Art Sales, is it you or?

The Lady Who Moved Away From Her Art Sales
An Art Marketing Message from B. Eric Rhoads

“My business is dismal, Eric. I haven’t sold a painting in two years. What am I doing wrong?” said this distressed artist who wanted to blame all her problems on the economy.

I have a series of questions I usually ask to help friends solve problems. The conversation went like this:

Eric: What changed? Why do you think you’re selling less?
Lady: I dunno. It must be the economy. Nothing is selling.
Eric: When did your work stop selling?
Lady: About two years ago.
Eric: Why do you think it stopped?
Lady: I really don’t know, but it’s just when the economy got bad.
Eric: What else could it be?
Lady: I dunno. I guess the people in this community simply don’t appreciate art as much as the town we were living in before.
Eric: Huh? You moved? When did you move?
Lady: Yes, we moved about two years ago to a different state.

The light went on. The root of the problem had been discovered.

This artist can blame the economy for her lack of sales, and that is a reality. But in this case there was another main factor: She moved away from her reputation. Not only did she move, she is no longer represented by a gallery in the community where she built that reputation. She would have been smart to keep taking advantage of her reputation there, but instead she’s expecting the same level of sales in her new community, where she hasn’t invested eight years in building her brand as an artist.

Organic Brand Building
For most artists, brand building occurs organically, not by design. They get out in their community, they are seen year after year in art shows and local galleries, they get some publicity, and eventually that visibility works in their favor and their prominence as an artist grows. Believe it or not, your reputation (your brand) has an impact on your sales.

In the community where I grew up, there was a local artist who I thought was famous nationally because everywhere I went, I saw his artwork, over the course of 15 years. I later learned he was a local star, but no one outside of town had ever heard about him. If he’d ever moved away, he’d have lost the cumulative effect of all his decades of visibility.

Will paintings sell without a brand? Of course. But brands create demand, a following, and higher prices.

This woman had failed to create a brand. Her incorrect assumption was that her work was selling in Town A, therefore it would sell equally well in Town B. But it was her reputation (her brand) that was making her work sell so well.

Are You Branded Where You Want To Sell?
It is critical to think of yourself as a brand and create a reputation where you want your work to sell and with whom you want to buy, and then to reinforce that brand with frequent visibility.
What — and where — is your reputation and brand?

If you want to be known in your town, your town needs to know you.
If you want to be known nationally, the nation needs to know you.
If you want to be known among museums, you need visibility among museum professionals.
If you want to be known by galleries, you need visibility among galleries.

Visibility is the key, but it is of little value unless you make it an ongoing effort to create frequent impressions. One-time visibility is of little value anywhere. Brands are built on the accumulation of impressions.

Don’t Take Your Brand For Granted
The woman I spoke with told me, “The people in my town are just not going to buy my work, so I’m going to move elsewhere.” I told her that she is likely to have the same problem unless she moves back to where her brand is already known — and even then she’s been invisible for the last two years and would need to rebuild, though it would be easier than starting from scratch. We often take our brands for granted and don’t understand the value of what we’ve built. Don’t take the importance of your brand for granted. And if you don’t have a brand, start building it now.

Sincerely,

Eric Rhoads

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Getting a gallery.

The Frustrating Experience Of Getting A Gallery
The Truth About How To Land A Gallery
By Art Publisher B. Eric Rhoads

The first gallery that invited me in as a painter was on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, the big gallery row there. Because it was my first, I wanted to be there to deliver the paintings in person, and I can remember feeling really insecure. I told the gallery owner, “This is so unusual. I’m confident in everything I do. I’ve met CEOs of big companies, celebrities, and world leaders, and I wasn’t nervous then. But today I feel totally exposed and insecure.” Frankly, it was very unlike me, which made me even more uncomfortable.

My mind was playing tricks on me:

Why would they want my work?

Maybe they don’t know what they’re doing by putting me in their lineup?

Maybe they’re just sucking up because I own an art magazine?

Maybe they’re taking pity on me and will hang my stuff, knowing it won’t sell?

“Hello, Um, That’s Me. I’m The Artist!”

The gallery put my work up right away, and I decided to hang around for a while. Moments later, a couple came in, walked around the gallery, and landed on a waterfall painting I had done. They lingered, talking about how much they loved it and what it reminded them of. Though I was tempted to wave my hands and jump up and down and say, “I did it! Me, yeah, me, I’m the artist, wanna own it?” I stayed quietly out of the way until the gallery owner engaged the couple about the painting, then said, “The artist just happens to be here today.”

I got my strokes, the couple left saying they wanted to buy it but were not sure if they wanted to spend that much money on it, and said they would probably return, but they never did.

I wasn’t devastated that they didn’t buy. I had passed the test. Someone walked in and liked my painting. That was all I needed to increase my confidence. I felt like Sally Field when she received her Oscar: “They like me. They really, really like me.”

Sage Advice From An Artist

Since then I’ve sold many paintings, and the insecurity has pretty much disappeared, thanks in part to artist Michael Ringer. Michael visited our lake place in the Adirondacks one summer, and after I showed him my work, he said, “Eric, as a friend, let me tell you that you are your own worst enemy. All you did the whole time I looked at your paintings was apologize for them. You need to understand that they are good, but more importantly, you need to know that your attitude is impacting your performance. Stop apologizing. Every one of us went through the stages you’re going through. It’s part of developing as a painter. Quit apologizing and start believing in yourself.”

I took his advice.

The Reality You Don’t Want To Hear

If you’re not in a gallery, I know the dream you live, and I know how frustrating it is to be rejected. At the Oil Painters of America conference last weekend, a panel of three very well meaning gallery owners told the crowd respectfully that the odds of getting in their galleries was slim. One owner said he receives 250 submissions every single month. After the session, one of the artists in the room approached me and said, “What a downer. I guess I won’t be getting into a gallery anytime soon.”

Studying The Gallery Acquisition Process

For two years I’ve been studying the process of how to get into a gallery. It started because every artist I talked to was asking me if I could help them get into galleries, and because gallery owners were complaining about all the submissions they were getting that they ended up discarding because they didn’t have time to look at them.

Though you’d think galleries would want to see what is out there — and they do want to — the task is simply overwhelming. They have to be prudent, or all their time would be spent looking at artists instead of chasing down buyers.

The Danger Of Being Too Aggressive

Ever hear the expression “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”?  It’s true, but you not only have to be squeaky, you have to do it without being annoying, and without damaging your reputation by being overly aggressive.

The principles I laid out in a recent marketing letter about the importance of continual visibility also apply to gallery owners. If they keep seeing your work, keep hearing your name, and see buzz about you, it could elevate their interest in your artwork. But sending them multiple e-mails, making multiple calls, and sending multiple portfolios is annoying and could get you blacklisted in their minds. The trick is achieving visibility without being targeting galleries individually.

“It Sounds Impossible, Eric!”

So if this is the case, what can you do as an artist to build your brand in the eyes of art dealers? There is no easy answer, honestly, because there are many levels of dealers, many different kinds of art represented, seasonal businesses, and different times when different galleries may be looking for artists. Even if your strategy was to barrage every gallery in America with your portfolio, one time or multiple times, it would be cost-prohibitive, and in most cases your portfolio probably wouldn’t be opened or kept.

Therefore the solution is a strategy of continual visibility. Keep your name in front of art dealers by advertising in the places they’re advertising (though you could be perceived as a competitor), keep your name in the press constantly by winning competitions, and find ways to brand yourself continuously.

What If The Odds Are Against You?

Yes, you might get lucky and get discovered. But getting into a gallery is somewhat like landing a part in a major motion picture. There are a few thousand galleries (and fewer in your style, your quality, your subject matter) and tens of thousands of artists. (There are over 40,000 reading this e-mail as we speak.) The odds are against you.

The only way to beat the odds is to get lucky, be introduced by a friend, or stay visible continuously so when a dealer is in the market for someone new, they don’t say, “Who was that artist I saw?” but, “Let’s call YOUR NAME.” You need to brand yourself just like a product is branded, with continual repetition. And the benefit is not only gallery visibility, but visibility with collectors, which will increase demand.

Achieving The Impossible

When someone tells me something cannot be done, I’ll work hard to prove them wrong. I love a challenge. Though the challenge of landing a gallery is daunting, you can do it if you stay visible constantly. Make it your mantra. Frequent exposure sells products, and it can do the same for you.

Winston Churchill said it best:

Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never — in nothing, great or small, large or petty — never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.

Respectfully,

Eric Rhoads
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Grow Your Art Career

Who Needs Food Anyway?
The Basic Needs To Grow Your Art Career, And The Power Of Visibility
A message from art publisher B. Eric Rhoads

One of my friends is the well known CEO of a giant multinational corporation. I read recently that he has a net worth of over $400 million. We’ve known one another since we were both teenagers and he wasn’t yet famous. You would know his name, but he wouldn’t want me putting this story out for the press to pick up, so I can’t share it. Let’s call him Fred.

Very early in Fred’s career, he said this to me: “Eric, for most people the basic needs are food, water, and paying the rent. For me, if I want my career to soar, the basic need is advertising and public relations. I pay for it before I pay my rent because I know it will result in the best jobs and best opportunities.”

It worked. Fred is famous. He’s one of the super-rich, he has his own helicopter and his own jet. He has a giant apartment in New York, another in the country outside New York City and another in a billionaires’ ski resort town, and probably others he hasn’t told me about.

A Lifetime Commitment
Fred is one of the smartest men I know, and as I watched his career, he always made sure that his most basic need, advertising and PR, was his highest priority. In fact, at an early age he met a young PR person and cut a “lifetime deal” with her. When he couldn’t afford her services, he said, “If you help me now, when I get rich I’ll stick with you and be able to pay you lots of money.” He stuck to his promise, and they have been side-by-side business associates for decades.

He gets it. What about you?

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind
Most of the people who are rich and famous understand that the most important thing in boosting their career and staying on top is PR and advertising. Hollywood celebrities thrive on tabloid rumors because they know that if people are talking about them (good or bad), it’s good for their careers. In Hollywood, the kiss of death is no press.

How visible are you?

No one ever gave me this advice, and I wish they had drummed it into my head at a young age. It took me decades to really understand it. The law of visibility is a reality for anyone who wants to be considered a celebrity in their area of expertise. Stay visible frequently.

How Crass, Eric
In your world as an artist, you may be saying, “I don’t want to be famous, I don’t want to be a celebrity.” That’s fine, but you and your art are a product. And products that succeed follow that mantra: “Stay visible frequently.” (Please, no e-mails about my crass reference to art as a product. Like it or not, if you’re selling something, it’s a product. You are a product. You are a brand.)

12 Steps To ‘Stay Visible Frequently’

1. Make it your mantra.
Everything you do should relate to staying as visible as possible. Make it your goal to make a giant PR effort at least weekly.

2. Don’t be timid.
Chances are you can’t be exposed enough to be overexposed. Look for an excuse every day, every week, to get your name in front of potential customers.

3. Concentrate your efforts.
Ten impressions to 10 different audiences are not 10 impressions. That’s one impression to each of 10 audiences. Wherever you’re focusing your attention, dominate that medium with continual visibility. Most people can’t afford to dominate more than one or two things. It’s incorrect to think you will achieve better response if you buy five ads one time in five different magazines. NONE of them will work for you effectively. Yet the same money spent on five ads in five issues in a row of one magazine will bring you tremendous results. If you have a limited budget, dominate something with that budget.

4. Never ever stop.
This has to become your lifestyle. Like the film stars say, “If they’re not writing about me, I’m out of business.” If you want to be a giant success, you work your advertising/PR strategy every day and every week for the rest of your career. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of mind, out of business. Advertising and PR builds upon itself. Think of it as a house that is never finished. You start with the foundation, keep building until the house looks finished, and then you keep adding on.

5. Starting and stopping is like starting from scratch.
I know people who advertise for a couple of issues of one of my magazines. They will buy a couple of ads, lay low for a few months, then buy some more, then lay low. Each time you lay low, you lose share of mind because you’re not reinforcing your brand. Apple never stops. Ford and GM never stop. You can never stop if you want wild success.

6. Leverage your visibility strategy.
Seek ways to get others promoting you while you sleep. Get others acting on your behalf. The best tool ever invented for an artist is an art gallery. If you have five or six galleries in different regions of the country, you are being promoted every day to the customers in those galleries. They are professional sales agents. One — or six — more galleries showing your work can do more for you than you can do on your own.

7. Participate in co-advertising
The best deal going is when you can buy ads for your work at half the price. Many art galleries will run ads exclusively promoting your work if you’re willing to pay half the cost of the ad. It’s a great deal for both of you, drives customers to their gallery, and it builds your brand, which increases sales, buyer desire, and, ultimately, demand, resulting in higher prices.

8. Become a press release maven.
News outlets locally, local art pubs, even national art publications are always on the hunt for a story. If your release appears on their desk on the day they need to fill a page, you might get lucky. Frequency builds your brand with editors, so any chance you have to issue a press release (on something legitimate, like an award or a new painting), send a release to everyone who reaches the audiences you want to reach. Get to know the editors, ask about upcoming stories, and make suggestions as to how you might fit. If you ever wonder why some people seem to get all the press, that’s why. And if you can find someone to do press for you, especially a pro, they can pitch stories on your behalf.

9. Facebook and Twitter matter.
Brands are built by frequent posts with smart information, great photos, and interesting links. Build a giant friend list and post frequently, with relevant and interesting things (we don’t care about your cat’s hairball or your political opinions).

10. Bigger is better.
The psychology of advertising says that if you run bigger ads, or more ads in an issue, you are more important. That is how top blue chip art galleries built their reputations and how they keep them alive. You must be successful if you’re running that much advertising. Fake it till you make it. Run ads as big as possible and as frequently as possible.

But frequency is still more important than size. If you can afford only one full-page ad, I’d advise you that four quarter-page ads in four consecutive issues is better than one full-page ad in only one issue. Dominate with frequency, and then, as soon as you can, increase the ad size to grab more notice and stature in the eyes of buyers.

11. Advertising is perceived as editorial content.
Research indicates that consumers prefer newspapers, magazines, and radio and TV stations that have ads to those that do not. Ads tell about things people may want or need. In art magazines like Fine Art Connoisseur, which I own, our readers love paintings, and they look at the paintings in ads as much as the pictures in the stories. Readers love seeing those pictures, and may well not remember you as an advertiser, but as an artist they now know. One of my advertisers told me she became perceived as famous because she is in every issue of the magazine, without skipping, ever. Of course, it helps her business because she never stops and her image is always being reinforced.

12. Volume overcomes time.
A new art gallery once asked me if there was a way they could become as well known as a gallery that had been in business for a hundred years. Though time + consistent visibility is the strongest marketing tool, you can get very close to an equal position in the minds of audiences with a high volume of advertising, with a high volume of frequency, over a shorter period of time. I told this gallery owner that within three to five years, his gallery could be perceived as one of the biggest and most important galleries in America if he ran four to six pages in every issue for three years. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it realistic? Not for many. But this is one way to overcome the advantage of time.

But Eric, How Can I Afford It?
My friend Fred, whom I mentioned earlier, told me he invested in PR and advertising before he paid his rent. He knew that the investment would lead to success, and therefore he made huge sacrifices. He drove an old beat-up car, he lived in a crummy apartment and didn’t go out to dinner much. He put the good things in life on hold so he could buy the visibility that would eventually result in success. Did I mention that his net worth is over $400 million?

The Law Of Conflicting Values
One of the great laws of the universe is that two good things may be in conflict. Truth and justice are both good things, but one may have to be chosen over the other. In art, your conflicting values may be financial success versus the respect of other artists. For instance, we all know of a famous artist who is extremely wealthy but whom most artists do not respect. He chose wealth over the respect of other artists.

To accomplish frequent visibility, you may have to choose visibility over certain basic needs to roll the dice on building your career longer-term. Most successful people I know had to make those tough choices. You can always find a way if you’re passionate enough to make something happen.

The Agent In Me
Artists keep asking me to be their agent, but I simply don’t have the time or the desire. Yet I believe that anyone with some marketing skills like those I’ve acquired could make an unknown artist one of the most famous and financially successful in America within three years if they had enough financial resources and drive. I do this for businesses on a regular basis with my consulting practice in marketing, but those clients typically have the resources to pay my fees and spend the money on big campaigns for long periods of time.

For you, without a lot of resources, it will simply take more time. A steady drumbeat of visibility over time will eventually get you where you want to be.

Do Something Daily
I guarantee I will get 50 e-mails about how “my circumstances are different” and how someone doesn’t  have the money to advertise. I don’t doubt that. Yet you can still carve out one hour daily to create visibility without spending a dime. Some who see a clear vision will find the money from friends, family, and personal sacrifices. You just have to want success badly enough. Following this program is not for wimps. It’s for people committed to becoming a major household name among collectors.

Nothing good is ever accomplished without risk. Your success is 100 percent determination to succeed at chasing your dreams.

Go knock ‘em dead. You can make great things happen.

Eric Rhoads
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Steve Biller - Artists Representative

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Yes! In fact, I work harder for those artists — and for the galleries that represent them. If they succeed, so do I.

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 …

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 …

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Compiled and edited by Steve Gray © 2009+

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Check out our other Art Site http://stevegray.com.au/blog

Handling rejection…

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!)

http://www.artisttrust.org/pro_resources/prof_dev/rejection

Starting out….

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

How much is the art in the window?

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.

Eric Rhoads

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Some benefits of studying art

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 selling art - Eric Rhoads

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.

Eric Rhoads

Sell that art!

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…

Tax ruling could benefit artists

Check the article, great for Australian Artists…

http://stevegray.com.au/blog/australian-tax-ruling-benefits-artists/

Marketing for artists 101

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.

Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+ http://stevegray.com.au

Artist - Meet and greet…

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.

6 steps to an awesome exhibition

By Sayraphim Lothian www.sayraphimlothian.com

Art Investors and Collectors, what do they want?

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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+ If you want to see more articles like this as they are published subscribe!

17. The wrap

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

17. The wrap up.

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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+ If you want to see more articles like this as they are published subscribe!

16. Your first solo show

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

16. Your first solo show.

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 however you are having a solo show where you hire the space, there is a lot to consider and you should develop a solid plan of action to make sure you do enough of the right things to make the occasion a success.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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…)
8. 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.
9. 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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+ If you want to see more articles like this as they are published subscribe!

15. Being great to get along with

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

15. Being great to get along with.

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?

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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!

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009

14. Chatting to people about your work

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

14. Chatting to people about your work

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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

13. Tracking your work

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

13. Tracking your work

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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

12. Websites and blogs

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

12. Websites and blogs

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. 

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

11. Invites and teasers

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

11. Invites and teasers

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. 

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

10. Your art statement

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

10. Your art statement

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. 

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

9. Consistency, passion, motivation and desire

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

9. Consistency, passion, motivation and desire.

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

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

8. The $$ and Cents

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

8. The $$ and Cents

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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

7. The Value of Group Shows.

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

7. The Value of Group Shows.

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.

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

6. Building a database and why it’s important

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

6. Building a database and why it’s important

If you are not familiar with the term database and fear it may be too techo to take on stop! It really can be a simple thing and I will give you a few very non techo ways to do it. But first what is it and what’s it for?

Database is an information storage device, it can be on a computer or it can be on paper or card. The aim being to store information, in our case information on people or organisations who may be interested in your work.

So here is the bare bones simplest way to do it. Any one who has a potential interest in your work , get their details and record them, on paper. Perhaps you divide it into sections, Collectors, Galleries and so on. Then jot down their details.

How do you use it? Every time you are going to do something, contact the right people, the people on your list. If you want to have an exhibition, go to the galleries section and make contact. If you are having a show and want collectors to come, send the invites to people on your list.

Sure you can get fancy and create an email database of people and organisations to contact, it’s up to you. These days you can have HEAPS of contacts through a twitter or Facebook site and get to people easily, the important part is that people know about you and your work so that selling becomes easier because you have contacted more of the right people!

Building whatever form of database you have can be as simple as a guest book at your opening through to a sign up page on your website, then you can send out a newsletter or info sheet with ease.

The value of the list is like gold and the more quality contacts  you have on it the better, then cultivate the list, educate them, inform them about what you are up to so they can know what’s going on, if you don’t tell them, who will? 

Lastly remember to have a media contact list, after all, if you can get free publicity by a quick note to a local media group, why not!

Compiled and edited by Steve Gray, Australian Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

5. social media as promotional tools

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion.

5 - Social media as promotional tools.

Twitter, Facebook, forums and other online devices (even humble email!) has become the way many people are now advertising products and services to an eager world of harried customers.

Using these devices as ways to promote your art needs to be done with care, as it can be hard to undo a tarnished online image. What may have seemed a great idea at the time can soon be a millstone in certain situations.

If you have a website or are referred to in an online interview etc… a simple link can assist in spreading the word, (Yes even in your email or online signature on a forum can do the trick.)

Some find the social media avenues are fast becoming clogged with people jumping on the bandwagon hoping to be snapped up by the millions of online viewers, the challenge is the more who advertise, the more you have to stand out from the crowd to be noticed, not easy folks.

A good online marketer takes full advantage of those using these systems well and will either innovate or simply copy their efforts n a bid to “have the edge”.

Of course the social media organisations get clever with their structures and aim to weed out “spammers” and provide all manner of filters when things get too clogged, (It’s not a good look to get wiped as a member of a networking site for spamming!)

Like all avenues of promotion the Artist would do well to ensure they have researched their options well before jumping in to the boiling pot of online adverts of any knid.

Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

4. Other Sales Avenues

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion. 

4. Other sales avenues

When it comes to selling art an art gallery is clearly the first choice, but today there are other options. Online sales thorough Ebay or specific Artist directory type sites who promote artists, are becoming stronger.

With these options it becomes clear the Artist needs to be sure that whichever method they choose is it going to be the right ‘stance” or ”position”. Nothing could be worse for your career if you find out too late  you set up an online sales account only to find someone selling children’s art objects in the “store next door” or similar.

A fair degree of research needs to go into the method you choose and how it will work. An example would be to consider what sorts of art are sold through online stores? And then does this sort of “art” fit to your style (e.g. contemporary works). Perhaps a direct sales website is better than a site where many others attempt to sell their works.

Another way is to sell directly to your “adoring customers.”

Selling directly offers it’s own set of challenges, from sales and negotiation skills to marketing and management. If you invite people to come to the studio and see what’s on offer there are lots of things you need to consider and make sure that if you sell for cash, you have the change in your cash float to be able to settle with the buyer just as you would in any shop.

Consider, what sort of person am I aiming to sell to? How do they shop? Therefore sell to those people the way they want to be sold to.

In the end you need to research, set up a plan of action and make sure the right details are taken care of before you decide which avenue to take  .

Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

3. Connecting with a gallery

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion. 

3. Connecting with a gallery.

You have found a gallery you want to be represented by…  What’s next?

Your online research shows they have been trading for a number of years, they have a good stable of artists, they represent your style of work and seem to have the right “presence” when people walk in the door of the gallery and contact them in other ways. Generally you like the way they do things.

Despite all this you may feel a little uneasy, is your work good enough, are you confident enough, is self doubt creeping in! ARRGH!

Relax many people have the same feeling when they are in this situation. So you won’t be the first nor the last, you can be sure of that. So what to do? A few things might sway things in your favour.

• Get on their mailing list if you can (surprised you have not thought of that one already…)
• Go to the openings and chat to the Artist/s, chat to the gallery people too.

In chatting to people you want to build a relationship with, it pays to not try and tell them a lot about you in one hit, perhaps you might take some time to reveal a lot about what you do and what you want. (the aim is to avoid being overbearing or pushy.)

You should be building a link between them and you, it can work even better if you are referred by another Artist or a friend of the gallery operator.

Some Gallery Directors will have a look at an online resource you may have (If your heart sinks while they type in your web address you had better hope the butterflies settle fast, or your own heart might be telling you something about your site!

A suggestion is to ensure you have the relationship built BEFORE you drag in a full on folio of physical works. Starting with your online presence is an easy way to get involved.

Get ready for rejection though, as many galleries see MANY Artists wanting to beat a new path to paying collectors and investors of art. Don’t take the rejection personally, see it as an opportunity to learn and grow and explore more closely what the galleries stance is about the style of work they represent.

Do your research well, build rapport, ask the right questions, show them the right things and you could be their next rising star…

Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

2. Marketability

Sell! Or sell out… an Artists guide to promotion. 

2. Marketability

As an Artist you produce works, which are of significance to you, but are they of value to others as well? That’s the big question when it comes to selling art. I am not suggesting for a minute you change your style and way of working to make your works more saleable so you lose out on it’s artistic intent Far From IT!, however you must be aware, if you want to sell works, there has to be an end user wanting or needing what you have to offer.

If you present your works to a gallery who looks after Artists who are of a similar style to yourself, they have probably found a way to target clients interested in that style, if not they will be out of business fairly quickly!

When it comes to figuring out if your works are marketable or not, you need to ask those who know about the Art scene you are aiming at. Sure your family and friends will have an opinion, but do they know enough about your work, and what sells to really tell you straight? Chances are no… So who would you chat to? Buyers of this type of work, Gallery directors etc… other Artists working in your style.

If you are aiming to be represented by a gallery and you have found one who represents your style of work well, you have a chance they will know the best of all about the marketability of your work. They are after all experts in their field (especially if they have been doing it for a good number of years.)

Back to basics for a moment, anything, which for sale needs to have a market (people or organisations interested in buying what’s on offer.) without that market you have no potential for a sale. Now the thing is finding out where these people “hang out” and how they go about buying! In our case they hang out in art galleries so that makes it easy. But for those selling online or direct, getting an advert, sales copy etc to work for you is often challenging so be careful how you go about it.

In simple terms I guess you want to avoid those around you saying “I told you that stuff would not sell!” (when you have just spent hundreds of $$ on adverts that did not raise any interest…) So researching and working on your marketability as an Artist is very useful and can save you a lot of grief later on.

Another aspect to marketing which is very important is knowing you can not sell a secret. A secret is an unknown quantity, so people need to know about you. There are a number of ways to do this, building your profile by getting in the media (local papers can be a great start) and then build a scrap book from there (Hmm, it may sound corny but it works!) over time the more you get your name out the more people will remember you. Think of it like this, large brands (like Coke) keep advertising to keep their name out there and happening. You should do the same.

A few ways to be noticed.

• In magazines on the Arts – Adverts – Gallery listings - Interviews
• Online – Your own website – Interviews you can link to about you – in commercial sites which promote Visual Arts.
• In local papers and other media – Send them a press release to keep them up to date with what’s happening with your art work, any awards you have won, shows coming up etc.
• Active involvement in relevant online forums – chatting to other artists is great but gallery people can also check out your passion for the Arts, and yes they will google search your name at some stage.

There’s some ideas on ways to be marketable, I hope it helps!

Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

1. Research

Sell! Or sell out… an artists guide to promotion.

1. Research…

You make art, are happy with the “quality” of the work and now want to sell it. The first step is to do some research.

For this series I want to provide information for Contemporary Visual Artists, so if you create decorative works, fantasy works etc this series may have some value for you, however there are probably other aspects you might need to consider as well.

Researching ways to sell your art is vital, so you know what’s out there and are then formulate a plan of action from that, which is rich in knowledge, not rich in hot air.

A few options are currently available.

1. Art Galleries
2. Selling online
3. Selling directly to the end buyer

A brief look, all of the above are okay, the gallery one is the often preferred option as you have an “agent” working for you, you pay a commission for that of course.

The other two… selling online can mean selling to bargain shoppers, if you can get past that your fine… and finally the last one selling directly, e.g. through studio direct sales, it can be great but you do the advertising and therefore the hard yards to attract prospective buyers.

The aim in researching at this point is to figure out which one of these methods will be of value to you, perhaps all three, or just one. As you do your research figure out which one you will be the most comfortable with and go for that.

1. Art Galleries – check out the many Contemporary Art Galleries available, there are art gallery guides in newsagents, online and through magazine listings, check as many galleries as you can, keeping in mind if a gallery sells abstract work and you are a realist, chances are they might say no… But check the stockroom if you can and see what styles of work they deal in. Get to know the gallery directors name, and perhaps do some online research to see if their online presence is suitable, they usually list their artists there so you might be able to talk to some of them to find out if the gallery looks after them well. Remember a gallery is a business and needs to make a profit, needs to see turnover of cash and therefore wants to represent saleable artists.
2. Selling online – Ebay and other online sites are generally seen as a way for people to buy bargains. If you have your own online sales store attached to your site you will want to make sure it represents you well to your prospective purchasers, can be updated easily by you and shows the works off to their best ability.
3. Selling directly – Having people drop into the studio to have a look is probably a great idea for some, but if you are a reclusive hermit, you might try another avenue. To sell directly you need to be able to chat freely to people, let them feel at ease and keep the pressure off them. Some sales knowledge is required so if you don’t want to sell and possibly haggle over the price then avoid this one as well. Some Artists offer an open studio day a few times throughout the year and advertise in their local paper for a few weeks leading up to the event.

A few ideas there, the big thing being to figure out which one you think best suits you. then setting u a plan of action to get the results you want from it.

Written by Steve Gray Contemporary Visual Artist © 2009+

Sell! or sell out…

Sell! Or sell out…

Many artists are in a position where they have produced work and now want to promote their works to sell them, generally through an art gallery of some kind. However Most artists seems to have an issue with Galleries and are either not sure how to approach them, not sure if they can handle the possible rejection not sure if they want to part with their works!

This series is about allowing you as the artist or artist to be an insight into how you might go about the process.

We will look at selling Art works and avoid the issue of “Art for Art sake” so note this series is for those who want to sell, not hide their work under the bed…. That’s a whole other issue.

In this series lets look at.

• Marketability
• Research
• Connecting with the gallery
• Other sales avenues
• Social media as a promotional tool
• Building a database and why it’s important
• The value of group shows.
• The $$ and Cents
• Consistency, passion, motivation and desire
• Your art statement
• Invites and teasers
• Websites and blogs
• Tracking your work
• Chatting to people about your work
• Being great to get along with
• Your first solo show

There are lots of things to explore so lets get started! In the next few weeks you will be able to follow the posts and gain a better understanding of what might take place in the broader Visual Arts world.

Five facts about being a Visual Artist.

It’s important to note the title of this article specifically refers to facts related to being successful in business, rather than being successful as an artist. Success is a term, which is defined differently by each us. Think about it…what are the things you think you need to accomplish before you consider yourself successful? Believe it or not, there are some artists who couldn’t care less about selling their work. Their primary definition of success is to be able to push the limits of their own creativity, leaving their studio with the sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and the enthusiasm to return to another day of work.

Others consider success the ability to gain recognition from their peers and eventually be seen as having made a positive contribution, from an art historical point of view. Still other artists, are less interested in this long term historical vision, and find their definition of success is equal to the amount of income they can generate from the sale of their work. Regardless of your definition of success for your work, these are the facts you must face if you want to be successful in the business world and understand how the art market works.

As always, it is important to note there are exceptions to every rule, and I genuinely hope you will be that one in a million exception… but if you are not, you need to be prepared. So, artists brace yourself, here is my bucket of ice cold water splash in your face:

1. You will not get “discovered.” 
 
Marketing your art is hard work. There are thousands of artists making extraordinary efforts to promote their work each and every day. Waiting for an angel benefactor or hoping for a patron, is just a way of procrastinating. You need to stop making excuses and put a plan into action to deal with the reality of the hard work it takes to get recognized. A minimum of 3 hours of week set aside to do business is essential.

2. You will not find a gallery that “understands your work” and feels as passionately about it as you do. 
 
Although many gallerists are passionate about the artists they represent, educated in art history and articulate, the majority are primarily interested in selling art. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially if sales is one of your primary goals. But, artists have to stop dreaming about finding the one person out there who can be their “art soul mate” and realize that galleries are in business to sell art, and that is exactly what you are hiring them to do for you. They do not need to understand your work on every level, nor do they have to be emotionally moved by it… what they do have to do, is be convinced they have the contacts and collectors who will like your work.

3. No matter how original you think your work is, it has been done before. 
 
Originality does not define quality, quality defines quality. Regardless of whether or not your work is original, what makes art exceptional is the context in which it was made from an art historical point of view. Study art history, know your influences, and understand originality and/or technique is only one of many considerations in the determination of what makes art great.

4. Just because your work looks just like Jackson Pollock, (or, fill in the blank) doesn’t mean it’s as good, or you can price it the same. 
 
The price of your art has very little to do with what it looks like, what it is made out of, or how big it is…it has everything to do with what the market will bear, supply and demand, and your exhibition and sales history. In evaluating how to price your work, you should be looking at other artists in your same career range, and the prices people are willing to pay for YOUR work, is how you establish a market value. 

5. You will not be able to make a living off the sale of your work. 
 
Sales are great and every artist needs and wants the positive feedback that comes from collectors buying your work. But, assuming that you want to live above the poverty level in the United States, to make a decent living you would need to sell over $150,000 worth of your art to net $75,000 before taxes. That would make your net approximately $50,000 before you deducted any expenses for studio space, art supplies, framing, advertising or promotion. Of course, it is possible. But, if you keep waiting for it to happen without accepting the reality of the odds, you are doing yourself and your work a disservice.

If you do the math, being an artist will most likely cost you money no matter how much art you are able to sell! But, do not despair…remember that being an artist is one of the greatest gifts a person can have. You have found something in your life you are passionate about and something you love to do. You are leaving a legacy and giving of yourself each time you complete a piece of art. Sit back and relish in the joy your art making gives you and accept the fact that succeeding in the business world has no part in defining your success as an artist.

©2009 Sylvia White http://www.artadvice.com/profile

If you are addicted

Living with an artist isn’t easy, particularly if you are the significant other. So, after living with and working with artists for over 20 years I’ve put together a few suggestions for you to share with your partners. One of the first things most non-artists have a hard time understanding is the concept of addiction and how it is related to art making. Most artists I know go through classic symptoms of withdrawal when deprived of their work environment for too long. They get grouchy, irritable, may suffer from physical complaints such as headaches, body aches and often times find themselves depressed for no reason. These symptoms miraculously disappear when they are given the opportunity to work again. The primary reason for this is artists are wired differently than the rest of us. While most of us can get by with the basic elements of Maslow’s theory, food, shelter, etc…artists need to be able to create as much as they need food or oxygen. It is so much a part of who they are, that to deprive them of it would be like asking you or I not to talk, not to eat, not to breathe. They have been given this gift in the same way we were given blue eyes or brown. Making art is not an option for them, it is a necessity.

Occasionally, I will get an artist who asks me to tell them my opinion of their work. It is a question I try to discourage. Unless you are asking an art critic or an art historian, most people are not qualified to comment of the aesthetic value of the work. Galleries may be able to comment on the marketability of the work, collectors may be able to say if they like it. But, mature artists shouldn’t pursue seeking an opinion of their work. Your work is your work, period. Someone will either like it or they won’t. Nothing you say or do can change that. Now, you may be able to convince someone to buy it, but, in regards to liking it, it is a primal reflex based on the accumulated history of that person’s visual information and experience. So what does it really mean when someone doesn’t like your work. It means one person doesn’t like your work. That’s all it means. It doesn’t mean you are a bad artist or a bad person or should stop making art (as if that was really an option). In almost all cases, when an artist asks what you think of their work, they are asking to connect with that person by sharing an intimate part of themselves. Realize that when an artist asks what you think of their work, they hear the answer as it relates to them, personally. It is a vulnerability that mature artists struggle hard to overcome.

The concept of “working” was a hard one for me to understand. Often times I’d go into my husband’s studio and see him sitting on the couch with the television on or listening to the radio…staring at his paintings. I’d been at my office all day, talking on the phone or busy with clients. This was not my idea of “work.” It wasn’t until I really understood the process of making a painting that I realized how much of the work is in just looking…thinking…imagining what it would be like to do this or that. Mental activity that to the lay person looks like relaxation. I could accept the fact that slathering paint around was work…but, sitting and staring, that was hard for me. What I came to learn was that the “looking,” is the hardest part. It was kind of like hearing about the way Mozart wrote music. He wouldn’t write anything down until he could hear it all in his head first, then he would write it out perfectly in a matter of minutes.

Contrary to the common stereotype of artists as slackers, artists are incredibly industrious and hard working. In most cases, regardless of what they do for a living, they are working on their obsession 24/7. Acknowledging this, can help tremendously in understanding an important aspect of an artists’ character…and saving a relationship.

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