|
BUILDING STRONG GALLERY RELATIONSHIPS
Securing and cultivating gallery representation is essential for artists to obtain maximum exposure for their work. What are the ideal steps an artist should take in order to build strong wholesale relationships with galleries? The first step is to identify what galleries are right for your work. Then you need to know how to approach a gallery, and how to nurture that business relationship once it is secured. Use the following guidelines to help you identify, secure, and cultivate gallery relationships.
THE RESEARCH
What Galleries are a Good Fit for Your Work?
Galleries come in all shapes and sizes-but when it comes to finding a gallery for your work it boils down to finding the best fit. How do you find the best match? Do your research! What type of gallery is best for your work: craft, folk, contemporary, urban, tourist, neighborhood, high-end, low-end? Utilize artist forums, other artists, Convention and Visitors Bureaus, and the Internet to find galleries that are the most appropriate. The list of NICHE magazine's 2006 Top Retailers Award recipients is a great place to begin.
Set Your Prices for Wholesale
Are you pricing your work to account for the time and the costs associated with making the work? Will your art sell after the gallery adds their mark up? Remember that the gallery will take your wholesale price and mark it up for profit. Take all of this into consideration when setting your prices. To learn more about how to price your work click here.
Identify Your Target Customer
What age, gender, race, religion, socio-economic level is your ideal customer? To learn more about how to define your ideal customer and target audience click here. Defining your target customer will help you communicate and market your work more effectively to gallery directors, as galleries will pick artists that are a good match for their loyal customer base.
MAKING THE ASK
Ask the Gallery how it wants Work Presented for Review
Call the gallery and ask them how they like work presented to them for consideration. Do they want slides, digital images, color copies, or original work? Cut out the guesswork—ask the source directly. Not only will you find out first hand the gallery's preference for reviewing work, but often times you will save money and increase your chances of being accepted. Be sure to follow the gallery's submission rules.
DO
Inquire about acceptance procedures, contracts, and pricing policies. Always be professional. Research competing styles that the gallery already carries. Do you know an artist that is already represented by the gallery? Ask that person about their experience.
DON'T
Be pushy in your presentation, or provide incomplete or sloppy information. How you submit your materials is a direct reflection on your level of professionalism. Galleries want to work with artists they know will always be professional and reliable.
YOU'RE ACCEPTED—NOW WHAT?
Provide Quality Work Consistently
Always provide work of the highest quality, and with stellar presentation. Paintings should be well framed, ceramic and glass pieces should be stable, and jewelry should be durable. Always be consistent with your style of work, and the quality of it.
Be Ready to Fill Special Orders & Duplicates
Be prepared to accept special orders and be able to duplicate your work with minor variations to size, color, and palette, as necessary to fill your wholesale orders.
Provide Accurate Inventory with Shipments
Whether you utilize a software system (such as Quick Books) or hand write your inventory—make sure all pieces shipped to galleries are labeled by number and correspond directly to a price sheet. This will help you and the gallery keep accurate inventory records. Prices should be listed clearly as either wholesale or retail.
Ship On Time
Be prepared to ship your work to galleries when they request it. Do not promise a shipment time that you cannot honor. Keep a production calendar; it will allow you to accurately predict when you will be able to fill an order.
Get it in Writing
Don't leave anything to chance. Always be sure to outline the parameters of your business relationships in writing. Upfront communication is not only smart; it is essential to maintaining strong business relationships. For useful tips on writing contracts such as order forms, invoices and terms of sale click here.
Exclusivity
Be mindful of your new business partner and don't compete against yourself!
Do not seek representation of another gallery within a 25-minute radius of a gallery that is currently carrying your work. If you have a website, use it to point to your gallery websites, encouraging customers to buy your work at the gallery location.
WHY GALLERIES SAY NO
Galleries may reject carrying your work for a variety of reasons. It is important to understand that this is a business decision, and not a personal one. A gallery may say no because they already carry similar work; your work is the wrong look for the gallery style and typical customer; or your price point is not ideal for their business. Don't be afraid to ask them why your work was rejected, and use the feedback as a learning opportunity.
PR OPPORTUNITIES:
CHOW, the online Epicurean magazine, is looking for items to feature in its holiday gift section. It wants tableware, appliances, edibles & potables or anything related to food and drink. Please send press releases by e-mail. Digital photos sent via e-mail at low- resolution in jpeg format are acceptable. E-mail to Michele Foley at michele.foley@cnet.com or snail-mail to Michele Foley, CHOW, 235 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
Deadline: November 15, 2006
ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES:
2007 Furniture Society Award of Distinction
The Furniture Society Award of Distinction is awarded each year to an individual who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the field of studio furniture. The Award of Distinction Committee is requesting nominations for the 2007 Award, which will be presented at the June, 2007 conference in Victoria, British Columbia. Furniture Society members are encouraged to contact any member of the committee with suggestions or nominations, or simply send them to: Miguel Gomez-Ibanez: awards@furnituresociety.org. For more information visit www.furnituresociety.org, or call 828.255.1949.
NORTH COUNTRY STUDIO WORKSHOPS (Bennington, VT)
North Country Studio Workshops, an educational and professional development program for accomplished artists and craftspeople that presents master-level workshops every other year in wood, design, drawing, sculpture, clay, book arts, surface design, metal, basketry, quilting and printmaking, will offer 13 advanced studio workshops at Bennington College, Vermont, from January 31 through February 4, 2007. For more information and to register visit www.northcountrystudioworkshops.org or call 603.463.7562.
ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES:
Don't miss your chance to advertise in the Winter 2007 issue of NICHE magazine- a special issue celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Buyers Market of American Craft. NICHE magazine is the only magazine published exclusively for craft art galleries, main street stores and small retail businesses, specifically to connect them to the finest wholesale crafts, handmade gifts and decorative art objects made in artist studios throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about advertising, contact NICHE's advertising department.
Space Reservation Deadline: November 10
NOVEMBER BLOG SPOTLIGHTS
Each month Market Insider will spotlight two art and crafts related Blogs that are sure to be your next bookmark! Do you have a favorite Blog? E-mail news@rosengrp.com and share it with us—we just might choose to spotlight it in next month's issue.
http://www.craftysynergy.com.blogspot.com
Crafty Synergy is a blog about creative people and their businesses. It is a place about understanding what these artists do and why they do it.
http://greenjeansbrooklyn.blogspot.com
Greenjeans is the next generation American craft gallery. This blog is founded on the values of craftsmanship, sustainability, and conscientious living.
ARE YOU ON MYSPACE?
Are you a myspace user? If so, the Visiting Artist Program wants to be your friend! With just a simple add, gain access to the Visiting Artist blog and regular bulletin posts featuring business tips for artists aspiring to take their business to the next level.
Quote of the Month:
Attitude determines altitude.
-
Anonymous
SPECIAL THANKS to Judie Raiford for her contribution to the How to Build Gallery Relationships article in this month’s Market Insider. Judie has been the owner of Raiford Gallery since 1996. The gallery is housed in a 9,100 square foot timber-framed building located in the historic district of Roswell, Georgia, and represents over 400 artists working in ceramics, pottery, blown glass, scarves, and handcrafted furniture. Raiford Gallery has been a NICHE Top Retailer for the past 7 years. www.RaifordGallery.com.
Market Insider
Archive - MI newsletters from previous months. |
