In my last article, I answered How Can I Promote My Artwork on Instagram? Today, let’s dive into how to show your art in a gallery.
Why Would You Want To Exhibit In A Gallery?
Putting your art in a gallery is a great way to find a new audience of buyers and connect with others in the art world who genuinely appreciate what you’re doing.
Brick-and-mortar galleries give viewers the chance to interact with your work and really get the full experience of the details, color, size, and materials you’ve chosen.
An online gallery is seemingly easier for the artist because you are delivering digital images instead of physical images for an exhibition. High quality photos are imperative if you choose this route.
Whichever you choose to explore, let’s unpack how you can get your art displayed in a gallery.
How Do Galleries Find Artists?
A common way for galleries to discover artists would be through meeting them in their community, on social media, and those who directly approach them.
Every gallerist is different in how they search for art and artists to show in their space. My purpose for today is to encourage you to be proactive in reaching out so you can have more control over what happens in your art practice and career.
How Do I Submit My Art To A Gallery?
The first part of the process is to find the right gallery. This means finding a gallery that is compatible with your style of work. If you do abstract sculptures, you won’t want to approach a gallery that only focuses on realistic landscapes.
No matter how awesome a gallery is, your work has to be a fit for their aesthetic and their clients.
Next, create your own criteria for what you’re looking for in an art partnership. This includes things like the location, the percentage of the commission they take, and how much the gallery promotes their exhibitions. For example, if your work is too fragile to ship across the country, you’ll look for galleries that are within driving distance.
Before you reach out to a gallery, you’ll want to consider what’s in it for them. Why would they choose to show your work over the tons of other proposals in their inbox?
To help you prepare for this and for creating a submission that shows why they need your art in their gallery, I’ve created a Why Would A Gallery Show Your Work worksheet to get you started.
Pro Tip: If you can’t find reasons why you should be in their gallery, then be open to the possibility that they may not be a good fit for you and your creations. Even if the gallery is enticing to you.
How Do I Work With A Gallery To Exhibit My Art?
Congratulations, you secured a show!
There are often a few conversations and negotiations once a gallerist agrees to show your work. You’ll need to confirm that you both agree on the prices for the art, which pieces will be shown, what the commission will be, and to work through any questions surrounding your agreement with them.
Please make sure that you get an official contract in writing. For insurance purposes and your own peace of mind, you’ll be happy to have this if your work is damaged, if there’s a fire, or if anything else happens to your art while in the care of the gallery.
You’ll also speak with the gallerist or preparator about how your work will be installed, if they’ll be doing that for you or if they want your help with it. You’ll also want to dial-in when the opening reception will be so you can both start planning and promoting the party.
Feel Like There’s More To Learn?
If you know there’s more to fill in the details or you’re feeling overwhelmed on where to start, I can help you with that. I have a whole program called Confidently Connect With Great Galleries that walks you through each step of this process. It covers all of the nuances on how to find and approach interesting galleries.
You’ll learn a system and get some of my favorite tools to reach out to the right galleries. You can repeat this process as many times as you like. And you get doable actions that will save you time so you can connect with the best galleries and have an opportunity to get your work seen by a new audience.
More exhibitions mean sales opportunities and lines on your CV. It’s so fun to see your career grow with these steps!
You can schedule a complimentary discovery call with me here to see if this would help you on your journey to find great galleries to partner with.
Cheers,
Kate