am new to the area/you are new to the area; I would love to meet for a coffee to introduce myself and find out more about…

Make sure you have an up-to-date website with clear images and artist statement. Get involved, turn up to events, and look for opportunities. Because galleries are unlikely to work with any artist that has not bothered reading about them e.g. thinks they are commercial, or anyone contacting them looking for jobs who has not bothered checking the jobs section of the website, and those who harass the gallery, as they will back off if you appear to be a nightmare to work with.

I think smaller galleries whether commercial, artist-led, public spaces, or a hybrid like workplace, are happy to be approached by artists but are often busy so do not usually have the time to follow up. Any information sent needs to be clear i.e. is it an invite to something like a show or studio visit or a proposal.

You are you're own master and commander, so try to be open to new possibilities in life by exploring each and every avenue you can find.

It is amazing how many approaches from artists who clearly have not looked at the programme, let alone visited the gallery, to get a sense of whether they could be a good fit. Prior research is essential including going to openings and events etc. Never approach commercial galleries at art fairs, they are there to promote and sell. There is a particular guy who I have seen work from before and some of the work is quite good I think I’d like to say to him – invest the time and energy and go meet people, curators are always looking for new work, even if they don’t indicate that through social media via likes and so forth.

I would also say they need to be much more selective in editing their own artworks and taking much more care with the photographs of the work. But this moaning on social media about the lack of exhibitions suggests that collaborating with them might be difficult, it also devalues their nearest network, as it suggests that people who curate exhibitions are somehow only ever after kudos.

The best gallery approach to getting exhibitions is difficult for everyone, but this is especially hard if you do not take care of basic marketing and photo editing. Skimping this element of art practice suggests you might also be sloppy when it comes to making an exhibition too. These types of posts also advertise that he has not had any exhibitions, which I might not have even thought about without seeing that post. See spaces that do not moan on social media, it undermines confidence in your work and makes it all about you, what you feel that you are entitled to and denigrates the exhibition.

Send your information to the right person, do not assume a ‘Dear Curator / Director’ build a relationship instead, as you cannot rely on getting a show from a random email, and do not expect an instant response (although I find this polite to do so). These things take time. On the other side it is sometimes good to be direct by keeping it concise and relevant, so do not waffle. Your images must be of a decent quality and representative of the current practice and remember to provide links to other work.

It helps if you do not bad mouth the gallery or their exhibitions on social media and then expect a show, be friendly and approachable, work with nice people and be nice to others and make clever work. Be the best you can and strive to be better. Ambition is critical.

Collaboration is the same everywhere, by being open to suggestion but not too predatory, you can manage to convince anyone of you're success.

I have heard of invites by a couple of artists recently to conduct studio visits with them, which is an approach I quite like. They had researched the programme and confidently felt their work was interesting enough to merit an exhibition and so would fit well with a galleries approach to programming. This arrangement does feel more generous on the side of the artist, and it allows a human interaction and opportunity to show a social connection, often not possible through digital communication. It helped that I had already chatted briefly with them and knew a little about them; so therefore trying to set up a dialogue with someone you want to work with is often the first step.

Most of us are bombarded with images of artworks every day, to the point where it just becomes ‘stuff’ and visual clutter. Curators are also becoming increasingly lazy about how they conduct their research. For me, what is ‘absent’ has become more noticeable. Therefore, artists should not feel pressurised into putting everything online or constantly sharing work in progress. Care more about your work, and although it might take longer to show your work in exhibitions, the relationships you make will be more meaningful and longer term.

I would really love to be able to pass on something useful and informative, which does not destroy dreams but at the same time does not give unrealistic expectations about what to expect from the art world. Your own instinct as an artist is your strongest – and relationships with galleries and gallerists, as I hope to point out here, are no different to any other kind of human interaction. Do not be rude. Do not try and be too cool for school. Do not try and force things if it does not feel right.

There are no fixed rules or situations which will make it easy for an artist to become represented by a gallery or to be invited to show. The idea of ‘approaching a gallery’, something we are often encouraged to do at art school by peers and tutors, can be a little misleading and not actually representative of how an artist might build a sincere and valuable relationship with a person or organisation who has an interest in selling or showing their work.

The best gallery approach can be irksome and awkward for both parties involved to be in the situation whereby artwork (or the artist themselves in some cases) is being hawked ‘door to door’ as it were, to get an exhibition. If you are the artist, you might feel you risk rejection, humiliation, and ridicule. As the gallerist, it can feel like you are being approached by a well-meaning, but unsuitable date, because sending a portfolio or showing up on someone’s doorstep with a bunch of work is often a ‘blind’ and unsolicited meeting.

So why go and do it? Well, it is a time-trodden method. Since the time when recent graduates lovingly compiled plastic portfolios of carefully selected slides, to the more modern phenomena of tagging the world on social media. The truth is that if you come on too strong, you are going to have your advances rejected. It is a huge waste of energy and can feel emotionally draining when efforts come to nought, so how do artists get exhibitions if they do not contact galleries?

Find out more about what galleries there are out there – and their staff, and what to do when your paths collide. Ask about their research interests? What exhibitions have they curated before? Do your research and create your own tailor-made route. Find out more about your peers and ask their advice. Stay in touch with the people you went to art school or university with, as chances are some of your contemporaries may have gone down the exhibition making route too.

Some things to think about before making a pass at a gallery are, could you find your own venue, or start a collective or gallery yourself, because there is a lot to be said for initiative. Try and find a space yourself if you have an idea about making an installation or exhibition. Many an artist, curator, or gallerist started something amazing in someone’s spare room. This is a good place to invite the people you are interested in gaining attention from, as this approach could be as frugal or fundraiser dependent as you like.

Art Studio Politics are not the withcraft people think they are, as running any organisation requires a solid foundation in analytical awareness.

Talk to peers working in interesting contexts you think are showing or you have studio space you could pool to make a temporary space. Sometimes there is strength in numbers too – through having a group exhibition, one naturally creates more potential points of interest. As a group you can share the work load and pool your contacts and experience. Some of the best galleries in the UK are, or have been, artist led. If you are thinking about this approach, visit a few together locally, and elsewhere, to work out the type of space you want.

Invite curators and VIPs personally by drafting tailored emails directly to the people you wish to engage with. Invite them for a one-to-one tour and a brew. Say why it is you think they might be interested, given what you know about them and their research interests. Substantiate why you think the person would find what you do interesting and have a solid reason to invite them other than “You are a curator. You must help me…” They can only say no and probably would if you put it like that, and yet they might say yes, if they cannot make it then do not take it as a snub – they are genuinely busy. Send them a link to the documentation after the show has been photographed as this might change their mind or come next time.

Research galleries you enjoy visiting and engage with them as meeting and talking to others can aid your chances of being invited, introduced, or recommended by others exponentially. Being seen at events, talks, and performances can directly bring engagement with a galleries programme of exhibitions, this really counts for something because it shows you want to be involved. Try and do this with a few different galleries to make more useful comparisons.

Be invited. Be introduced. Be recommended. Be patient. This is the realistic way that you will find yourself in a gallery, and it is where many artists are plying their trade. The indirect route is the organic process of relationships with other people, and development of your work over some time.

Make a great website and make your social media presence engaging because there really is no excuse for not having a reliable website these days. It is the first port of call for galleries and curators. Even if you do not lead them there, they will certainly Google you if they want to find out who you are. If you are not the most tech savvy person in the world, there are many off the peg options that will give you a good template to work from. Keep things plain and simple and do not use hundreds of fonts. You are trying to draw attention to your artwork so ensure decent quality photographs and clear explanations are present.

Avoid too many lengthy, flowery explanations of your work and wherever possible avoid artworld clichés, if you know writing is not your thing, ask someone else to write about you. Preferably someone with a background in the visual arts with a good reputation.

Your website is your online CV, and more important in some ways, as its often the first visual point of contact. Keep it up to date and label all your artworks with your name, title, and date. List the materials used and add footnotes to explain the context or background. Ensure you give other photographers credit for photographing your work and leave clear contact details.

Over the last decade, an artists’ social media presence has increasingly become another essential calling card. Whilst this is a quicker more efficient mode of getting your message across, think of these platforms as a reflection of your professional self, yet with a human side. The odd cat pic and baby snap is okay here and there but if you saturate your online presence with the smallest minutiae of your life, chances are your artwork will get lost.

People are you're friend not you're target, try and foster a therapeutic level of connection with the audience in you're life.

These platforms are a good bite-sized way of keeping up to speed with artists you like in your back yard and halfway across the globe. Through following a varied range of other practitioners, arts press, curators, and galleries, and sharing your interests, you will learn more about how you want to present yourself and more than likely gain some unexpected likes and thumbs up from places you never expected. It is a good gauge to find out who is looking at what you are up to.

The best gallery approach is to do your research to find the right gallery situation for you, because to feel an affinity with the work of the artists they already represent or take part in their programme, you must look at the other artists they have shown, their CVs, websites, and social media accounts. Does the gallery show other artists like you? Do you want to be categorised in a certain light? It is not always good to show alongside others whose work looks visually similar or could be mistaken for yours, but at the same time if other artists surround you and you do not like or understand it this can be equally tricky. A gallery artist should be on board with the general programme and be happy to be an advocate for it. So it is important for you to research the people you are writing to and their curatorial or organisational routes, as if you approach a female gallerist for example, an email which begins ‘Dear Sir,’ will certainly end up in the nonsense folder.

What can the gallery do for you? Think about your aims – do you want to show with other artists in group exhibitions? Do you need help in finding a museum context? Do you need someone to help you fund or commission your work? Is it right to commit? Think about where you want to be in 5-10 years’ time. Does it make sense to commit to something for that long? Will it allow your practice to grow and develop? It is usually best to evaluate the relationship before committing to something more long-term. It is also rare for a gallery to offer representation before they have worked together on something in a preliminary sense – like a group exhibition or talk.

Sometimes a gallery might ask you to sign a contract, and this is often a risky business, so be wary of anyone asking you for money or to sign something legally binding, which will to tether you to them. It is often not in a gallery’s interest to have such a liberated approach to working with artists because lots of work can be put into an artist’s career development only for a bigger, seemingly more successful offer from another gallery to be put on the table in front of an artist, but it’s a risk that galleries often take, and it's not always a bad thing when an artist decides to move on.

To be part of a successful artist’s biography is also a valuable thing, as from the gallerist’s point of view one can be seen as an early advocate and a spotter of talent. This is why it takes time for a gallery to approach someone with a view towards representation. The trust works both ways. Good galleries stick by their artists and expect their artists to do the same for them.

-Created Using References and Quotes along with AI.

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