I often cruise Art shops (and occasionally Craft ones too) to see what’s new, what inspires and what’s still the same old same old. In one I walked into recently I noticed they have small pine boxes with latches, and some had clear see through tops in a range of sizes.
I guess the crafty and scrapbooking types will recognise them as a way of creating some form of “Keepsake” device where precious memories are displayed and therefore it’s a way of exploring 3D collaging in an intimate setting.
In the same way I think the boxes have a lot to offer the Art Student and or Visual Artist. Firstly the boxes are plain pine so they can be varnished, stained, painted and or added to in many ways.
The boxes could be a way of exploring 3d Art without having to go big scale and deal with storage issues of large works. I think the intimacy a small work can create could be an interesting drawcard as well.
For creative starting points lets think about a few possibilities…
Create a series of small things to place in the box along one theme.
Try making small 3D paper objects, perhaps out of printed or painted paper… consider origami as a starting point.
The box could contain found objects relating to one theme.
The box could house a working model of some kind, perhaps you pull a string or press a button to make a mechanism “do something” inside the box.
Simply use it as a frame to house a miniature painting and perhaps give the painting a fresh or different meaning.
Consider making the contents so they could be changed by the owner to reflect a different mood or feeling.
Jamming it full of letters cut out of magazines, and shaking it to create a different work each time it’s shaken.
As a place to put very small written works or images which can cover the internal walls like wall paper (great if the box is deep).
Hang a fine string like a clothes line and attach miniature objects to the line. You could add a painted scene in the background.
Hang small things off strings set at differing depths to add depth.
Paint an optical illusion in the box using the depth of the box for enhanced effect.
Use a deeper box like a diorama and set up a miniature scene of some kind.
Of course the possibilities are endless, the main thing here being the price of the boxes I looked at were very cheap, and came in a range of sizes.
If you create one or three of these, send us a link to a photo in the comments for this post and show us what you have created!
As an Art student or even as an Artist, you probably have a lot going on, teachers and lecturers wanting you to explore this and that, themes to pursue, techniques to be tried out and so on. Well here’s a technique to use to keep lots of these forces happy.
Most of you will have a facebook page, as such you realise you can share a lot of things with the world, pictures especially and comments.
So try the daily challenge (It could be weekly but hey, a bit of a push wouldn’t hurt…) the aim is to put a picture every day online for a set period (one I know of is a 365 day photo challenge.) and therefore put up one image a day and comment on it.
Your Teachers and Peers can add comments and provide critiques. At each stage you could offer a lot of info or little info… perhaps stick to a formula of a few points, why I took this photo, how I lit the photo, why this composition works and so on…
This way you can show you are working, get feedback, see if patterns evolve, it could be the same with drawings or any other media!
The only downside is having teachers and lecturers as friends on facebook! Okay probably not a bad thing either…
Thanks to David Gray one of my Nephews, whose 365 day facebook photo challenge gave me the idea!
Steven Biller is a Southern California-based Visual Arts Consultant. I recently chatted to him to find out more about what he does and how he does it. Enjoy!
I imagine you might get a lot of artists wanting to be represented by you, or am I guessing wrongly here? Not many. I don’t advertise. I look for artists I know I can place in strong gallery programs. I’m more of a scout, for artists and gallerists.
What sorts of artists do you focus on?
I focus on outstanding emerging artists and artists who have appreciable exhibition experience but need a new dealer. I like artists who confront the issues of the day — and not necessarily in representative fashion.
Why are they your focus and not, say university graduates?
I do look at university graduates. MFA thesis shows reveal tons of great talent. The best part of the 2009 Los Angeles Art Show was the student show at the back of the convention center. I was disappointed that the students received only a sliver of space at the 2010 fair.
What sorts of services do you provide?
I review portfolios, select artists who warrant a studio visit, evaluate their work in person, and give an honest assessment of why I will or will not represent or market the artist. Then we work together to identify appropriate gallery programs. After that, it’s about building trust and relationships.
When you go to an artist’s studio, what sorts of things do you look for? I’m interested in artists with a clear vision, thoughtful execution, evenness in quality, and commitment to an aesthetic. Quality is not as subjective as you might think.
You work with galleries also, in what way?
I curate shows from time to time, but I mostly help them refine their rosters to sharpen their programs. And, having worked in publishing for more than 20 years, I offer full-service custom publishing (write, design, and produce exhibition catalogs and artist monographs), as well as PR and marketing services.
What sorts of things do artists do to “shoot themselves in the foot” so to speak that causes a gallery or agents to not take them on?
Artists too frequently neglect to learn about a gallery’s program before going in with their portfolios insisting their work will fit in and sell well in this space. Don’t be so presumptuous. Art is tough in the studio, and even tougher in the gallery. Dealers know what their clients want; if they say “it’s not for us,” accept that without taking it as a blow to your work. You might be a phenomenal landscape painter in the Midwest. A dealer of early California Impressionism will not give you the time of day. I guess like many galleries you get plenty of requests to look at artists websites. What are some of the things that cause you to cringe or become elated, when you do take a look? I generally read artists sites for biographical and exhibition information, and reserve judgment on the art until I see it in person. I’ll dismiss most derivative work and art that falls outside of my interest or aesthetic before ever considering a time-consuming studio visit.
How did you get started in business, and was it easy to get “accepted” by galleries?
I fell into this. I study art every day, keep up with what’s happening here and abroad, and try to see as much art as possible. Who knows if any galleries “accept” me, whatever that means, but I’m sure they appreciate the experiences I bring to our meetings.
Let’s imagine you find a great emerging artist but you find they have used a vanity gallery a few times to try and be noticed, would that put you off? Yes, it would put me off. That’s not how to get noticed. Good dealers never look at those sites. Good artists who cannot find good dealers should seek out people like myself. We can assess the work and point artists in a direction that will not compromise the integrity of the work.
On the PR side of things do you advertise your services to galleries, collectors and investors or who if any and how…
I don’t advertise at all. I put myself in the right places to meet the right people. That takes years to develop. It really is who you know — and who they know.
How do you go abut telling artists who are not contemporary (but think they are) their style is not what they think it is…
I’m honest. The worst thing you can do to an artist is give false hope. If it’s decorator art, so be it. Make yourself known to interior designers who’ll buy your canvases in bulk. It’s an honest living. There’s no shame in being a commercial or production artist if you enjoy the work and earn a living from it.
When you get an artist represented does your connection with them continue from there?
Yes! In fact, I work harder for those artists — and for the galleries that represent them. If they succeed, so do I.
Are there a few key points artists should do to make themselves more marketable?
Be ruthless when editing your work. Only allow the best pieces out of your studio. Not everything is a masterpiece. Let go of the ego and rework those mediocre and bad pieces. You know which ones I mean …
Artists websites, there are those for them and others against them, how about you?
They’re great for artists to present their work chronology, their bios, their exhibition histories. But avoid selling from the site. If you sell from your site, don’t expect galleries to work with you. You’ll be competing with them. Direct inquiries to your dealers. They’ll respect your professionalism and pay you a set share. If a client want to buy from your inventory, discuss it with your dealer before sealing the deal. Relationships are everything in this business.
Is it hard to categorize art so you make sure artists understand the type of work you want and how do you go about it? It’s immensely difficult. I don’t want to define my preferences too narrowly. I work with artists who make work that I would never hang in my own collection. If it’s good, it’s good. I’m working with a glass sculptor after promising myself I would never touch glass. But this guy stands out because of his process and the narrative of the work. He’s not a glass blower who makes pretty vessels. He’s a sculptor who uses glass. I also try to avoid digital photography, but found myself organizing a show with an important photographer who switched away from film. Never say never …
Is there a “one size fits all” solution you use for all artists or is each given a highly tailored solution? Each artist is different. My objectives might be the same for many artists, but the road we take will always look different for each of them.
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This portrait by Rupert Shrive shows the idea of representing someone in a portrait does not have to be a basic square or rectangle.
So lets explore a few different ways you could do a portrait.
Project or draw directly a photo of someone on to crumpled paper, draw the image and then smooth out the paper.
Get a bunch of images of your subject then print them in Black and white on paper in a printer, then use coloured pencils to draw around the images and present them in a row. Try different papers like tracing paper for a different approach.
Overlap multiple images of the person on one page, then draw more heavily, the interesting parts and see what happens.
Get a 3D mask (often in craft shops) and project and draw or draw directly onto the mask then paint.
Overlap a range of paper shapes, project image, draw then separate the paper, and play with various compositions. perhaps try photocopying a range of compositions and re work these to suit.
Scan any of the above images into your computer and put text in the background of the image which relates to the person. It could be a story or poem, or even just a bunch of words which relates to the person.
Project images on to a box and draw that, what happens when that’s flattened out?
Do a “straight” portrait, copy it a few times, now abstract stylise, simplify or simply alter the colours with paint or pencils, how do they look in a row? What happens if you alter the order of them…
These are just starting points to work from, but once you have tried these, think about doing a straight portrait, do you think it will be easy? Perhaps it might seem too bland as a process and ask yourself which one really portrays the subject matter the best…. Enjoy!
Yes you read right Mail Art check this guys blog site there are thousands (seems that way to me) of examples of art in and out of his mail box! http://iuoma.blogspot.com/ Go on send some art today!
Here are a bunch of new Contemporary Artist Interviews over at our other site. You can read how they do what they do, and lots of info on recent projects and ideas. http://stevegray.com.au/blog
This is a great article all Artists should read and understand, often if you are rejected from an award, an exhibition, any application for funding etc it can seem devestating, however a quick read of this article and you can set yourself at ease (at least a little!)
I wish I was starting out, back in Yr 11… no wait I’m wrong I would hate it, all the drawing, the homework, the learning new things, getting my tongue around works like juxtaposition.. yeah I’m better off here, not there.
So if you are a newbie to the Visual Arts welcome to a life of adventure (and quite possibly torment at some stage or other), but fear not young learners (and more mature ones too…) this site (and others like it) are here to assist your journey and hopefully ease some pain.
If you are in Yr 11 at secondary school and wanting to get the jump on the the rest of the class, pull up a chair and have a good look through whats in here… Techniques, creativity boosting strategies, links to some interviews with Artists, how investors look at Art and so much more. Then take notes and GET STARTED!
Draw like your life depended on it, take photo’s like there is no tomorrow (one day you will be right…) write out idea,s carve thing up, break things down, explore techniques and materials then explore Contemporary Artist interviews with vigour and interest, it will all be worthwhile in the end. Oh and take a look at any lists, which tell you the benefits of being involved in the arts and nail it up in a few great places, you won’t go wrong!
I wish you well in your Art Journey, Steve Gray. Jan 2010
The Pricing Game
Pricing Secrets Artists Need To Embrace
A message from art publisher Eric Rhoads
Let’s play a couple of games….
Imagine for a moment that you’re fairly wealthy. Not billionaire wealthy, but wealthy enough that you don’t need to think twice about going out and paying cash for a new $80,000 Lexus.
Most artists price themselves too low because they can’t relate to wealth, so it’s important to imagine yourself with wealth for this exercise. Are you there yet?
Now imagine that you go to the flea market on a Saturday. There is a guy at the flea market selling what he claims is a brand-new Mercedes for $13,000. Would you consider it, even for a moment?
No? Why not?
Because something smells rotten. First, we all know you can’t buy a new Mercedes for $13,000. Second, would you buy a new Mercedes at the flea market from someone you don’t know? Even at a full Mercedes price? Probably not. Your brain won’t let you buy when a sale doesn’t pass the smell test.
Next game.
You’re still wealthy. Now imagine that you walk into a very stylish blue chip art gallery in Manhattan. You see two paintings you love equally. One painting is $65,000 and the other one is $2,500. You can only buy one. You can afford either. Which will you buy?
Why did you pick the $65,000 painting? There must be a reason.
The reason is that your smell test tells you there must be something wrong with the $2,500 painting. If I like them both equally, why aren’t they both expensive? Your brain tells you it must be better because it’s more expensive, since it’s from a quality source.
Our last game.
You’re still wealthy, and you see a screaming commercial on television for an art sale at the Holiday Inn. Though you know it’s going to be schlock art, you go for amusement, and maybe to pick up something cheap to hang in the basement. Most of the paintings are $125 framed. One painting is $50,000. Would you buy the $50,000 painting?
Why not? The price doesn’t match the environment. You’re probably thinking it’s a fraud from a company that will be on the road with your money by midnight. It doesn’t pass the smell test.
The Psychology of Price and Environment In game one, your brain told you the price for a new Mercedes was too low. It also told you that it’s probably stolen, because lots of things at a flea market might be stolen. Any time your brain faces something that doesn’t equate, it rejects it to protect you. If you had seen a new $13,000 Mercedes at a credible dealer, you still would have asked yourself, “What’s wrong with it?” But you would probably trust the dealer and their reasoning a little more, because of the trusted environment.
More artworks don’t sell because they are priced too low, and are not priced for environment.
Wait, Eric. How can this be true? People always want a bargain. So a lower price is always better than a higher price, right?
Nope.
Case in point? I’m more likely to pay $80,000 for a new Lexus than the same model at $40,000. The discount is too deep, so something must be wrong. It must have been wrecked. Yet a price of, say, $68,000 seems like a legitimate discount. My “BS Meter” tells me something is wrong when the discount is too deep.
A Famous Painter’s Story I swore I wouldn’t use this man’s name, but he is a household name among living painters today. One day at lunch I asked, “How did you get your prices so high?”
“Eric, in the 1950s I had a painting sit in a gallery for two years unsold. It was a great little painting. I was young, but my work was already very strong. I wasn’t very confident, so it had a $1,000 price on it. So after two years I pulled it out and put it in another gallery. I figured what the heck, and I put a price of $3,000 on it. It sat for a year unsold so I moved it to another gallery and put a price of $6,000 on it. A year later it still hadn’t sold. Out of frustration, I sent it to another gallery, put an $18,000 price on it, and it sold within three weeks.”
True story.
When you pick up this painter’s Rembrandt-like works, they look like they should sell for a lot of money. If you’re a person with taste and money, there must be something wrong with a painting that’s too cheap. A price of a painting must feel right. If it’s too cheap or too expensive, it won’t sell. Which is why my artist friend’s painting didn’t sell at the first two prices.
Environment Impacts Price Why can a 5th Avenue boutique with a name brand get $10,000 for an item you can buy in the garment district for $500? It’s all about the strength of the environment (which equates to a strong brand to trust). It’s a combination of neighborhood, quality decor, and reputation (which is brand and trust).
It’s not unusual to see someone walk into a beautifully decorated gallery and drop $200,000. That same person may walk down the street and feel reluctant to spend $5,000 in a shabby gallery. That’s why Lexus dealers and blue chip New York art galleries spend a fortune decorating their showrooms. Environment commands higher prices.
I know a New York dealer in an elegant setting, with French marble stairways and beautiful fabric walls. They can command a considerably higher price for a painting because of their reputation, which has been built on environment and brand trust. Even telling a knowing friend you bought a painting from that gallery sends a signal that you must have spent a fortune. That’s important in some circles.
Frames Are Like Environment One dealer friend told me he had a $14,000 painting that sat unsold for a year. Before sending it back to the artist, he put the painting in a $5,000 frame and put a $40,000 price on it. It sold within a week. He increased his profit with the quality of the frame.
Quality art buyers often judge an artwork by its frame. If it’s in a low-quality frame, how good can the painting really be? High-quality frames make a huge difference in perception and the ability to get a high price. It’s why there are frame dealers who create million-dollar custom frames and can’t keep them in stock.
What does this mean to you, the artist?
1. It’s a lot easier to make a living on high prices. You don’t have to produce as much work.
2. Most prices set by artists are rooted in their own insecurity.
3. Your gallery partner has to have their mind wrapped around your pricing. If they don’t believe they can sell it, they won’t. Make sure you have a gallery willing to ask high prices.
4. Some galleries won’t even consider representing you if your prices are too low. Why bother? It’s too hard to make money on inexpensive paintings.
5. Yes, price matters in a bad economy more than it normally would. BUT in a bad economy there are more wealthy buyers than lower-end buyers. Wealthy people usually want quality, and, to them, price equates with quality.
6. Your prices cannot be inconsistent. You cannot have low prices in one gallery and high in another or online. Be consistent.
7. Pricing takes guts and the right environment.
Should You Raise Your Prices? I cannot tell you to raise your prices. Most (not all) the artists I know could be getting 100%-500% higher prices without much resistance. Yes, your work has to be quality, but most of the artists I know are underselling themselves because they fear what will happen if they increase their prices. Are you worth it? It’s worth strong consideration.
If you are heading into the study of Visual Art, at secondary school, TAFE, University or some other course of learning then you may find the following list of value. For secondary students if your folks are giving you grief about taking on an art subject or course, print the list and nail it to their foreheads with a nail gun, if they don’t get why you want to do art by then, move house! (okay that’s a joke but think about it as an image, neat huh…)
Teachers feel free to use this list anytime someone in “authority” decides to cut your budget, give you grief about art being non essential etc… or use it to show parents the value of art and why their child should make it a subject worthy of their learning and not throw clay etc…
“Studying Visual Art, can…”
Be a creative outlet from more academic subjects you may choose.
Build further knowledge of Visual Art and Art techniques.
Allow you to express yourself creatively.
Put emphasis on the value of content, which helps students understand “quality” as a key value.
Build problem-solving skills.
Make us think and see in a way that everyday reality cannot.
Put you in touch with your soul.
Put us in touch with other customs, heritage, society and civilisations.
Be therapeutic.
Convey knowledge, meaning, and skills not learned through the study of other subjects
Boost your confidence and self esteem.
Boost literacy skills.
Help you to describe things in detail and explore the use of words to better describe things.
Flex your “brain muscle!”
Give you a sense of accomplishment.
Give you, Critical thinking; Problem solving; Teamwork; Informed perception; Tolerating ambiguity; and Appreciating different cultures.
Develop fine motor skills.
Cultivate the whole person.
Add to your emotional intelligence.
Help you to make sense of the world.
Give you higher level thinking skills.
Prepare us to handle a challenging world.
Develop collaborative and teamwork skills, technological competencies, flexible thinking, and an appreciation for diversity.
Enhance self discipline.
Develop intuition, reasoning, imagination, and dexterity into unique forms of expression and communication.
Develop a sensitive, and intelligent participation in society.
Build thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and critical judgment.
Nourish creativity.
Assist us to appreciate and understand ourselves better.
Be a significant catalyst for community development support for cultural institutions, and economic health.
Add to our aesthetic literacy.
Give us access to greater understanding of a universal language.
Encourage high achievement.
Encourage a suppleness of mind, toleration for ambiguity, a taste for nuance, and the ability to make trade-offs among alternative courses of action.
Assist us to be more comfortable using many different symbol systems (verbal, mathematical, visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
Assist us to understand and appreciate others.
Teach us about materials and processes.
Assist us to integrate knowledge and “think outside the square.”
Lead to a range of creative career options.
Engage and develop human intellectual ability…
Assist us to explore challenges and test out ideas.
Art education is vital for today’s world including the ability to allocate resources; to work successfully with others; to find, analyze, and communicate information; to operate increasingly complex systems of seemingly unrelated parts; and, finally, to use technology.
Learning is an action process, and the arts allow students to take action, to do things, to make mistakes, to explore and search for answers. No other educational medium offers the same kind of opportunity.
Art can provide an unparalleled opportunity to teach higher-level basics, which are increasingly critical, not only for today’s work force, but also tomorrow’s…
“The quality of civilization can be measured by the breadth of symbols used. We need words, music, dance and the visual arts to give expression to the profound urgings of the human spirit.
Now more than ever, all people need to see clearly, hear acutely and feel sensitively through the arts. These languages are no longer simply desirable but are essential if we are to convey adequately our deepest feelings, and survive with civility and joy.” Ernest L. Boyer,
Thats the list and a few notions to explore… I hope that helps!
Leading professor and Chair of the Faculty at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, James Catterall has an insightful book “Doing Well and Doing Good by Doing Art: A 12-Year Longitudinal Study of Arts Education—Effects on the Achievements and Values of Young Adults (2009).”
Catterall’s study addresses the questions “Do the arts matter?” “Just how?” and “For whom?” Focusing on more than 12,000 students from diverse backgrounds, the study’s findings demonstrate, intensive involvement in the arts by students during middle and high school is positively associated with higher levels of achievement in school and college attainment.
But if you still get grief for exploring Visual Art then hand the harasser this career option list… and remind them that studying subjects like psychology, sport, high level maths, physics and the like does not mean a job in those areas, but they are also part of building a range of life skills of value in a range of jobs and career options.
Some possible career options…
Graphic designer.
Multi media designer.
Photographer.
Artist.
Craftsperson.
Furniture designer.
Gallery Director.
Gallery Assistant.
Illustrator.
Interior Designer.
Printer.
Screen Printer.
Architect.
Art Therapist.
Cartoonist.
Animator.
Museum Technician.
Hairdresser.
Set and props designer/constructor
for theatre, films or TV.
Sign Writer.
Web page Designer.
Costume Designer.
Art Teacher.
Industrial Designer.
Fashion Designer.
P.S. it didn’t take too long to do an internet search on the benefits of studying art to build my lists from… think of them as starting points to do some of our own research and see what else you can find.
10 Secrets To Sell Art In A Down Economy
By art publisher and marketing expert B. Eric Rhoads
If you’re an artist blessed with a marketing gene, you may already know these secrets. Yet as I communicate with over 40,000 artists in my art marketing blog, I find that most have never heard them.
I hear from artists every day. Most tell me they are not selling as much artwork as last year. Some tell me they are prospering. The difference is that those who are successful understand these 10 basic secrets:
1. Attitude Determines Your Success:
I’m not talking about positive-thinking hocus-pocus. But when I interview successful people, they all have one thing in common: “I made up my mind that I’m not going to let this recession impact me.” This is a CRITICAL step. Most of us give ourselves an out by telling ourselves that it’s OK to fail because everyone else is. To succeed, you cannot think like everyone else. I have a giant sign in my office that reads: “2010 Is Our Best Year Yet.” Note the use of the word IS — not will be. It’s important to train your subconscious mind to believe that it is. I have to look at it daily and not let myself off the hook.
2. Develop and Follow a Strategy:
You wouldn’t take a road trip without a map, yet most artists don’t have a road map for their art business. Most don’t like to look at themselves as businesses, but as artists. But if you rely on income from your art sales, you are in business.
A critical element is to create a business plan. Put it in writing and mark the milestones on a calendar. Hold yourself accountable and look ahead. If you’re about to miss a milestone, don’t let yourself off the hook.
Your plan needs to include:
• Your financial goal (after taxes)
• Exactly how many pieces you must sell to hit that goal, and at what price point
• In what ways you will sell your art
Develop a list of tactics and build them into your plan.
3. Make Money While You Sleep:
How can you make money while you sleep? The key is to find ways your art can sell without your having to manage the process. You’re just one person. How can you get several people viewing it and selling your art? The more sales agents selling your work, the better. Galleries, for example, are sales agents.
4. Stand in a River of Flowing Money:
Where is money already flowing? Go there! If one city is selling a lot of art and another is not, target a gallery or a means of selling in the city where sales are taking place. A big New York City gallery opened a location in Beijing during the Olympics because of the influx of money there, and because so many Chinese were buying art. Art is selling well in some places. Find out where, and find a way to get your art there.
5. Price to the Market Without Dropping Your Value:
I never recommend lowering prices because it’s hard to raise them again. But many artists know that when money is tight, it’s easier to sell a less expensive painting. Many artists are creating smaller works. One artist I know is creating one small painting a day and selling the paintings on eBay (under an assumed name) for $100 each. He sells almost every one, and is generating an extra $2,000 a month. He is also painting fewer large works, but his galleries are moving the small ones.
6. Increase Visibility:
Seek every opportunity to increase your visibility as an artist. It increases the odds of getting noticed. Bottom line: More bait in the water equals more fish on the hook. Work hard to generate publicity from local, regional, and national publications and websites. Take an active role on Facebook andTwitter. Post new works that have not been seen before. Send e-mails and new-painting notifications to collectors, and expand your build. Place ads in publications. You need to be seen MORE when times are worse because you need to reach more potential buyers.
7. Repetition Works. I Repeat. Repetition Works:
I’ve been a marketing guy for many years, and the most critical marketing lesson is that ONE impression does not sell. People may see your ad or story, but they won’t remember it. They may intend to respond, but they forget. That’s why you see the same ads over and over on television. Repetition works. Single impressions do not. Repeat your message over and over.
8. Expand Your Market:
Do you consider yourself local, national, or international? If you only sell in your town or region, you’re limiting yourself to local cycles. If you can get into more cities and art centers nationwide and worldwide, the increased exposure will lead to more sales.
9. Get Creative:
Get some friends together and brainstorm. Make a list of 100 ways you can sell paintings. You say there aren’t 100 ways, but there are. Force yourself not to stop until you get to 100. Don’t judge anything. Write every idea down, then start trying some you’ve never done. Creative approaches will make you stand out.
10. Build Your Brand: Every product is a brand. You, the artist, need to be a brand. When people know brands and know what that brand stands for, over time they develop trust. Trust often equals a purchase. You trust McDonald’s for consistent food anywhere in the world. Though this goes along with visibility, find ways to reinforce the things you think people need to know or remember about your artwork. “Jill’s paintings are….” or “Bob’s photographs are….” Advertising and publicity can build your brand, but it’s best if you control the way the brand is perceived.
You can also do branding with Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc. Be careful to build the brand in a positive way. For instance, if every Facebook entry shows you with a bottle of absinthe in your hand, it may send the wrong signal (or the right one, if you feel the bad-boy, Van Gogh approach is your image). Start with what you want your image to be, and find ways to reinforce that focus.
The Harsh Reality of Recession It’s true. Fewer artworks are selling. Yet every day I hear reports of artwork sold at all price levels. Guess who is selling the artwork that is being purchased? The artists who are working to remain visible. Most artists shrink back during tough times, when they should be working harder to be seen.
Yes, it takes guts. Yes, it’s hard work. Yes, there is risk. But consider the alternatives. The rewards are worth it.
Make up your mind to make a plan, stick with it, and be accountable to it.
As a student of the Visual Arts, cost of materials is generally a big factor, you want to paint but by the time you make a stretcher, get the canvas (heck linen is so expensive, canvas is it…) then stretch it and undercoat… PHEW it’s time to paint at last!
All very well but the cost is sending you broke… so what to do?
Q. Especially in the start of the learning process, are you about to create a masterpiece? Chances are no…
A. So why go expensive, grab a big chunk of “straw-board” whack on the undercoat and get started.
1. It’s faster to get started.
2. It’s cheaper.
3. It’s easy to store…
Lets face it even if you do a “masterpiece” on board you will probably be able to “copy” it in canvas anyway…
Limitations… size, no canvas texture and permanency. Other than that give it a go…
How about another idea, use canvas, but stretch it onto a board of some kind, plywood etc using drawing pins, paint, let it dry and hang it using bulldog clips. You want a neater finish? hem the edges on a sewing machine…
Hey what about those cheap Chinese canvases you see in the two dollar shops? are they any good, short answer, no… but if you want cheap and are desperate to paint grab one or twenty then go for for it! Some of the sizes are bigger than straw-board so that’s useful. Its cheap but storage becomes the issue (again!)
In other areas of Visual Art there are probably heaps of ways of making things more cost effective… think about where you source materials from and explore the options…
Remember this… “Make Art Have fun…” (at least some of the time.)
You may have a studio full of Art works to sell, or maybe it didn’t sell… hmm what to do? well here’s an approach that worked to sell CD’s what if it could be adapted to Visual Artworks?
http://sivers.org/livecd
Go ahead, jot down your thoughts in the comments section about how you think it could be adapted…
Marketing can build relationships with your target audience, remind people, push their “buttons”, intrigue them, tease them, inform them, educate them… So with these points in mind the aim in marketing a show is to get the right people there to see what you have. Selling, well that’s another matter…
If the show is…
Because you have to pass a course, you may not market too much because you may not care to spend money you think is a waste of time… you want the pass and that’s it.
Because you want a big name gallery to notice you, chat to them first, they may not go to other shows, they may simply say “hey you we want you…”
Because you want other artists to see your show, then figure out where they are at and give them your message.
Because you want to sell lots of your work, market like crazy to the RIGHT people, those who buy art… your sort of art. Profile them, see where they buy, how they buy, what they buy, stalk down the way they do things so you can fit to their way of doing things (no not alter what you do artistically) sell to them the way they want to be sold to.
Some key areas to consider…
Sort out the target market… If you are hiring a gallery to showcase your art to the art world then invite “art world” people. Galleryists, curators etc…. start your database of them now.
Set up a website for the show or a page or blog on your own site dedicated to the task.
Develop site content inc your bio and lots of “indicative” pics if the show is still being created.
Add links to your site if separate.
Create a bunch of teasers to email out. These remind people of what’s happening and when.
Get on art forums and investor networking sites and target collectors and investors.
Plan the image, if it needs a logo do one, or get one created.
Develop a news or media release, can’t do it? Get someone who can.
Sponsors and or supporters… if there are any, organise them early, be clear about what you want from them and why….
Start building your face book, Twitter and or other social networking sites early, a one hit here I am does not build the relationship and is a waste of time.
Postcards send these to your target audience… perhaps an invite, or perhaps a teaser, or maybe a series of images you send them to build your image with them.
Keep adding to the website for the show, new images as they evolve, When key things are happening. Etc.
What adverts will you do? Art Almanac, what’s on directories? Art Magazines… what will the advert say or cause them to do (some form of call to action perhaps?) What lead times do they require?
Online art sites, some have forums so you can tell the world about what you are doing.
Google adword campaigns, sort this out early, set a tough budget and stick to it! Check the wording, make a number of options so they rotate through, test them and keep tweaking them to suit. Only x days to go… see my work… whatever to grab attention and cause them to click through to your site with the details on it.
Time line and or marketing plan, great to have all the things t do, but when, and how often…
Comment on other people’s blogs and forum posts… but AVOID SPAMMING! Let people know in appropriate ways, for example if someone is taking about fishing, jumping in with a link and a few lines on your art does not go down well. Find something in common and gently mention it if appropriate.
Add media contacts to your contact database then by following your plan you will know when to contact them, how to contact them and find ways to make it newsworthy.
Lumpy mail… okay so you sent out a postcard and or an invite… but can you send other “branded” items to cause people to think about your exhibition? Yes you can, use it to intrigue people, to tease them to get them engaged in what’s happening so they feel compelled to get there and see for themselves what all the fuss is about.
Clearly if you want people to know your exhibition is worthy of note, they need to sort yours from the rest and have a reason to go there. I believe we can not complain the audience was not big enough or there are not enough art collectors etc in the market place if we don’t do all we can to get them to our exhibition. How can they know something is on if no one tells them?
If you are holding a group show and want others to put in some effort to the marketing, make sure you are clear about what you want them to do and how they need to do it. Set the guidelines early so they know what to do and when to doit to what sort of standard…
That’s it, some pointers on how to market your artwork.
Apart from catching up with the Artists for a “quick natter” at an opening, you might want to have a longer chat with them one to one, or hear them explore their work with a small group. Well now you can…
The guys over at www.regionalis.com.au and their corresponding exhibition at red gallery 157 St Georges Rd North Fitzroy (Aug 19 - Sept 5th - Wed - Sat 11am - 5pm)
Aug 22 the Artists involved in Regionalis will be in the gallery from 1pm to 4pm ready to chat to you about their work.
So join them for a while and find out about art from the inside.
This stems from his interview with the community radio station 3CR.
It’s how to curate and organise a well thought out group exhibition, using the internet at almost every stage to facilitate it.
Step one:The ideaand the research behind it
Every group exhibition needs a theme, some kind of idea that ties it all together. It’s not enough that the artists went to school together, or that they’re all the same age. There needs to be something that thematically ties all the work together. Usually that’s a subject or topic the artists have all been given to respond to, or to re-show work that has already been created but fits in with the theme. I don’t mean to say that you can’t make exhibitions with school mates, but just that you shouldn’t make that the only thing that ties the work together.
Once you have what you consider a killer idea (after having discarded a bunch of not-so killer ideas) you need to research it (this is where the net comes in!) Research will help solidify it in your mind as well as making you aware of what other work is out there. It’d be a shame to come up with an awesome idea and put in all the work only for someone to tell you on opening night that the exact same idea was done 6 months ago in a gallery down the road. You might also want to research how other people have worked with your idea. For instance, when I was still formulating Totem: Dolls with Souls, which was an exhibition of internal self portrait dolls I curated in 2008, I did months of research on self portraits, dolls and craft in general so I would know what I was talking about when asked questions by artists. It also allowed me to understand the huge range of craft and dolls out there, which enabled me to broaden my understanding of the term ‘doll’ and thus of the kinds of work the artists submitted.
It also helps to talk to other artists you know about your idea and gather their feedback. Again, I use the web and networking sites (my blog and LJ) to ask people questions. Basically you’re doing market research on your idea. If you think you have the idea to end all ideas, the olympic gold of exhibition ideas and everyone you ask looks at you weirdly or politely excuses themselves from the conversation you need to have another think about your idea. However just because someone you ask thinks it’s not a winner doesn’t mean it’s not. Weigh carefully the advice you’re given and keep seeking opinions until you feel you have enough.
You’ll also need a killer title. Something clever, memorable and again, fits into your topic. Google it as well, to ensure that it hasn’t been used recently for the same thing in your state. No point having the perfect title if everyone acquaints it with a theatre show that was performed 3 months ago across town.
Step Two: The Venue and the Artist Callout
Once you have the perfect idea and the perfect title, you need to start approaching galleries. Artist run galleries are easy to find, do a google search for ones in your town. Pick one that suits your exhibition and budget and apply. Getting a gallery isn’t thatscary, most have their own websites and a form to fill in to apply. Some will ask for bios and photos of work of artists participating in the show, so this step needs to be done incoordination with the Artist Callout.
You should start an artist callout slowly until you have the gallery. Talk to your artist friends, and gather interest. For Totem, I emailed a number of artist friends and had them on board (with their bios and photos of their work) which I could then take to the venue.
However it doesn’t have to be a gallery. It can be a pub, cafe, empty building, anything you can find. Found spaces can make incredibly interesting venues, and can often turn out cheaper.
Once you have the venue, start putting the callout everywhere.
There’s a number of theories on how far away from the show itself you should talk to artists. If you talk to them 12 months out, they’ll have forgotten they said yes when it comes time to the exhibition. If you ask them 2 weeks out, they’re not going to have time to create anything for you.
I usually start about 4 months out, and try to have my quota of artists half or mostly filled by 3 months out.
The quota of artists is a really important number. Stand in your gallery space and decide how many works you can put in it. This will depend on what sort of work you’re seeking. If you want huge photos or paintings you’re obviously going to be able to fit less work in the gallery than if you were asking for tiny works. Then decide how many artists that means (if you are asking for only one work by each artist or 2 or 3, etc.) For Totem, I decided that I needed 100 dolls to fill the space, so I needed around 100 artists. But if this is your first exhibition, go with a MUCH smaller quota. 100 artists almost killed me, and I’ve done this before My first exhibition was 8 artists, my second was 3. These are good amounts to start with.
Now write your Callout. Explain in detail what you’re doing, where it will be and what you’re looking for. You can add a little about yourself if you like, to let people know who you are. Add an email address as a contact detail, but I wouldn’t advise you to put a mobile number or any other form of contact details on it. Remember that this, like anything you put on the net, could end up anywhere and with anyone. At the bottom of an artist callout I always write “Feel free to forward this onto anyone you think might be interested.” That way if it captures people’s attention, they’ll start doing your work for you. Also write a closing date for submissions to ensure that people won’t be contacting you three years down the track asking to participate.
Finding artists isn’t as hard as you might think. Start with people you know. Then look online. Seek local artists on etsy(craft), deviant art (art and photography), redbubble(photography), blogs and the like. Blogs are really useful, often you’ll find that onsomeone’s blog will be a list of other blogs, and usually a number of these will be in the same town. Remember to stick to your artist quota, so if you only need 10 artists, you’ll only need to approach maybe 40 people.
If you already have all your artists, then obviously you don’t need this part. For artists you don’t know, expect a drop out rate of about 1 in 5, IE for every 5 artists who originally say yes to being a part of your exhibition, 1 will drop out or you’ll never hear from again.
A good tip for working with artists you don’t know is once they’ve said yes, get them to fill in a form. This might sound a little silly, but make up a form with their name, address,mobile and email, artwork title, price, media and dimensions. You can’t rely on the fact that the name on someone’s email account is their real or preferred name. I had an artist who’s email name was something like Andrea Harold and her email address was andreaharold@…, so I assumed her name was Andrea Harold. At the opening of the show she came over to me and quietly told me that her name was Andrea and her husband’s name was Harold, and she told me her surname, which I’d never seen before. She and her friends thought it was hilarious (which I was eternally grateful for) but it does serve to illustrate my point. Had I got everyone to fill out a form, then it wouldn’t have happened and it would have been a little less embarrassing for me
Step Three: Timeline and keeping in touch with your artists
Ensure you have written a timeline, and then stick to it. A time line could look like this: Four months out: Start Callout Three months out: fulfill most of the artist quota Two months out: have fliers and posters printed and ready One month out: Submissions closed. Send out Press release. Two weeks out: organise opening night Three days out: Installation Show Duration: Four weeks Four weeks and one day: Bump Out of work
The timeline is really important. You can find a great one here at Craft Victoria. You also need to keep in touch with your artists. I send out an email to all the artists at least once a month. This does two things. One, it’s valuable to be able to let them know about updates and news, what’s going on with the show, how it’s all progressing, media interest you might have received, that sort of thing. I find that updates are particularlyimportant for interstate or overseas artists who will not know the local goings on of the art world. The other, and some might say more valuable thing, is that it keeps them feeling remembered and loved and IT REMINDS THEM THEY’RE IN AN EXHIBITION! You’d be amazed how many artists will say Yes to a show and then totally forget about it. Imagine if you have lined up 10 artists for a show, put in all the hard work with publicity and then on Installation day not one of them turns up. So an email a month reminds everyone they’re still in the game.
Something awesome that happened during the run up to Totem was that the participating artists photographed their finished dolls and posted them on their blogs andflickr sites. Google has an Alert function (http://www.google.com/alerts) where you cantype in a phrase and it will email you every time it finds it. So I created a “Dolls with Souls” alert and an “Omnific Assembly” alert (the name I curate exhibitions under). Every couple of days it found another Totem doll on a website, blog or flickr and would let me know about it. It was like finding little gifts all over the website. It was also useful to find where people were talking about the exhibition and what they were saying!
Also make sure you know what kind of art they’re going to submit. A framed piece that will hang on the wall is easy to install. A sculptural 3d piece will need some kind ofplinth/table/stack of boxes/ something to hold it off the floor, unless it’s supposed to be on the floor! Make sure you talk to your artists and find out how they envision their art in the venue. Sometimes you might need to negotiate if what they want isn’t doable, but remember to try to be as flexible as possible, after all this is a collaboration between you and them, not a dictatorship!
If you do need plinths, make sure you talk to the gallery. Most galleries don’t have many (or any) plinths, so you might find you need to supply your own. Don’t fret though, they don’t have to be the traditional wooden box painted white. For an exhibition about a carnival, we had sculptural pieces sitting on piles of suitcases, to tie in with the theme. Think laterally, you can probably come up wit something you can use.
Also check with the venue what they provide for installation. Will they give you screws/nails/picture hooks/ wire/ tools or do you have to provide your own? This is important to know before the installation day.
Step Four: Publicity, Media Releases and Fliers
I’ve already covered Publicity in another post (How to Publicise Your Event or Exhibition) but I’ll recover it quickly here. You’ll need a press release for the show, and a couple of good publicity shots. Sometimes your gallery will do this, but you might want to do one of your own, or ask for a copy and send it out to all your contacts too. You should send this out a month before the show opens to as many email addresses as you can find. Gather your local papers, community papers, street press, art mags etc and get the contact details from them. You’ll have the start of a good media list. Add in as many radio andTV station producers as you can find on the net and you’re well on your way. You’ll also need fliers to hand and email people. Find someone with a bit of graphic design experience and get them to build you one. You need on the flier:
Title of show
Venue
Address
Dates
Opening times
Opening night (if there is one)
What sort of show (if it isn’t easily apparent)
and entry fee if there is one.
The really important thing is to give people enough information so that they can find your exhibition. No point holding a party if no one shows up. I can’t emphasis that enough. Make is as EASY as possible for people who want to turn up to be able to. Otherwise only the really dedicated ones will turn up.
Email copies to all the artists with a little blurb about the show and ask them to forward it on. Send it to all your contacts with the same request. Post it on your blog, website,facebook, everywhere you can find.
Take the hard copies and distribute them in cafes around the venue and then places like Brunswick St, Sydney Rd, all the funky places people who might want to come to your show frequent. Always ask the staff’s permission to put them down, and only put down around 5-10. Otherwise it’s just a waste of paper.
Step five: Installation
The installation process is really important. It’s not a matter of slapping the art up on the walls as they come in and going home for dinner. Depending on how much time you have to install the show (some galleries will give you a weekend, some might give you a day) try to ensure that either you have all the art delivered to you in the week leading up to the show, or if you don’t have room to store it or there’s too much (or too big) try to ensure that everyone turns up in the morning and deliver their work. It’s good if you have some idea what you’re getting before the installation day, some artists are happy to email you photos of the work once it’s done or at least give you a rough idea of the dimensions and how it’ll look. That way you can start planning where all the work will go before the day. Installation day is going to be long and stressful, have no doubt. So the easier you can make it the less grey hair you’ll have by the time you go home that night.
Once you have all or at least most of the work, start placing it vaguely where you think it’s going to go. Lean the framed stuff against the wall where you want it. Place any sculptural items on the floor where you think it might go. Remember to leave spaces for the art that inevitably hasn’t turned up yet. Grab a scrap of paper and write the artist’s name and/or art title and put it where you envision the work might go.
Once you’ve laid it all out, take a walk around the space. If you think about each piece as a fragment of the whole and each curated exhibition as an artwork in itself, that’ll help with the layout. For example if you have two tiny pieces on one wall and two huge ones on the opposite wall, it’s going to look unbalanced. Try to space them all out logically with reference to size, subject and even colour and texture. Something else to think about is what can be seen from the street. Try to pick some of the most visually engaging or bigger work to go where people on the street can see it, that’ll help entice people into the gallery. It doesn’t mean that small work is less important to the show, but remember the layout isn’t a popularity contest, it’s about trying to envision the show as a whole and do what’s best for the exhibition.
If you are showing at a gallery, the gallery owner or staff might be there to help install, but it’s always good to have someone of yours there to help you. Ask a reliable friend or artist to help. Sometimes artists will volunteer, which is great but ensure they understand that the final decision where work goes rests with you. Some artists won’t agree with the curatorial choices you have made as to where to place each work. Listen, but be firm. If you feel what they suggest is better than your idea, then change stuff around. But if you think you have made the correct decision, stand firm. Sometimes artists arn’t seeing the bigger picture when they suggest that their work should be in the front window rather than someone else’s.
You’ll also need to organise a catoloug of artists, titles and prices and number all the work. Sometimes there’s space for an artistic statement on that too.
Step six: The opening night
Opening nights are important. They’re like a welcoming party for the show, and the celebration allows the exhibition to feel officially started. If you’re holding the show in a gallery, they might supply food and or drink. This is going to assume you’re doing it all yourself. If you’re holding your exhibition in a cafe, you’ll have to talk to the owners and see what they are interested in you doing.
I usually do drinks but not food - it’s too much for one person to organise. If you’re serving drinks, it’s good to have a accredited bar tender doing that. It’s not as hard as it sounds, ask around your friends. I’ve got a number of friends who work in bars or licensed cafes who have done the Responsible Serving of Alcohol certificate. You can give the drinks away for free (to over 18s) but it becomes more of a grey area when you’re selling it. I’ve never sold drinks at an opening, so I’d advise looking into it. The venue should also have a alcohol serving license if you’re going to do alcohol. Remember to have non-alcoholic drinks on hand too, for people who don’t drink, and for under 18s.
It’s good to have someone to officially open the show. It can be another artist who can speak on the media or subject matter, it could be your local politician, it could be an old teacher/lecturer or even a performer. I’ve had a science comedian open an exhibitionabout monsters with a short lecture on cryptozoology (the study of monsters), I’ve had burlesque performers at the opening of a burlesque exhibition and I’ve had a poet, singer and comedy lecture at the opening of an exhibition, which included a zine and CD.
Try to think laterally about what you could have at the opening. It’s going to be when the most people come and see your work, and you want to make it fun and interesting for them. Exhibition openings are about inviting everyone you can to come and see the awesome art you guys have made. It’d be great to get a couple of sales too, but really, at this stage of your artistic career, it’s mainly about introducing yourself and your art to the public. So an opening is actually a really important part of the show.
People won’t really come for the guest talking, they’ll come for the art and whatever else you can offer them. For the aforementioned carnival exhibition we organised a ice creamand fairy floss van to be outside, so people could have ice creams, fairy floss, hot dogsand the like, which just added to the carnival atmosphere of the show. I can’t take credit for that, it was one of the other artists ideas, and it was an awesome one! Make sure whatever interesting thing you’re doing for the opening is on the press release and even on the flier, to ensure people will know it’s going on!
On opening night, you might want to say something too, about the ideas behind the show (although hopefully that’s apparent to everyone who comes!) or the show itself or the artists, often people want to hear from the curator, and the gallery owner might want to speak as well. Make sure you ask them and find out if they want to!
Once the speeches are done, have a drink and congratulate yourself on curating an exhibition. It’s a big job, but there’s nothing better than the feeling you’ll get on opening night.
Step six and a half: The duration of the show and closing During the show drop in occasionally to check on how the exhibition is going. There might be works sold that you need to deal with. This will depend on what the venue is. You might have also had to organise a rotating roster of artists to mind the show, so you’ll need to keep an eye on that, ensuring the artists turn up and do their shifts.
On closing the show, you’ll need to ensure all the art is back out of the venue. You might also need to ensure all the walls are back to the original condition - nails/screws out, holes puttied over and repainted. Again, this will depend on the agreement you have with the venue.
You can try to organise the artists to turn up and take the unsold work home, but I’ve found it’s hard to get more than about 4 people to turn up at one time. Usually there’ll be timetable clashes and most people wont be able to make it. So be prepared to end up taking some of the work home. If you decide you’ll only hold onto works for a specific amount of time (a week, a month) ensure ALL the artists know this WELL IN ADVANCE. Put it on the form they filled in at the start of the process and get them to sign it. Otherwise if you toss out someone’s beloved artwork without any warning you could be up for anything from angry artists to lawsuits. Try to ensure you give them every oppitunity to get their work back, even if it means emailing and calling them every day until they do. However, a friend of mine worked for a woman who has organised year 12 art shows for years, she still has uncollected work from over 10 years ago she’s holding onto in case the artists want them back. He warned me I should draw the line somewhere. I thought that good advice!
After it’s all done and over, find somewhere to sit down. Have a nice cup of tea and maybe a slice of cake. It’s a big job, but it’s really rewarding and you’ll have contrubuted a valuable event to the artistic community.
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep. Scott Adams
I did some thinking about this topic today, and then followed it with some research via the web and coupled this with my own experience as well as what I was “taught” at Art School.
I think we should take this type of material into account when we decide, the “business of Visual Art” is important to us and we wish to encourage Investors and Collectors to purchase our works. These two groups would have to be the main target markets Artists would aim for.
Investors and Collectors of Contemporary Visual Art, look to the following pointers to assist them in the purchase of art works which will appreciate in value. By looking at what’s out in the marketplace a new comer to the idea of investing in Visual Art might soon become confused by the quantity of artists, the diversity of styles and media, not to mention decorative works, leisure art and reproductions. My hope is the list below will provide a basis to start from.
Basic Points
Imagery and or composition - Relevant, perhaps topical “subject” and arrangement of objects and or motifs which somehow “suit” the image and the way it is composed.
Concept - Or notion of a concept, being conveyed, providing some communication value, perceived or actual, which meant the work was able to convey something to the viewer, (visually or otherwise) beyond the artwork being a purely “decorative” device.
Craftsmanship - The work is built to last, so when purchased by a collector they know it will stand the test of time and on a basic level ensures the work will not “depreciate” in value. On a higher level the ability of the artist to use lines, colours, tones, form, shape, texture is well handled, for example the work shows the use of “intelligent mark making” where the brushstrokes (in a painting for instance) are clearly intended as opposed to marks which appear poorly handled (or depict a lack confidence in some way.)
Scale - The artwork “fits” or dimensionally “works well” to communicate the intended notion, or concept. In a corporate setting, or commission, the works “fit” the space as envisaged by the client.
Likeable - The collector knows they have to “live” with the work in their collection for some time (even if it is in storage) and as such will probably select works they like, first and foremost. They then would look to the “Deeper points” to assess it’s potential “value” as an investment. On another level the collector may have met the Artist and find them likeable, this connectedness can mean a great deal to future sales for the Artist as the collector spreads the word on the Artist, maybe they just like the Artist as a person, or as a quirky being, an eccentric. Whatever the connection, the Collector has a “Like” for the artist and not just their works. At a corporate collection level this may mean they invite the artist to chat about the works in the office, so their staff can connect with them as well.
Deeper Points
Fiscal value - Dollar value as proven by previous or other sales. Or perhaps by the artist being able to be matched up to other artists works which have sold for similar values at similar career levels.
Credibility - Previous sales to other collectors, peer support from other artists, “critics”, art consultants and gallerists perceiving the aesthetic, cultural, intrinsic and extrinsic value of the work. If you are represented by an agent or Gallery this can also go some way towards building your credibility, it indicates you have “jumped thorough some hoops.” Although some collectors may still buy direct from the artist. Also the connectedness to the art “process and or product” by the artist (passion perhaps) or possible longevity (time in the market, ability or “perception” of being able to “keep on keeping on”).
Academic status - Your qualification/s, and possibly critical acclaim, or critical discourse exploring your output, concepts and or aesthetic notion/s in a journal or other media. If the works are contemporary, they come from some level of ethical stance, where the supporting or historical basis for the work is sound and the artist has acted with some level of integrity in creating the works.
Notoriety and or daring - PR, media attention or perhaps the Artist is known or becoming known for doing or being “something” or someone, which sets them apart from other Artists. This could be some measure of “eccentricity”, or making a stance from a philosophical, metaphysical, physical, spiritual and or emotional viewpoint.
To add to this the collector may have in mind the level of work they want.
Emerging - A new entrant into the art field, usually younger and considered to have a long career ahead of them, perhaps the collector is looking for a bargain… and willing to risk the investment in a relative newcomer.
Maturing - An Artist who’s work has been seen in a number of exhibitions, is probably well represented by a gallery of “good standing” and has been developing a positive track record. This Artist seeks out awards or their agent puts them forward for awards to build their standing in “art circles.”
Mature - An artist with a solid history of positive performance, awarded, consistent performance, solid conceptual base and possibly sought after for representation by galleries.
Secondary Market - Generally works for sale at auction where the artists are often well known and many having passed away. The works have been in collections and are now being liquidated (for a variety of reasons). These are often considered “Blue Chip” works where the reputation of the Artist is clearly known and respected. Some of the works of maturing Artists show up at auctions and this can boost their credibility for collectors looking to source blue chip artists, or at least the perception they are “blue chip”.
There are no absolute guidelines as to which points are better or stronger which a collector or investor might use but these are points for discussion or contemplation at least. Perhaps the big thing about all this is how the Artist communicates all this to the prospective buyer.
All of the things discussed will be of value to you in starting your quest to be an active Visual Artist and over time you will develop a great deal of experience. I hope the aim of assisting to find useful starting points has been useful.
In the “Art world” there are commercial opportunities, and “pure Art” opportunities where the business of Art is probably not considered. All in all it’s up to you which path you want to take, but art as a career where you can earn a living is feasible, although mostly it’s highly competitive.
To stand out from a crowded market place you need to be different, to innovate, to be noticed but you would do well to look carefully at the tried and true basics of business and marketing to be able to find your niche.
Take into account all the aspects laid out in the 16 other points and explore the ways you can be all you can be in the arts and give it your best shot.
At last you are having your first solo show, you are excited, the work is great but what’s going to happen? What can you control and what do you need to know.
Well firstly if you are represented by a gallery they will tell you what to do and when, if they don’t chat to them about what they want you to do and make a list for yourself and follow it.
If howeveryou are having a solo show where you hire the space, there is a lot to consider andyou should develop a solid plan of action to make sure you do enough of the right things to make the occasion a success.
Create a calendar then create a plan – You may have a few months to the exhibition, so gab a calendar and check out how far away it is, then jot down as many things you can think of you might need to do. From here make a plan of action seeing what needs to be done first.
Do research – A quick search on the computer will give you access to a range of information and articles on planing and exhibition, try an Art Forum, membership is often free and you can ask experts who have been there and done that what they did, do and the pitfalls to watch out for.
Create a budget – Yes MONEY is involved costs for invites catering and adverts to name a few, so create a budget and stick to it.
Market it well – Let the world know, but in a way that suits your budget, identify carefully who you want to target and how you will get them to notice your exhibition, art magazine adverts can soon add up, so can other costs for marketing.
Invite the right people – Make a great list of people you want to share your first show with, often the first show is rarely a selling show but more to the point your entrée to the art world, a “look out world here I come” statement. Therefore it’s okay to invite friends and family and treat it as a celebration, if however you are confident the works will sell, figure out who you can invite who might be in a position to purchase works.
Make sure the gallery is sorted – The deposit is paid, the transport of your work is organised, the hanging and placement of the works is sorted out in advance where possible, the hardware and tools you need or organised and assistants are there if you need them to hang work etc. If you are organising some catering, make sure it is planned well, if you need permits to serve alcohol then get it well in advance.
Keep yourself “Nice” – At the event opening you want to make sure you “behave yourself” the temptation to perhaps have a few drinks before the event to build some courage, or to have a few too many at the opening. You may think you are ok but it’s not good to upset people or put them off your work due to how you act, so keep yourself nice… (Trust me on this one it will get you in the end…)
Be organised with the sales – Who handles the sales? The gallery? You? a friend? Make sure this is settled early and well organised so there are as few hiccups as possible.
Be there – During the show you should consider making yourself available so you can chat to viewers if they have any questions about the works. If this happens on the weekend so be it. If you are showing in a well known space ask them about how many people go through a show and pick the busiest days to be there.
It’s your first show so enjoy the process as much as you can, you have done the work, built the confidence so you deserve to make it work for you as best possible.
If you have ever come across an obnoxious person you will know it’s often MUCH easier to steer clear of them, as they can drag a group down, are often negative, destroy friendships fast, and generally cause all sorts of drama. A person who is opposite to this is easy to get along with, a great contributor to a team, generally positive and builds friendships fast.
So which would you rather be?
BUT here’s our challenge, many Artists work in isolation, build up their own ways of working, their own habits, own desires and interests and are focussed on them, not others (okay big generalisation, but you get the point.)
Therefore for Art Galleries to work with them, and other Artists in group exhibitions and the like the whole team spirit and sense of cooperation is vital to things going well. So how do we make sure we are great to get along with so things can go smoothly?
Take the time to build rapport – That is, make the effort to get along with people by being a bit like them, by using their language exploring their view of things to minimise the difference between you and them.
Ask about your style – What’s my style like when dealing with other people? Ask your friends and adjust so you can “take the edge off” any parts of the way you do things, which may cause a drama or challenge of some kind.
Be an individual BUT – Yes you are an Artist, an individual, after all, however if there are aspects of that which causes people to be repelled then that’s often NOT useful in getting along with others.
Keep in contact – In a group planning for an exhibition, or with a gallery the main people involved want to know what’s happening, so drop them a line via email if you don’t talk much, if you do find phoning essential make sure you figure out what you need to ask, say etc and jot it down so you can remember it easily and not get flustered. A great way to catch up when you can’t or don’t want to is with a group sharing system like google groups, a bit like email but with the ability to share files.
Be knowledgeable but not a know it all – You are the best at what you do, but don’t shout it at people. Let them figure out your worth without you having to be the bragger, boastful, boisterous, blah blah blah! In fact if they ask you questions that’s fine, but consider how much information they should be given and if you might go over the top with a response.
Ask about them – Working with others gives you a great chance to indulge them, ask how they are, what they want, how they want it and when, I fact get great at asking questions about them and you will become a person people will want to get a long with.
Learn to handle tough calls… - Yes, rejection it happens, people may reject you not because of you, but perhaps your scale of work is not what they are after, or the style is not handled by the gallery (e.g. abstract V’s realistic) or any one of a million possibilities, it may not be you or your personality but it might feel that way. Rejection is tough it can hurt, but know it may not be because of you. So don’t throw a tantrum just because someone said no to your proposal, style of work etc.
All of these points (and others) are all aimed at assisting you to be more influential, leaving a positive impression and a better communicator, so practice them and be the person people want to get along with and not the drama queen known for being the easiest person to get along with!
Some Artists are shy, some want to tell everyone about their work and many of us are somewhere in between. Chatting about our work can be a challenge so I want to address that in this article.
Let’s imagine you create wonderful objects, your art buddies say great things but you just want to make the things and get on with making more… not to be hassled by having to chat about the works with others.
After a while you can end up having to talk about your work and finding useful ways to do it, so you can connect with gallery operators, enthuse a prospective purchaser, or keep an Art Lecturer from failing you!
Communicating about your work probably falls into a small bunch of categories.
• What it’s about (basic to complex).
• How much it’s worth.
Then couple this with small talk to fill in the gaps and you may find yourself in an awkward position if you are more used to being buried in your studio in a deep personal trance working away on your Art.
The important thing is to know you are not the only person to find chatting about your work challenging, art can be so personal and introspective it can hurt greatly to “spill the beans” on your personal symbolism and stories. To overcome some of this try a few of these ideas as possible starting points.
Join a public speaking group – Toastmasters and other groups can be a great way to explore chatting to others through a structured program to build confidence.
Listen to other artists talk about their work, what information they cover and how they handle themselves.
Chat to Galleryists about what they want to hear from artists, then develop your spiel about your works based on that.
Research ways to price your work so you can confidently discuss pricing issues before they become a stressful issue.
Jot down what your work is about, record yourself reading it out loud and see how it sounds on playback, practice it until it seems right to you.
Chat to your art friends about their work, see what they say, then see how you respond when they ask you about your work…. How do you feel Confident, self-assured, knowledgeable or a mumbling fool? Then consider taking steps to make improvements on the areas you are not as strong in.
There are a whole range of reasons people may not be as at ease chatting about their work, from personal confidence issues to an uneasy understanding or appreciation of the language used by artists. Whatever the reasons you can overcome them, it may take practice, it may take courage, it may take some soul searching but it can happen, it’s up to you to figure out if you want to do something about it and then taking action to implement a plan of action.
If you are in a position to have a number of galleries represent you and show your work, it can be easy to lose track of where things are or where they are meant to be. Then ad to this art competitions, awards and the like then it starts to get complex, THEN if you rent some work out it gets really crazy!
The answer a system, a simple system, in fact the simpler it is the more likely it is you will use it. Therefore you need to come up with a way track what’s happening, even if you only have a few works out of your reach for a while it can still be a handy habit to get into.
Perhaps the easiest way is to create a table with columns on a sheet of paper. The first column lists the work, then, where it’s at, date delivered, the expected date of return, then a tick box for when it is returned.
Over time you can develop it further but the basics are there, some people do it on computer so they can wipe out the returned ones, I guess a whiteboard can do the same also.
So find the way that works, use the system and never lose sight of your works again.
Technology means we are able to communicate fast to a whole range of people and the internet has certainly given us great scope to do just that.
These days updating your website can be (must be…) an easy process so you can ensure the contents, words and text along with any links can be altered to suit.
Using the web as a marketing and promotion tool is generally seen as a normal part of today’s art marketing strategies, (esp in the USA) however many Artists are content to see their representing gallery do the online representation for them. My thought is, have them do it AND do it yourself, the more avenues for promotion the better!
Blogs have become a popular way to keep in touch with those who want to know about what’s happening in your art world and it certainly offers great scope, coupled with your social media contact lists an active presence can be highly effective. A few issues arise, the information you write can work against you (especially if you have opinions others disagree with!) and if left idle for too long people forget about your blog.
In the process of building an online presence you need to make sure you are doing things for an active audience, there is no use in having a web page or blog if no one is actively looking at them. This can be overcome by utilising Google Analytics a piece of very useful software which tracks the amount of visitors to your site, long with a lot of other information you need to know, like where are the people who are looking? How did they find my site/s an so on… Analytic programs offer so much information it can be daunting. Especially if you find no one has been to your site for weeks!
This raises the issue of how people find out about you and your sites, Business cards and fliers which list your web address are useful (as long as they are handed out!) and your social media contacts and teasers keep people coming back to look. Couple this with links to your site from relevant sites and or online goggle ads you then up your chance of guiding people to look at what you have to offer.
Your site should be a great place to visit, and viewers should want to hang around long enough to read and or look at what you have, what you do etc. If you can add images of yourself at work, videos via You Tube of you working etc, then you stand a chance of being noticed in a good way.
Being active online is vital to your web success, commenting on art blogs, forums and the like can also provide people with a way to get in contact with your site.
There is lots of material about online marketing strategies you may like to check out, from using PR to drive people to your site to publicity “stunts” which cause people to have a look. Whatever way you do it, your aim should be the same, accessing a specific target market and influencing them to take a solid interest in what you do as an Artist. In the end the result should be higher recognition of you and your work with a greater likelihood of sales.
You are having an exhibition and the gallery will probably organise the invites to the opening, however if you have to do it for yourself for whatever reason, then here are a few guiding points to consider, and how to make use of “teasers” to enhance the results of your marketing efforts.
Invites, the aim is to entice people to be at your opening, a loose guide to their success is in the amount of people who come to the opening.
The invite should clearly tell people who, when, what, where, and give them some sort of indication as to the type of work on offer. It should be in printed and email form, so the design should take into account both processes and it’s ability to be effective in each situation.
The next consideration is the quality of the printing used, Although I get a lot of invites to exhibitions via email I still like to get hard copy ones, I tend to consider those with more interest for some reason and the coated (gloss or soft buttery finishes), bigger ones the better, multi-fold, multi image ones are simply great, but that’s me..
Lastly how long before you send them out? If it’s too long before the opening they might forget about it, if it’s too soon, other things may end up on their calendar…. The general guide seems to be from 2 – 4 weeks out from the opening.
Now to teasers. If you have a great contact list of interested people on your email list then chat to them in the lead up to the show with a teaser or three. Of course you want to avoid being a spammer, so make sure you provide some way of the person opting out of being a contact.
Teasers have the aim of intriguing a person to want to know more, in this case to look at the galleries website or your website about the upcoming show, if you have a site dedicated to a group show with info on it, then the teaser should have that web address on it. If you are using Facebook, twitter and similar social media contact devices make sure your teasers cause people to check out what you have online also. It is probably not useful to merely say a show is coming up and the invite will follow soon, is a waste of time, you need to engage them in a meaningful way.
Teasers can be a simple letter, a DL sized flier or card, an email image and text or a combination of the lot. Your aim being to have heaps of suitable people interested in your exhibition and your work.
Consider using a range of short sharp headlines to grab attention, so the reader feels compelling to want to know more.
An Artists Statement is probably meant to inspire the reader, or at least to give them some level of insight into the Artists thought processes mentally and physically. Often however it’s seen as a long boring load of rubbish by a reader who may find the document causes them to be disconnected rather than inspired or more enlightened about the Artist.
Making an Artists Statement can take a fair bit of juggling to get the mix right, of words to inspire and some form of useful explanation without giving too much away (tell the reader the whole story and they might discount you as well…)
I suggest you make it a thing worth learning, take a look at as many as you can and do a mental checklist, is the doc I am about to read daunting? Does it tell me what I want to hear? Is the statement aimed at a target market (of which I may not be part of…)? Does it refer to things or people I know nothing about and is that good, or isolating? Does the Artist sound like an interesting person to know or other? Do the words strike me in such a way as to engage me to look at the work with added interest?
The challenge is to then decipher if it really works for or against the Artist.
How would you go about writing an Artist’s Statement? Would you discuss where the ideas come from (your history, other works you have done, your interests, your philosophy’s.) Or would you go for some pseudo philosophical or intellectual stance to try and impress the reader…
I find it’s easy to look at art but a challenge to read about it and go deep on the meaning side of things. In galleries I have been known to walk in look at the show and read little if any of the Artists Statement and often what I do read is a skimming process to see if anything grabs me. Occasionally things do grab me, a neatly crafted set of words which compels me to read on as if a mystery is about to unfold in a whodunit movie.
These are vital ingredients in making it in the Visual Art world. The galleries and collectors want to see consistency of the work, with perhaps a growth or development over time. They want to also see you are passionate and motivated with a strong desire to create and continue to create.
From an Art Galleries perspective they want to provide works to their clients which will appreciate in value, or fit to the clients need in some other way (as decoration for example). Therefore they are in the business of supplying investment worthy artworks, which means if they don’t their credibility is on the line.
To ensure their artists meet these “guidelines” they would have to vet out those who they believe do not meet this criteria and often the Visual Artists who are knocking on their door to get recognition and the all important “foot in the door” can feel a little hard done by or unfairly treated.
To illustrate my point a bit further, lets look at a few similar examples, the music and performance shows idol, and So you Think You Can Dance to name a few. Those who watch regularly will know the judges sort out (in part) by asking questions, often contestants reply with “I am really passionate about this and it would mean so much if I won!” well this statement is probably true for all the contestants, it comes down to proving it rather than saying it, or at least finding a better way of saying it.
Passion is one thing, proving you are motivated, consistent in your approach and have a solid desire to be an active part of the Visual Art world is another thing. Think about it how will you… how should you… how can you demonstrate these qualities… how can you build on them to make them stronger…
Of the four qualities mentioned I believe they are all important, it’s up to you to work out ways to make them a priority. But please avoid saying… “I am passionate about Art and it would mean soo much to me!” Yeah right
Making Art for some is a small leisure time activity and they are pleased to be creatively involved in something. For others however it is a force within them which has great power they believe is unstoppable, or it’ somewhere in between.
Either way it costs money for materials, time is taken in producing and in the end if a sale is made the amount of profit you get back depends on how things work out money wise.
Lets start at the end of the “high end” a commercial contemporary art gallery, typically their commission is about 40 – 50% as a fee on top of what you charge for the art work so you will get back 50 – 60% of the final purchase price if a work sells.
Therefore if a work is priced at $5,000 and sells you will get $2,500 to about $3000 depending on the commission level. If you are aiming to make a living out of Visual Art you needs to be very aware of this and do figures to sort out the situation early to avoid disappointment.
I suggest you put on your “Business Hat” at this point and see the art as a product for sale, out of the $$ return you get you have to then take out expenses, figure out a profit margin and a wage etc. Any accountant should be able to assist you with the basics of this so it’s worthwhile.
If on the other hand you create art works for leisure you may not be as concerned for the $$ returns, but more pleased people have liked the work enough to buy it.
With a business hat back on, lets say you want to make a $60,000 income, if you add expenses to that (the cost of doing business) you could be up for $30,000. So you need to sell $90,000 worth of work (wholesale rate), include the commission and then you are up to$180,000 worth of sales… hmm let’s see that’s about 18 pieces at $10,000 each. It may seem a lot but if you want to make a living from your art these things need to be considered.
Use the above points as a guide and see if you can make up a few figures to sort things out, keep it in simple chunks and delve into the details as you do some juggling.
Exhibitions are a great way for people to see your work, there are solo and group shows to consider. In this article I want to chat about group shows and their value.
A solo show means you are in the spotlight and while many Visual Artists aspire to have a solo show it can seem a very daunting task to undertake. A group show can give you an opportunity to be seen and allow you to keep costs down as well.
Group show 1 – All in for the big group show - Big group shows put on annually by local charities to raise funds are just that fund raisers. They may have some value to Artists starting out and leisure painters. Many of them have guidelines about the qty of work you can put in and may have an entrance fee as well. These may have some value as a starting point to your CV, however it might soon fade off the list as bigger and better exhibitions are added. Invitational shows where there is a theme and there are prizes of higher value than smaller charities can be of greater value and these are often highly sought after, examples are the Archibald and Wynn prizes, winning these is often seen as a career defining moment by many Artists, on a smaller scale are postcard type shows.
Group show 2 – A group of Artists get together and want to show - They may work on a similar theme, or style and feel it would be useful to exhibit together. Make sure all the details are worked out before you say yes… Also make sure the Artists you will be showing with are people you want to show with. Ask, who is organising it? What are the costs? How will it be advertised? Do I have enough work for it? Is there plenty of time to coordinate the show etc… How much space will I have to present in? and will it be of value to me and my art career? If the answer to the last one is low value then carefully consider if it’s worth it. A good group show can be a high value exhibition to add to your CV.
Group show 3 – The Gallery – If you are represented by a gallery they may have a group show where they put your work up with others, often this is done at the end of the year when the gallery scene is quieter and they want to just “fill the space”. In this case you may have little choice about who they hang your works with and often the work is from their stockroom so you probably do not have to do much to make the show happen. The value here is it’s another event to add to your CV.
Group show 4 – Online – Today’s technology can give us the chance to insert our art in all manner of websites and online art shows. Many of these are for fun and can be used as a device to get your art seen.
There are probably other forms of group shows, but for now these are what I see as the main ones and some of their value to you as an Artist.
This site is provided as a service to the Visual Arts Community, I put in HEAPS of hours for free, but to assist in the hosting fees can you assist with a donation to the cause? If I get enough I will be able to extend the service to include more. Thanks in advance.
If you’re an artist blessed with a marketing gene, you may already know these secrets. Yet as I communicate with over 40,000 artists in my 
My first exhibition was 8 artists, my second was 3. These are good amounts to start with.
