The gallery relationship

Penny Harris shares her knowledge of establishing and managing successful artist-gallery relationships

Penny Harris shares her knowledge of establishing and managing successful artistgallery relationships

The easiest way to explain the relationship between an artist and a gallery is to think of it like a marriage. For it to work, the key is always communication and respect. I could stop now, have a cup of tea and leave you with that thought. But don’t worry, I’ll expand, and tell you more about the gallery side of things...

Nurture

Artists can be wary or downright scared of galleries. There’s nothing to be worried about, though. To ease any reticence you might have about reaching out to a gallery, it’s important to understand the dealer’s point of view too. I often have to clarify the situation to artists, and I always explain that you really have to understand the economics of running a gallery. A gallery is a business: like a shop, if you like. Gallery owners have an extraordinarily complex relationship with their own clients. They are arbiters of taste, and they help buyers have confidence in the artist they are purchasing work from. Their client relationships can take years of nurturing – time during which they may actually sell very little work, but they are preparing the ground-work to sell.

The gallery owners I know work exceedingly hard – it’s certainly not an easy career option. In the vast majority, they are passionate about helping artists and selling their work. They are always in business mode, looking for every opportunity to sell work for their artists. Having spent many years around dealers, it always makes me rather disappointed when I hear an artist bewailing the commission galleries charge. It is not an easy job to develop buyer relationships and sell work, particularly at this time when it is very easy to access artists online, so I take my hat off to the galleries and would gladly pay them a commission to bring buyers and take away the process of selling.

Clarity

In our mentoring capacity, we are often asked to extricate artists from a gallery relationship that has gone sour. Nine times out of ten, it is to do with the fact that the artist is expecting the gallery to be something they are not. To avoid situations like this, make sure both you and your dealer have a mutual understanding. Know your gallerist – some don’t want to interfere with your creative process and are concentrating on selling work. On the other hand, some get very involved in studio practice, which some artists really enjoy but it doesn’t suit everyone. Again, this goes back to my first and really only point – communication and respect. When you enter into a relationship with a gallery, be clear, put your cards on the table, and make sure it’s the right choice for you.

Most artists suffer from imposter syndrome – so if you do too, you’re not alone! This means that you can get nervous about dealing with galleries in a straightforward manner. The trick is to keep everything simple and to confirm everything in writing, so that there is a paper trail (or an email trail) and that everything is crystal-clear between you. This should cover every conversation or agreement that you have with your gallery. Believe me, a simple summary email will avoid any misunderstanding further down the line. Never be frightened of your gallery and, if you are, perhaps it’s not the gallery for you. Always be straight and, most of all, don’t play games – it will backfire on you and you won’t be trusted – suddenly the art world can be a small world! It’s important to think of not only your side of the situation but the gallery point of view too. They will be working hard for you and will earn their commission. If you do have a sole agency contract with your gallery, which is quite rare these days, be clear with your gallery from the outset about studio sales. To be able to sell direct to friends and family is fine but it’s wise just to have had the conversation.

The right approach

The other question that we are often asked is how to get a gallery in the first place. Remember that gallerists will be doing the same as everyone else and looking on Instagram. It is the quickest and easiest place to see what’s happening, trending and selling. When a gallery is taking on an artist, they will want to see that the artist has a consistent practice, that they are regularly creating and posting new work. Bear this in mind when you are populating your social media feeds. By all means send an email to a gallery with a link to your Instagram or website. They will see it, but don’t take it personally if they don’t reply. Believe me: if they think that their client base will like your work, they will get back to you, having first most likely checked out your Instagram! The most important thing is not to hassle a gallery, don’t make approaches at inappropriate times, either at an opening or at an art fair, which is often why people think gallery owners can be unfriendly; they’re not, they’re just busy. Putting together a new show or taking part in a fair is an important investment in money and time, so they’ll want to make the most of it by meeting new collectors to sell to, not new artists to promote. Most gallerists will be happy to meet you if you choose the right place and the right time.

Finding and creating a gallery relationship is a long game. It starts with a huge amount of research, getting to know a gallery, seeing whether your work will fit in. Again, don’t take a rejection on the part of the gallery owner as personal, they know their clients and whether they would be potential buyers of your work. And if you were to get interest from a gallery always deal with them in a professional way. Make their lives easy. You’ll find that when a gallery and artist work in tandem, are clear and respectful, it can be a marriage made in heaven.