Monthly Column by Dorothy Smith Jackson |
TAKING YOUR WORK
TO A GALLERY
and other helpful hints
When you feel that your work is ready to go to
a gallery, there are several ways to present yourself. The following is my own recipe for
success.
First I dress professionally and head to the gallery for a firsthand look. I am looking to
see whether the gallery fits the profile of my work. A lot of artists get turned down by
galleries, not because the owner doesn't like their work, but because the gallery doesn't
represent their style of work. A good commercial gallery has a certain look and theme
going on with the work it shows. The art has to mix well and create a visual interest. So
go gallery shopping with that in mind and seek out a gallery that represents a few artists
with things in common to your own work. Also avoid galleries with too much of the same
type of work -- you wouldn't want your work to blend into the background.
Once you've located a gallery that you're happy with, ask the owner or salesperson if they
are taking any new artists. This begins the conversation and usually leads to the
information you are looking for. You'll probably be told to send some slides of your work.
Also ask them what percentage their gallery takes from sales. Don't stay too long and wear
out your welcome, just thank them, get a name and address to send to and leave.
Okay, so you've gotten a foot in the door, now you'd better have good quality slides or
pictures of your work to send. It's critical to always keep a good record of your work
with slides, because that is often the method that galleries and art shows use to choose
work. And I've said it before, a gallery usually won't take a chance on an unprofessional
looking artist or on poorly presented work.
What to send and how to send it. First write a cover letter mentioning the day you visited
the gallery and that you'd spoken about sending slides. It also wouldn't hurt to throw in
a compliment if you enjoyed seeing the gallery. I then include a biography of my work and
history as an artist with my phone number and address included. If I send slides I have
them in a nice binder enclosed in slide sheets and with all pertinent information typed on
a sticker attached to the slide. This includes title, medium, and size of the work shown.
And if I have any magazine or newspaper clippings on my artwork, I always like to include
a copy of those. The same thing is true for photos, type a description of each piece under
the photo and make sure that you have a nice binder to present them with. One last thing
is to include a mailer, so they can return your slides without having to pay for the
shipping. Then sit back and wait a week or so until you are certain that they have had a
chance to see your work ... call them if you haven't heard anything. Always keep it on a
professional level, if they want to represent you great, if not thank them for reviewing
your work.
Good luck one and all!
Dorothy J Smith's Monthly Columns
