Finding a Gallery That's Right for You!

Not all galleries are the same Not only is it a daunting task but it’s confusing when you start out looking at galleries. There are enough questions to stop you in your tracks. Where do I find galleries? How do I know if they take new artists? Is my work right for them If they want my work what do I do? There is a way to successfully contact galleries   You are probably already on the right course for finding galleries that will want your work. In fact, you have a resource in front of you, besides your computer. We'll get to that in a minute. If you look around, you’ll find an art magazine of some kind. It doesn’t need to be current. It doesn’t even need to be in good shape. Inside you’ll find advertisements for artists having exhibitions. Guess what, they list the gallery name. And then there’s the stories. If you looked at the magazine because you liked the work of an artist in it, do a search for their website. On the sites they probably list galleries that represent them. The artists also have lists of galleries where they have shown their work.   A little bit of work goes a long way   So now you’re collecting gallery names. A good start. Take a piece of paper or a pad or if you really want to get started, open your sketch book. It takes a commitment to use your sketch book. So writing in it goes a long way toward your success. My sketch books are filled with artist names, gallery names, cut out images from art magazines, quotes from artists and even a sketch or two.                         Let’s look behind door number #1 You are now ready to knock on the door of galleries, figuratively that is. So, let’s fire up the computer and get started. (Too corny, oh well).  Not having a computer is not an excuse. They have a bunch at the local library. Look up one of the galleries from your list. Take some time to see if your style fits with the artists on the site. Now click on the About page. Scan it for a link that says Submission Guidelines. If it’s not there and the gallery doesn’t specifically say they are not reviewing artist’s work, go to the Contact page and click there. If they are looking for new artists, there should be a link. Don’t be disappointed if they don’t want you. Online art sales in 2018 was well over 4 Billion and the number of art galleries and museums in the U.S. alone is over 49,000. So there are lots of chances. They want me. They want me! Okay so you found a gallery or two that are looking for new artists and the work seems to be a good fit for you. Now What. Remember the post about Never Missing an Art Call Again. If you prepared your files for an art call you are also ready to send the file to a gallery. Create an email and simply state that you feel you would be a good addition to their gallery and remember to attach the file. Also make sure you do what they say. They get tons of emails and you should respect their criteria for contact. If you have questions about this process feel free to contact me. This blog is devoted to open dialogue, interviews and exhibition of emerging and established artists. Please subscribe. It provides up to date information about my current projects, discoveries, book reviews and art information from around the web. You are welcome to join the conversation by contacting me at Don@DonaldKolberg.com Imagination is never still. The marks we make are Verbs!

How to Pursue Your Dream of a Real Gallery Show

To be successful in contacting a gallery let’s look at some simple tasks Choose artwork Take good pictures Create special files Know your galleries Create a CV Write an Artist statement    You never know when an opportunity will show up so be ready!   Choose artwork: Take some time and choose 10 unframed works that you believe represent a cohesive art style of what you do. Don’t make yourself crazy with trying to work out if they are your true voice. My experience has shown that an artistic voice will change and grow over time. Take Good Pictures: With the improvements to cell phones allow you to get some great low resolution shots that work with a variety of social media sites. But honestly, you’ll need good images of at least 300 DPI. This is a common request from many galleries. Check out this episode of the SavvyPainter.com podcast hosted by Antrese Wood; Fine Art Prints Q&A, with Jake Hawley from Picture Salon. There is lots of great information about taking pictures. Create Special Folders: Establish what I call a Contact folder. On your computer create a sub folder in File Explorer. Create names that look like this; Contact_Landscape Contact_StillLife You can get as specific as you need to with the name. Now that the end of the year approaches, I tend to add a date; 2019Contact_Floral. It also puts the file at the top of my computer list. Numbers come before letters in the file lists. Once these files are created you can fill them with jpegs of your chosen work Know Your Galleries: When I was the art editor for The Woven Tale Press I would pour over art sites and art magazines looking for inspirational and interesting subjects for a large diverse audience. What it also allowed me to do was research galleries that I thought I would like to contact for exhibits or representation. Over the years I developed a strategy that has been very helpful. If you see an artist that is similar in style to your art, click on their website. Find the gallery websites they are in and click the link.  Providing the art you see is within a familiar concept, go to the contact page and see if they have a submission link. There are thousands of galleries so don’t be disappointed if they do not accept new work. Create a CV: This is a basic listing of your background in art and where you have exhibited or been written about. While this is an older post from thepracticalartworld.com it does a good job of addressing new artists with little to no art references   Write an Artist Statement: This is your opportunity to tell the gallery about your excitement in painting. What inspired the work. Was it influenced by some other artist's style. Is it part of a series. What medium did you use. An Artist statement is an overview of your interpretation of your painting. If you are having trouble with this click here for a site that could help By putting this all together, you'll be ready to contact galleries anywhere Watch for future posts where I will go into more detail of each of these subjects Feel free to contact me with questions and comments at Don@DonaldKolberg.com Subscribe * indicates required Email Address * First Name * Website Art Appreciation Artists Art Lover Imagination is never still. The marks we make are Verbs!