start-up business advice

[cynthia]

Am new to the internet and forums. Would appreciate any input on making steady money from selling my artwork. I'm interested primarily in promoting my portrait work by commissions, but I don't know how I could do that by getting established at a gallery. Hanging my work at businesses-well, it seems that I might not get enough work fom that. It seems that most galleries promote saleable landscapes. Do I need to do both? Help!

[bluespade]

I'm wondering if you couldn't run some adds in local or neighborhood newspapers. Maybe people look to get portraits done around certain times of the year? End of the year and summer (graduations and weddings)?

I would look to see where portrait photographers advertise and compete with them in the papers that the wealthier people in your area read (certain neighborhood papers, certain church/synagouge papers, or life of the rich type magazines). Here in DC it would be Washingtonian....kind of like the local version of the New Yorker....


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Doug Hess
Blue Spade Productions

[bruin70]

a gallery adds "respectability" to your work. a gallery allows you to reach more people than you could ever do on your own. a gallery networks. a gallery keeps your name out in public. a gallery handles the "business" side of art. a gallery does 98% of all the shmoozing. a gallery keeps a record of all transactions. and a gallery will get you the commisions you seek. they know the people with money, and the people with money know them. now,,,,if you feel you can handle all these headaches and still focus 100% on your art,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, {M}

[bruin70]

all the above, doug. a gallery does all that you mentioned. they usually have one show a month, maybe with a group display in another part of the gallery. and during the slow season, there are no shows,,,,just group displays. they file everything, so if inquiring future clients ask, they are ready. usually with a portfolio of photos of past works. i don't feel agents are the way to go. they take their cut if they hook you up with a gallery. they have limited contacts. you want as many people to see your work as possible. the best solution is to find a gallery with a good location and demographics. i would think dc is great with all that money and potential internationa; clientel, however the galleries in the dupont area seem a little remote and deserted. of course,,,i was there in the middle of the week. it might be different on weekends.....{M}

[bluespade]

Do galleries display art in different fashions? Most galleries I know of, have one person shows that rotate every 4-6 weeks. The other galleries seem to be for very established artist with several pieces, or perhaps owner/agents who keep your photos or artwork on file for inquiring interior designers/buyers... Are there other ways of galleries working? Is this second "type" harder to break into?

I'd love a one-man show, but maybe having two artworks hanging for a longer period in a mulit-artist display is better.....of course, a printmakers gallery here in Dupont Circle (washington, DC) has a room for one-person show's and a room of about 10 prints each by a different local artist. So I guess that's a third way of doing it.

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Doug Hess
Blue Spade Productions

[animal]

I was thinking ,many malls have art shows so if you want to get noticed by the public you should go into one of these,

[dino]

howdy:

i started doing gallery work when i lived in dc, unfortunately i moved to the stix (nearest city didn't even have 911 : ) i got two gallery showings while in the stix though, yet no one in the stix has money....hehe. i'm looking into finding an agent (now live in 70k pop. city), but alas, i think gallery showings are the way to go. i think gallery shows have the greatest potential for getting noticed (and as long as you spent the money ta get a show up.....circulate it). another way ta go is competitions, however they do cost money and it's often difficult to find out whether they are 'legitimate'. basically, i'm in the same quandary as you.....but thought i'd give ya my insight. you can e-mail me thru my website....perhaps i'll have some answers when ya do? http://www.dinofoto.com .

[RobinZ]

Galleries get you portrait commissions? I didn't know that.

I thought portrait commissions were basically word of mouth.

[Elankat]

Now this is what I call resurrecting the dead. A thread from 2000! lol

[CarlyHardy]

What I'm wondering is how Cynthia is doing with her portrait business!
carly

[TPS]

There are highly specialized galleries that deal in figurative and portrait work. Usually they are located in major metro areas. There is also a national group, I think it's called Portraits Inc. or perhaps Portraits.com now. They supposedly handle the best painters and have the best client lists. If you can hook up with them, or at least find out what they're all about, you'd be well on your way to your goal.