02/08/2005: "Show your work later…" by Ausra Larbey

My artist friend gave herself a New Year’s present. Yes, she is going to pay the gallery to have her solo show there. The gallery takes care of promotions and advertising, mail out, the grand opening with fabulous guests and excellent refreshments - the works. The artist only is required to contribute the funds, deliver art work on time and attend the opening while looking thoughtful and mildly extravagant in the process. There has been only a vague mentioning of some commission paid some time in future for the works sold. Nevertheless, my friend is happy. She finally made her big decision after dreaming of a grand show for a while now. It will be OK. Her work sells. There are friends and family, long time supporters who are always happy to participate in her life and who appreciate her art.

Now, this arrangement reveals a curious state of affairs. In such an environment some galleries can hardly claim to represent the artist, their art, their beliefs and their philosophy. Besides the fact that only those who are able to take the costs up front can be represented. If the payment for the space and outgoings is paid by the artist - what there is motivation for the operator of the gallery to go that extra mile to sell artwork, to nurture and educate buying public, share ideas making mark on the current and future art development and the markets? Not all gallery owners need to rely on their knowledge of the art world, their passion and dedication. Quite a few have turned into managers of rental spaces with marketing services added. “The times are tough; we have to pay our costs. We can’t afford to take risks anymore,” - they say. But if a deep and wide understanding of the art world and the market place it operates and evolves in was employed, there would be minimal risks. Has the current economic and, even more so, cultural climate reached such a state that it is squeezing out of business a gallery director - the independent and highly knowledgeable, forward looking supporter and friend of the artists?

I like my friend’s work. Her show is going to be a wonderful event. If I could only stop calculating in my mind how many art supplies could be bought with the funds that were transferred to the gallery’s accounts.

Ausra Larbey

Replies: 6 Comments

on Wednesday, February 9th, unknown said

Who cares...really? Times are getting tough so the galleries are showing pretty little pictures to pay their bills. Artists who have the money to rent their own galleries usually have more money than talent.

Honestly, the good work these days is going straight from the artist's studio and into storage.

on Wednesday, February 9th, Mark Brockman said

Never, Never pay rent for a gallery. If you want to have the burden of the cost then rent your own space even if it is just for a month. A gallery that charges rent and fees has no reason to sell your work, they already made their money. I have been doing this for a long time, nearly thirty years and I have never paid a cent to a gallery to show my work. I work now with a gallery and two dealers and all costs are thier's. better to have a show in your home/studio then rent gallery space, unless it is a co-op type, there you are all partners in the venture.

on Wednesday, February 9th, Walter King said

Manet and later the Impressionists all held private showings funded by themselves in the beginning. In their case they simply rented space-- in Manet's case it was a booth more or less-- and did their own advertising. But again as Lindley Karstens mentions (and I think it is important to keep this in mind) the arrangement with such galleries is "strictly a business arrangement" and not only that but one in which the gallery being rented is the employee during that aggreement and the artist is the employer. So make sure you are in control of all aspects of the agreement and the gallery does the work you are hiring them to do. And again Lindley is dead right about commissions being out of the question in this arrangement unless the gallery is sharing some of the costs and therefore the risk. One must not have stars in ones eyes these days.

on Wednesday, February 9th, Lindley Karstens said

Vanity publishing (books and art) is a long-standing tradition. It serves a place in the scheme of things, providing a venue of last resort. As Karen mentioned, there are many ways to introduce your work to an audience. In cases where an artist has tried everything, and found no other venue, renting gallery space for a show remains an option. However, an artist renting space for his or her own show should remember that this is strictly a business arrangement. Every financial detail should be clearly spelled out in a contract: how much the artist will pay for the show, what the gallery will provide in the way of services, and a clause that clearly specifies that all proceeds from sale of artwork go to the artist. The idea of paying a commission in this situation is absurd. The point of paying commissions to a gallery is to support their business even as they are supporting the artist. A vanity gallery is offering nothing more than a fixed service, and they get paid for it up front. If the show is a huge success, they get nothing extra because they took no risks.

on Wednesday, February 9th, Karen Sloan said

Not all galleries are like that. Get out your city's phone book and call to see if galleries in your area are accepting artist submissions. Or better yet, go online and email with a query and a link to your website. A website doesn't have to cost a thing, as mine is through MSN, but you will find,(if you don't get discouraged and give up along the way)that there will be a gallery owner that finds your work interesting. Paying to hang my work in someones space to me is not really all that authentic. If that is the case, join an artist's co-op, share the costs and it is much more plausible. You can start with a local library. They are always promoting local talent at no cost to you. I have done that and received excellent feedback and new clients. It really depends on how badly you want to succeed.

on Wednesday, February 9th, gysemberg patrick said

aren't galleries not always working the way you described it? If not, can you please inform me the other ways they might work? I surely think it all comes from one direction (the artist) and that there are galleries who seldom take a responsability,, but surely they are not all alike and some do provide an excellent supportive service and artistic value.

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02/08/2005: "Show your work later…" by Ausra Larbey