Use Artfacts’ data on galleries to your advantage.
This one goes out to our artist readers.
Finding a gallery to represent you is an incredibly individual and decidedly vague process, much like the course to a successful career as an artist, there is no one clear route. Whilst the pathways are as individual as the artists that pave them, there are still some simple strategies that you can try, to support your journey to gallery representation.
This week we’ll share some tips for you, and next week we’ll show you in more detail how to best use Artfacts to capitalise on those recommendations.
1. Think about what you have to offer, and where you want to go.This may sound obvious, but having a clear awareness of what you bring to the table, and an understanding of what niche you want to carve out in the industry helps clarify your entire approach. Know your why – of your work, of the path you wish to take and of which galleries might be right for you.
2. Look at the gallery’s ranking and career trajectory.The gallery ranking offers a major insight. Consider refining your search for galleries with a strong ranking and positive annual growth. When looking at the career trajectory graph of a gallery, consider whether it has a positive upward trend. If not, is the decline significant?
3. Consider the gallery’s art fair presence.
A gallery’s participation in art fairs is an indicator of their commercial presence. The more art fairs, the more reach. Looking in detail at the types and locations of fairs will help inform you about which markets they are active in. Are they national or international? Are they targeted at emerging markets, or established? All of these components shape the type of collectors, media presence, and of course, other artists and galleries that are present.
4. Consider the gallery’s location.Research your local market before widening your scope. Consider a local gallery that you can establish a strong relationship with and build up your network from there. Save reaching out to galleries with multiple branches until you are further along in your career.
5. Look at the types of artists that a gallery represents.Research the artists that a prospective gallery represents – this can give you great insight into the types of media or styles that a gallery focuses on. Find galleries that fit your work.
6. Check the average age of the artists that a gallery represents.
Look at the age of the artists represented by a gallery; if the artists are younger, you can more safely assume that the gallery focuses on working with emerging artists. If the majority of ages of artists are 40+ you can probably assume that the gallery works with mid-career or established artists. This is another way of refining your search to find galleries that reflect your interests.
Expand the way you see art, (or the galleries that present it).