Fresh Rx.3 with Kesha Bruce

Solutions to Your Creative Dilemmas

The gallery that represents me doesn't show or sell much of my work. Should I look for a new space? 

A sculptor, Montreal

Galleries have a tough job. They generally represent a large group of artists in an already very crowded market place. And in this “new economy,” their work isn’t getting any easier. So, before you jump ship, why not have a sit down with your gallery’s director and discuss the problem? Try to leave emotion out of the equation and figure out a better way to market “the product.” After all, the Artist/Gallery relationship is a business arrangement, pure and simple. Why not find out if there is a way that the two of you could work together to increase your profit? That’s what business partners do.

If, at the end of the day, the gallery doesn’t seem enthusiastic about trying new tactics, or they don’t take your work or your concerns seriously, then by all means consider moving your work to another gallery. Sometimes a gallery’s focus changes, the artist’s work changes, or the gallery’s audience and collector base changes. No one is at fault. It’s just the natural evolution of things. There’s no reason you can’t end a professional relationship with a gallery on good terms and make a positive move to show your work in a new setting.

Note: For a gallerist's view on the subject, consider reading this blog by Ed Winkleman, owner, director of Winkleman Gallery, New York. He offers advice to artists seeking and changing galleries.

Send me your questions. I'm here to help! freshartinternational@gmail.com
Kesha Bruce

Fresh Rx.2 with Kesha Bruce

Solutions to Your Creative Dilemmas

I'd really like to be represented by a gallery. How can I make that happen?

A printmaker, Paris

There’s no one formula that will guarantee your entry into any gallery, but there are a few steps you can take to make the path a bit easier.

The first step is to do your research. Take a look at galleries that interest you. Does your work fit in with their current roster of artists?  Do you have anything in common with their other artists in terms of style, medium, career stage, and price range? If the answer to all of the above is 'yes,' then you can move on to the next step where you visit the gallery website, find out their submission policy, and send your beautifully designed informational packet.

That said, in my experience, the easiest way to get your work into a gallery is to be introduced to the gallery's director by one of the artists that’s already working with that space. Get on the gallery mailing list and start going to their openings. Add the gallery to your mailing list (This means your snail mail, postcard invite mailing list. Never add a gallery to your e-mail list without permission!) Introduce yourself—not only to the gallery director, but also to the other artists who work with the gallery. Once you’ve spent time getting to know the workings of the gallery, the director, and the gallery's artists, then you might go about asking the director if they’d be interested in looking at your work.

If this whole process sounds a bit like a dating ritual, that’s because in some ways, it is. Essentially, when you sign a contract with a gallery, you’re entering into a complex business relationship that involves plenty of risks for both parties.  When viewed from this perspective, clearly, a bit of “courting” is in order. 

Send me your questions. I'm here to help! Kesha Bruce: freshartinternational@gmail.com