When the artist you’re working with shares how they now get to show their art work in a new gallery, it’s exciting! And definitely a “heck yes!” kind of moment that gets both of us doing a happy dance.
It’s even more fun when you learn that this is happening because they followed one key piece of advice that you gave them. —-Side note, this is an example of how coaching works y’all.😊
Wanna Know What That Advice Was?
It was to follow-up.
When they didn’t hear back, they were nervous and the first thought was that the gallery didn’t respond because they didn’t like the art. Ever felt that way? I know I have.
But then this artist mustered-up the courage to call so they could make sure the gallery received their art submission. By doing so, a great conversation was had with the gallery owner who is very interested in the art. And the artist is now selecting what pieces will be shown there.
What Follow-up Looks Like
It can be scary to follow-up like this because it feels like you’re about to get a big, verbal rejection stamp on your forehead that you know will hurt. There are ways to make it feel less painful, though.
First, know that you’re calling to confirm your email or online art submission was received. This is the only thing you’re asking about. Remind yourself of this before you hop on the phone if you’re feeling nervous. You’re not calling to ask if your art is good enough to go in the gallery space. The goal here is to make sure the gallery got what they needed to make a decision about the art.
Once you’ve called the gallery and have a person on the line, ask them, “Hi, I emailed an art submission earlier today. Can you confirm it made it through to you?”
Phew, that’s pretty easy, right? Pat yourself on the back for taking the extra step to follow-up and confirm your art submission made it there a-okay.
If you want to take it a step further, you can also ask what the review process is so you know when to next check-in. It only takes about 5 minutes to follow-up so if you can convince yourself to call, it can very much be worth it. In fact, it can double your chances of getting into the show.
Brush-up your gallery-getting skills even more in this article, How to Get Your Art In A Gallery?
What Now?
Now, this specific artist is CONFIDENT and more than READY to send their art submission to all the galleries that feel like a fit. Being willing to follow-up is a super power. It helps to dial-in opportunities, and close sales of your work. What’s an opportunity you can follow-up on this week?