The Internet has changed our life forever as well as the world of art. Until recently the sale of original artworks was performed by galleries. Artists had to put up with this because they had little chance to sell paintings on the Internet on their own. But now everything has changed thanks to social networks and other Internet resources, using which artists can now “go places” independently.
It is high time both galleries and artists reconsidered their relationships. Building mutual relations properly will benefit both parties.
Artists are faced with a new reality. They have to think how to become independent and at the same time not to lose galleries, which help to sell their artworks. After all, without having exclusive rights to selling artworks of artists, galleries may lose interest in them. Therefore, an artist has to decide who will help to sell paintings. If heshe intends to promote them, but at the same time collaborates with a gallery, it is important to make sure that their areas of interest should not overlap.
You can, for example, involve gallery owners when you want them to sell expensive paintings, and you are going to sell original artworks of a lower price range. You can also offer a gallery to sell your recent artworks, while letting yourself selling early works. The same approach will be relevant if you collaborate with several galleries. You can offer selling paintings to one gallery, and for example sculptures to another. After all, collectors looking for a certain type of artwork know well where to find them.
If a gallery organizes an exhibition of your artworks, it is important to observe the time-frames of the exhibition, because galleries often plan such events a year in advance. Nor should an artist forget about the agreed strategy for the period after the end of the exhibition. If during the exhibition or shortly after it ends someone addresses you directly with the offer to sell the artworks fr om the exhibition, you should honestly send them to the gallery, if it was agreed with the management. Even if the proposal to sell the painting directly looks very tempting.
After all, the more trusting and confidential relations you have with the gallery, the higher is its motivation to promote and sell your art. It is even more important to carefully follow the rules of good partnership relations with galleries, if you are a novice artist little known on the Internet. However, it is completely up to you to decide how reasonable it is to involve a gallery in the promotion of your artworks.
At the same time, it is important for gallery owners to understand that nowadays artists have much more opportunities to promote their art than in the recent past. Before starting cooperation with artists which may appear burdensome, they should be confident that you can sell paintings better than they can do it or your competitors. If there is no such confidence, it is important to allow artists to sell their works on their own or to cooperate with other galleries, so be prepared to negotiate with them until mutual benefit is achieved.
When working with more eminent artists who are well represented on the Internet, galleries will have to give them greater freedom: the more famous is the artist, the more flexible relations with him are to be built.
Letting artists promote their artworks may work in favor of both parties. The potential of the Internet only contribute to such equal relationships. Both the gallery and the artist should be interested in the success.
It is important for artists to assess all risks, and to be ready to make a reasonable compromise in the cooperation with a gallery. However, care must be taken when choosing partners from this area. Artists should consider offers of galleries or art curators who want to get exclusive rights to all or most of your artworks. Artists should also check how the gallery sells art to buyers. Even if you really want to participate in an exhibition organized by the gallery, or you need promotion, make sure that they do not want complete control of selling your artworks, or do not seriously lim it your freedom to present your art on the Internet. Sometimes it is better to say a firm "NO."
In our time, not only artists but also galleries have new opportunities to use the Internet. You can create online art galleries and art exhibitions which are not connected to a specific city or country, and the whole world can see them. Collaborating with such virtual art centers is certainly beneficial to artists. After all, a buyer will know which online resource to enter searching for an artwork that meets his tastes and requests. This facilitates the search and brings the artist and customer closer to each other. An example of such a modern form of promoting art without boundaries is the online Jose Art Gallery. Its employees are ready to do everything possible so that people know about your art and your artworks find their way to the customers.
It is only important not to be afraid to try new and unknown things. It refers both to creators of art, and its sellers and connoisseurs who are ready to acquire it.
More info: joseartgallery.com
