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July 27, 2006
Get Ready for the Gallery
Eight tips for emerging artists
By Amy Ellingson
[Originally published in the 2005 Expo newspaper]
[Read more about visual arts business in the Expo DIY Library.]
Be certain that your work is ready to be shown.
Have you developed a cohesive and consistent body of work? Look at your work objectively. Are your ideas logically and compellingly expressed? Does your work say something new? Does it fill a formal or conceptual niche? Is it culturally relevant? Are you committed to an esthetic inquiry that will engage you for the long term?
Timing is critical. If your work is in an experimental stage, or if you aren't certain about your direction, it's better to postpone the search for a gallery. It may be frustrating at times to be without gallery representation, but in fact, it's a luxury to be able to develop your work at your own pace without interference from the marketplace. Once you're in the public eye, you'll no longer have that freedom.
Do your research.
Spend the time to find galleries that are appropriate for your work. A gallerist appreciates it when you approach him or her because you know the gallery: its roster of artists, the exhibition space, and the general type and price range of the work.
Conversely, gallerists are annoyed when artists send packets that clearly demonstrate that they don't know the space. For example, when a figurative painter sends slides to a gallery that shows only geometric abstraction, or when an emerging artist sends his packet to a gallery that exclusively shows established artists.
Many galleries have submissions guidelines on their Web sites, which might also indicate the schedule for reviewing artists' packets.
How do you find the right spaces? Use gallery guides from local publications to familiarize yourself with the spaces in your city. Get into the habit of visiting them and checking their Web sites monthly.
Purchase The Annual Guide to Galleries, Museums and Artists published by Art in America magazine, available on newsstands late July or August. This fantastic resource contains cross-listings of galleries and artists, as well as nonprofits and museums. Use the Guide to locate out-of-town galleries.
If you're serious about showing in another city, you'll need to go the extra mile and put the leather to the pavement--there's no substitute for seeing venues in person.
Create community.
Familiarize yourself with the local art scene and its players. The old adage, "It's all about who you know," is somewhat true, but only because it's human nature to be interested in people who are known quantities. Artists who are represented by galleries often put in a good word for fellow artists, and those recommendations carry weight with gallerists.
Don't isolate yourself. Rent a studio in an active artist's building, and find other ways to establish professional relationships and to share information and resources.
Volunteering for a local arts organization is a great way to meet friends and colleagues. Also, get to know the scene at the alternative and nonprofit spaces, which are much more likely than the large commercial galleries to take curatorial risks with emerging artists.
Document your work.
If you don't have the skill to do it yourself, bite the bullet and hire a professional photographer who has experience photographing works of art. Most, but not all, galleries still prefer slides.
The slide sheet allows the gallerist to look at work quickly and efficiently--he or she can hold it up to the light to decide whether "this looks interesting," or "this isn't for us."
In terms of media, we are in a transitional period in which it is necessary to have documentation of our work in various formats--slides, 4"x5" transparencies, high-resolution digital files for printing, and low-resolution digital files for e-mail and Web sites.
The bottom line is: Does your documentation show your work to the best possible advantage? Does it clearly articulate the strengths of the work? Details and installation shots can work wonders.
Depending on your work, you might want to include "extras" in your packet, such as high-quality digital prints, matted 4"x5" transparencies, and/or CDs or DVDs with supplemental images or video clips.
Show your documentation to friends who are familiar with the work in order to ascertain how well the work translates to various media.
Assemble your artist's packet.
Your packet consists of:
- Visual documentation
- Your artist's resume (biography)
- A cover letter
- A statement about the work
- A slide list
- Any supplemental materials you wish to include, such as reviews or digital prints.
The format and typography on all documents should be consistent, professional and straightforward. Your complete contact information should be on every document. Your statement is a formal document meant to illuminate and elucidate your work; it should be communicative and well-written. The cover letter is your opportunity to demonstrate that you know the gallery, that you are at the appropriate level of development, and that you are serious and committed to your work.
There are many resources available that include sample cover letters and statements. "The Practical Handbook for the Emerging Artist" by Margaret Lazzari, and "Taking the Leap: Building a Career as a Visual Artist," by Cay Lang, are career guides that are helpful and comprehensive. The College Art Association (www.collegeart.org) and the New York Foundation for the Arts (www.nyfa.org) are terrific online resources.
Make sure you have sufficient materials for your packets. Don't skimp on visual documentation, and keep your written materials current at all times. Keep all of your materials organized so you can efficiently assemble your packets.
Set goals: how many packets do you want to send out per month? How many per year? Which cities will you target? Do not deliver your packets in person--mail them. Gallerists and gallery staff are busy people, and they do not like to be cornered or confronted by desperate artists.
In addition to galleries, will you be applying for grants and residencies? In most cases, your materials will carry over, though you will customize your cover letter and augment your packet with a proposal, an application and other materials as required.
Remember, you will most likely send out many packets before you get the response you're waiting for. As in all advertising, the idea is to be knowledgeable and strategic in your approach. You will have more success if you send your packet to galleries that are likely to be interested.
Also, be aware that galleries change, grow and evolve, just as artists do. Keep track of galleries that interest you over the long term (create a database or use a notebook) noting shifts in exhibitions, curatorial focus and staffing.
Stay organized.
You are an artist, and you are also a businessperson. Always remember that the art is the art and the career is the career. Sometimes you'll spend all your time in the studio, and sometimes you'll spend days or weeks in the office.
At times, the work and the career seem to run on divergent tracks. Other times, your artistic progress and career progress will seamlessly intertwine. While the excellence of your work is what matters most, you must capably and consistently shepherd it out into the world. Your ability to administer your career can make a difference.
Develop an inventory system, keep good financial and archival records, keep your resume up to date, and create a system for keeping track of your correspondence with galleries. "Art Office" by Constance Smith and Sue Viders contains examples of a multitude of business forms and organizational tools. You can purchase it from ArtNetwork (www.artmarketing.com) in book form or as a downloadable PDF file.
Persevere.
It's been said that for every 50 packets you send out, you'll get one positive response, though your odds are much better if you do careful research and if you develop professional relationships to help pave the way.
As your slides are returned to you (which will happen only if you include a self-addressed, stamped envelope) try not to be too discouraged. The rejection letters will pile up, and each one will sting anew. Learn the difference between "no" and "not right now."
If the gallery says they like the work, but that their schedule is full, continue to update them with new materials once or twice a year. When they ask you to keep them posted on your progress, make sure to follow up regularly. Develop a thick skin and a philosophical attitude.
Not getting what you want is sometimes the greatest gift. Each time an opportunity passes you by, try to see it in a positive light. Think of it this way: You'll have more time to develop the work, and it will be stronger next time around.
Prepare for success.
Oftentimes, emerging artists are so fixated on getting a show that they neglect the work itself.
If you get a date for a show, will you be able to produce enough work? Will the work be completed on time? Your professionalism must extend beyond your ability to create a stellar artist's packet; you must also be reliable and professional once you begin to exhibit your work.
When you get that phone call you've been waiting for--the request for a studio visit or an offer for a show--be ready and able to respond to the opportunities that present themselves.
A resident faculty member of the San Francisco Art Institute, Amy Ellingson received an MFA from CalArts in 1992, and has won numerous grants and commissions. Her large-scale encaustic paintings have been exhibited nationally.
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