Approaching Galleries and working in a retail environment

October 2005

SOURCE: Cultural Enterprise Office

Approaching galleries takes time and research as different types of spaces require slightly different kinds of approaches:

• Identify the types of galleries you want to approach and why you are approaching them; for instance are you looking to sell work and /or raise your profile? You are aiming to build relationships with individuals and galleries who have an affinity with your work and aims.
• Familiarise yourself with programming policies by getting on mailing lists, reading reviews, attending exhibitions and private views, speaking to artists who have exhibited in these spaces.
• Research how, when and what information the particular curator, programmer or owner requires and develop a range of formats which convey information about your work, (e.g. digital images, slides, postcards, artist's statements, reviews, price lists).

The following tips are particularly relevant for approaching smaller commercial galleries.

• Maintain and revisit existing contacts and relationships with galleries
• Select new galleries that appear to have an affinity with your type of work
• Limit approaches to new galleries in each geographical area
• If possible visit the space to get a clearer idea of the price range of the work the gallery stocks and how they display work
• Explain in your covering letter any local connections in terms of subject matter if they are not clear from the titles
• Find out if the gallery takes work on a sale or return basis or buys outright
• If they work on a sale or return basis what is the level of commission the gallery charges?
• Is this added to the price you quote to them or subtracted from your price?
• How will you be notified of sales and what are the payment terms?

If you are not confident about approaching and negotiating with galleries yourself you may enlist the help of a friend or colleague that you trust to speak on your behalf. Artists often find that others can speak about their work with a clarity they find difficult to do confidently due to the level of investment and attachment to the work.

Artists working in a retail environment – what every artist should know

Expert tips:

SOURCE: Karen Sherwood, Cupola Contemporary Art Gallery

www.cupolagallery.com
info@cupolagallery.com 

1.       Make a definite decision that selling your work is something you want and are committed to doing
2.       Get out and about and look at the competition and pricing (market research)
3.       Get out and take advice (from business professionals, other artists, regional arts boards etc)
4.       Never turn up unannounced with a portfolio or works to view!  If in extraordinary circumstances this is unavoidable, be humble.  Do not presume that someone will see you.  A little bit of "I'm ever so sorry but..." goes a long way.
5.       Do not presume galleries and selling venues are 'out to rip you off'.  They are not the enemy!
6.       If possible, visit any place to whom you are considering sending in work.  If you cannot visit in the flesh, check out websites and ask for recommendations from other artists
7.       Again, if possible, find out what each venue’s submission requirements are, either by phone, personal visit or via an email enquiry.
8.       If you are unable to gain access to submission guidelines, please follow these basic principles:

By Post:

• A letter of introduction saying a little about yourself and the work – addressed to the relevant person
• Good quality slides or photos (or a CD) – clearly labelled with your name, address and title of the work
• CDs should always be Mac and PC compatible and they need to come with instructions on their use as well as a contents guide
• A slide/photograph list with as much extra information as necessary to make the best of the images (size, medium etc)
• Include the prices or the range of prices, either wholesale or retail, and make sure they are clearly identifiable
• Include an SAE for the return of the image

By Email:

• Send an email asking the venue if they are happy to receive submissions in this format BEFORE sending an attachment of images.   
• Many galleries and venues will automatically delete any email with an attachment if they do not know from whom it has come, due to the ever increasing risk of viruses
• Please make email approaches polite and short
• 'Form' emails are not appreciated and nor is bad grammar and poor spelling
• It is advised to send jpeg images unless a specific file type has been specified by the venue you are approaching
• It is advised that 4 – 8 images are sufficient and not to exceed a file size of 1MEG.

9.       Take rejection with good grace; it is never personal. What wins prizes in one area, is rejected unconditionally in another.
10.     When delivering work, please ensure that you always send or bring a delivery note with you.  By providing the gallery with clear, concise information, you are protecting yourself and your artwork.
11.     Never miss deadlines
12.     Cover yourself – if the gallery does not issue a contract, create your own for the gallery to sign.  This should cover issues regarding payment, insurance, copyright etc.  Contracts come in all shapes and sizes and do not need to be particularly wordy or formal.  Your delivery or consignment note, if done correctly, offers you some legal protection.
13.     Do not question the commission rate on sales.  The retail outlets need to charge what they need to charge.
14.     Please do not ring the gallery or venue that is displaying your work to ask about sales.
15.     Be as professional as possible in all your dealings with the gallery or venue.

Contracts in a Gallery situation

Source: www.artquest.org.uk 

Artists and galleries often fail to realise the extent of their mutual responsibilities and rights, when they join forces in this way. Very few galleries use written forms of agreement, preferring to rely on memory, and mutual trust. Artists - grateful for the offer of a 'gallery deal' - are understandably reluctant to request the use of a written agreement during negotiations, since this might jeopardise their chances. Although the parties are entering into a very close relationship, the administrative details of that partnership are necessarily numerous and varied so that it will be impossible for either party accurately to recall what they said to each other, let alone what they agreed. This can lead to problems, both legal and administrative, in the future which can undermine - if not destroy - an otherwise successful partnership.

The use of written Gallery Agreements makes good business sense, particularly for a gallery with a large turnover of sales and shows. Artists leave works with galleries under the most flimsy and informal arrangements. Rarely are written agreements used to tell both sides where they stand, and as a result serious problems can and do arise: work is sold at the wrong retail price, agreed gallery commissions increase and artists are charged 'extras' for unforeseen gallery costs; unsold work is not returned when requested, gets lost, damaged or destroyed, and the major question which then arises is: who owns the work?

For further information about the different contracts available between artists and galleries, visit the Artquest website.