In this article, we want to talk about The Art Gallery . Join us .
Definition: What is an Art Gallery?
Whereas most of us know what an art museum is and what they do – more or less – when it comes to art galleries, it seems as if the public opinion is less familiar with them.
An art gallery is an exhibition space for the display and sale of artworks. As a result, the art gallery is a commercial enterprise working with a portfolio of artists in which the gallery acts as the dealer representing, supporting and distributing the artworks by the artists in question.
However, we must also note that not all galleries are the same. Although most art galleries work according to a similar method and organization, there are different types of art galleries implementing a different procedure. In this case, we will have to discuss each type one by one, presenting a thorough overview of what an art gallery is and in what shape or form it can present itself.
What Does an Art Gallery Do?
Art galleries have very diversified activities with each gallery having a slightly different approach to their business. However, in general, there are certain things almost all art galleries do which could be considered as the core of their business.
An art gallery creates a curated exhibition program of their represented artists – or artist estates – with whom they have a (long-term) collaboration, supporting and monitoring their careers, selling their artworks and promoting them in order to grow their careers.
In a nutshell, this would summarize what art galleries do including everything that comes with it. To be a bit more in depth, lets dive into certain specific elements:
- Curate the exhibition program
- Building a portfolio of artists and artist estates
- Sell and distribute artworks
- Represent and support the artists
How To Work with an Art Gallery?
A major goal for almost any artist is to work together with an art gallery. Sadly, there are more artists looking for gallery representation than there are galleries looking for new artists to represent.
As we have discussed in our in depth article on How To Succeed as a Painter/Artist, do not contact galleries by the dozen, sending out artist statements and portfolios introducing yourself out of the blue. The truth is, galleries receive unsolicited submissions by artists on a daily basis. So if you do send out portfolios to multiple galleries, your submission will most likely be ignored or thrown on a high pile of other submissions. Even more, most galleries don’t like to be contacted all the time being asked to invest in people they don’t know. As a result, there is a very real threat you will have a bad name among galleries due to this strategy.
