MentorMe is a free resource for creatives who wish to learn from their peers. This Q&A resource provides insights into advice for working with Galleries, what you should expect from working with a gallery, and the differences between selling privately versus through a gallery. In each guide a different group of artists and photographers will share their insights, personal experiences and advice with creatives that wish to grow and evolve in their artistic practice.
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine mentors encourage, guide and inspire emerging artists as they explore their creativity, develop their technical skills and find their personal style.
MentorMe Edition 4 Mentors:
Jeremy Mann, Tran Nguyen, Kevin Peterson, Joel Rea, Lori Nelson, Rebecca Leveille, Brandi Milne, Kris Kuksi, and Kathrin Longhurst.
In Edition 4 Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Mentors respond to the following 3 questions:
- What advice would you give your fellow artists on how to get gallery representation?
- What are the 3 main do’s and don’ts for Galleries when working with artists?
- What are the benefits and disadvantages of selling your work through a gallery rather then privately?
Below 3 of the 9 mentors respond to the following question:
What are the benefits and disadvantages of selling your work through a gallery rather then privately?
What are the benefits and disadvantages of selling your work through a gallery rather then privately?
Joel Rea: “I’ve sold the majority of my work through Galleries, so that’s the system I know. This division of labour helps me focus only on making my work and in tern I can put maximum effort into creating. Dealing with clients directly requires a lot of professionalism so expect distractions and a learning curve.”
What are the benefits and disadvantages of selling your work through a gallery rather then privately?
Rebecca Leveille: ” Good galleries will work hard to build a collector base and relationships for you. They can lift your prices and provide a reputation of having represented other strong artists that you yourself would like to be associated with. At a certain level of the art world, WHO buys your art becomes a relevant thing and galleries will have those contacts in the way that you won’t when selling your work. These prominent collectors also are unlikely to buy from you directly.
If you are just starting out- just do whatever you need to do to sell you work and build a life with it and don’t get into an EXCLUSIVE relationship with one gallery unless you are ready to.”
What are the benefits and disadvantages of selling your work through a gallery rather then privately?
Tran Nguyen: “There’s a sense of prestige and credibility that you gain from selling works through a gallery. You’ll be able to reach a wider collector’s audience and there’s usually more exposure when collaborating with them rather than selling privately. Galleries are a gateway for the public to learn more about art so it’s good to support a place where people can gather, look, and talk about beautiful art.”
To read the other Mentors’ answers to this question or any other in Edition 4 please click here to download our FREE Artist Resource, MentorMe.
