Many are resolved. And the vast majority of start-up entrepreneurs tend to trade in certain goods and services. This may be the opening of any store, food or clothing store, household or construction goods. This option involves obtaining almost instantaneous profits and a fast rate of return on investment, however, competition here is a very, very serious force. After all, chains of grocery stores are located everywhere and it is unlikely that a newly-made grocery store will be able to surprise its customers with something. But starting a business related to something less trivial, such as art, can be very profitable and, more importantly, unique. Especially if you open it in the town where the premises of houses of culture or cinemas are still used to present works of art to the audience.
The best option would be to open a gallery. A similar business appeared in Russia not so long ago - hardly 20 years have passed since the opening of the first private galleries in Moscow, and now some of them feel very confident not only at the domestic, but also at the international level. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a lot of people paid attention to this type of private enterprise. But in this case, it is important not only the availability of material resources that make up the start-up capital, it is also important to understand the essence of this, at first glance, simple enterprise. Like any other important business, opening a gallery requires a careful and responsible approach. And the most important thing at this stage will be the business plan of the gallery. Which will determine the entire course of affairs related to the opening and operation, plus it will make it possible to make fundamental financial calculations.
The gallery can be artistic or decorative arts.
An example of a successful art gallery opening
“Atelier Karas” is a gallery that opened in 1995. However, the idea of creating a private gallery in the family of the head, Evgeny Karas, began to be discussed even earlier - in 1986. Since the Karas family consisted entirely of people involved in fine arts and painting, they it would not be difficult to organize the effective functioning of such a cultural institution. The location of the gallery was taken by the studio, which was provided to Evgeny's parents by the Union of Artists. It was located on the first floor of the building and its area was calculated as much as 200 square meters. m. Here for 8 years there was a personal workshop of artists Karasey. And it was here that they all so wanted to create a territory of artistic life, filled with unique exhibits and, of course, like-minded people in this regard.
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Starting a business in the arts
Despite the fact that the family had a fairly large working area, a grandiose renovation was carried out to create space for the gallery. After that, and, rather, even in parallel with this process, Yevgeny Karas, being a novice gallery owner, until 1995 was engaged in the accumulation of knowledge related to the field of contemporary fine art. He actively studied the state of affairs in the visual arts of the neighboring countries - Ukraine, Russia, and far abroad - Europe, the United States, Canada, etc. Then there was a difficult choice of the theme of the initial exhibition, but the decision to present the works of Ukrainian artists to the public was made unanimously. And the period of a more thorough study of the situation with Ukrainian art has come. The art directions of modern creativity, infrastructure, ratings were subjected to the study. Moreover, Eugene, as a beginner in this field, a businessman, had to study the circle of contacts and the names of potential visitors, sponsors, and the like.
Together with the recruited team of gallery workers, the process of forming a database began: information was collected about the artists, photographs of their creative works were examined, art history texts and criticism were collected. Later, a list was compiled of the most interesting to the public, and strong, from the point of view of professional masters, artists. The developed exhibition programs began to be sent to those artists whose work they wanted to see in the walls of the gallery that was being prepared for the opening.
Such a work plan for the preparation of a private gallery, according to Yevgeny Karas, helped him draw up and then implement the experience of foreign specialists who have already had positive success in this business. He did not read any special literature on this topic. And there was nothing to read. Then, at the end of the twentieth century, all this was new. And I had to study not at the institutes of management and business and not at the courses, because there were none in our country yet. I had to comprehend everything on my own, to create some creative ideas on the go, which eventually became the basis for the newly opened private galleries in Russia.
The features of the opening of the gallery described above can be briefly taken out as the main advice to novice like-minded people - it would be better if the gallery building is located in the city center. The total area of its premises should not exceed 200 - 250 square meters. m. This figure is taken from the following calculations: the exhibition hall will be enough to place in a room with an area of 80-100 square meters. m, can be attributed to the office - 15-20 sq. m. from all the gallery's mercy, we must not forget about the room for storing works. Which can be located on 30-50 square meters. m. Under technical premises, it is also worth allocating at least 50 square meters. m, where equipment will be stored, etc. However, some galleries are only 25 sq. m and very well exist.
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Gallery Staff Recruitment
The permanent staff of a medium-sized gallery, such as Atelier Karas, will require no more than 5-6 people: a gallery owner or manager, press secretary, curator, consultant, exhibitor and programmer.
The main role, of course, in the whole process of opening a private gallery, further preparation of expositions, etc., is played by a gallery owner, whose taste, his position help to bet on certain works of art that will be correctly perceived by the public. It is he who creates the image of a cultural institution. Only he decides which authors he should work with and which not, the same applies to hired workers. His decision determines which art of which genre and era can be exhibited in his galleries, and which is not. As practice shows, a gallery owner does not have to be a professional artist at all. It is enough for him to have a superficial understanding of such an art form as painting and, of course, he must love it. Moreover, in modern higher educational institutions of the CIS countries and Russia, professional art managers are being trained, who, as planned, will perfectly cope with the management of cultural enterprises.
Second in importance, after the gallery owner in the list of personnel of this project is the curator. He is the initiator of this or that exhibition, organizes it and, in the end, holds it. This person should know everything down to the most seemingly insignificant detail that may come up during the preparation of the exposition. Especially valuable will be the curator who has a higher art education and the ability to manage and prepare several exhibition projects at once.
The third place is occupied by the exhibitor, who is engaged in hanging paintings in the exhibition hall. Of course, he does not do it with his own hands, with a stepladder at the ready. He plans in which hall this or that picture should hang, surrounded by which canvases it will look more profitable. After all, as experienced workers of galleries and museums note, it is correct, and even more so, a talentedly executed exposition gives even old, already bored, canvases a “new sound”.
The function of consultants is to be at the time of the exhibition in the hall where the exposition is presented, and to provide the necessary assistance to visitors and potential buyers. They, as it is already clear, are also obliged to know everything about the presented pictures and their authors to the smallest detail. Recent graduates of the institutes of painting and fine arts or senior students can perfectly cope with this role. The press secretary, as in all other areas, is responsible for working with the media. According to the leaders of not only private, but also state galleries, a person with an art education will be able to successfully combine several functions, for example, compose exhibitions, work with visitors and write original texts.
The staff of any modern gallery must have a professional programmer or system administrator who will organize the work of the gallery's website, update it, monitor the accuracy of the information contained on the institution's official website.
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What documents and funds are needed to open this business
Due to the fact that on the territory of our country the activity of galleries is not yet regulated by law, no special documents are needed to recognize it officially. It is only important to formalize the opening of individual entrepreneurship, register with the tax service and regularly pay income tax, plus fees to the pension fund. Services for checking the activities of galleries also do not yet exist, so gallery owners can still breathe easy. You can start a gallery business, as Yevgeny Karas says, with only 2,000-3,000 dollars.
However, if you do not already have a room, the amount will increase markedly. The specified amount will be spent on the salaries of staff members for the first month, the organization of the opening ceremony and the order of booklets advertising the debut exhibition. With the option that your gallery will be the first and only in the city, you can try to enlist the support of local authorities and even, if you're lucky, get a building in the city center. In this case, you will share business rights with a government agency. Another option for solving the problem of lack of funds for renting premises is to attach the gallery to an existing business, for example, in assembly halls or in the halls of a private bank.
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Plan for the opening of the gallery of arts and crafts
Having considered the plan for opening a gallery in which works of painters will be exhibited, you can move on to another type of galleries - arts and crafts. In order for a start-up business to pay off pretty quickly, you need to try to pick up a high-quality exposure. Experts say that a huge number of people whose income allows them to spend quite large sums on home improvement will be happy to purchase decorations for the interior of a house made in American or any other style and design. Beautiful high-quality furniture and accessories for it, which are true samples of the art of the peoples of the world, will always attract rich people, especially if the offer comes to our market in limited quantities. Such an assortment should be exhibited by a gallery of arts and crafts, if its owner wants not only to share art objects with the public, but also to earn good money.
In his youth, the unknown son of Armenian emigrants Larry Gagosian did not even think about the world of art and earned money wherever he could - he parked cars, etc., until one day he started selling posters. Later, he switched to painting, began to promote the paintings of contemporary artists, and one day it was thanks to him that the world recognized Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. After that, Larry Gagosian became fabulously rich and for a long time led the ratings of the most influential figures in the field of fine arts. The story of the American dream, right?
Myths and reality.
In fact, things are somewhat different in the art world, especially when it comes to the Russian art market. The modern conditions in which painting exists in our country require remarkable patience from the gallery owner, serious material investments and painstaking work to form their audience. Now, even in Moscow, gallery sales cannot be called a good way to earn capital: this is still very far away. In our gallery, in most cases, it is more of an image character, it is an opportunity to express yourself by creating curatorial projects that are now fashionable and providing support to talented artists.
In modern Russia there are many gallery owners whose professionalism and devotion to art inspire genuine respect. These are, for example, Elena Selina (gallery XL), Alexander Sharov (gallery "11.12"), Marat Gelman. However, no one has yet earned a multi-million dollar capital from the sales of Russian art. For a long time we were isolated from world art processes, and the representatives of the middle class in our country have not yet formed the habit of investing in art. Therefore, we can say that the art market is just being formed in our country.
Three steps to success.
What questions should be decided first of all if you firmly decided to link your future with art objects and become a gallery owner? Of course, the main thing that you cannot do without is a passionate attitude towards art and confidence in your own artistic taste and intuition. The second is special knowledge that can be obtained both independently and with the support of art market professionals. You can enter a specialized university in our country or abroad. For example, in Moscow, the RMA Business School offers an educational program called Art Management and Gallery Business. Classes are held on the territory of the Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art, the course consists of lectures and master classes, and the most influential people in the art world teach here: Olga Sviblova, Vasily Tsereteli, Marina Loshak, Joseph Backshtein and others.
Retraining programs for gallery owners are offered by universities such as Moscow State University, Russian State University for the Humanities, Higher School of Economics, and St. Petersburg State University. Curators are also trained at the Free Workshops at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, as well as at the Baza Institute by Anatoly Osmolovsky. From foreign specialized educational institutions, London's Sotheby's Institute of Art can be recommended, where professionals in the field of art are trained in programs of various durations, from summer courses to master's programs.
In addition, of course, it is necessary to visit exhibitions, communicate with artists, gallery owners and collectors. This is the only way to understand what is happening on the art scene and determine the directions that will become closest to you. But if you are no longer new to the art community, it's time to take concrete action.
Step one.
Determine the circle of artists you will represent on the market. All galleries can be conditionally divided into two types: current and traditional. The former reflect the latest trends in art, reveal the current and new, the latter represent long-known types of art. And if the former tend to shock the public with new original ideas and expensive projects, the latter, on the contrary, are conservative and, as a rule, organize sales exhibitions.
The projects of the former are interesting because they are dynamic and sharply reflect the social processes taking place in society; such galleries have their own fans. However, there is another part of the audience, those who will go to a traditional gallery for a painting for their collection, because they are close to art that has been tested by time and is not subject to market fluctuations.
So, for example, the works of the well-known duet Vinogradov - Dubossarsky (see photo below), on the verge of social and pop art, with provocative plots, on large canvases, represent galleries of the first type, relevant. And let's say, the works of the well-known Natalia Nesterova, laureate of the State Prize, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, with images of biblical stories, everyday scenes, with still lifes - galleries of the second type.
Current galleries address their projects to a politicized public, as well as to those who are interested in the protest movement or ideas that open up new horizons in the mind. There are those among the audience who just want to surprise their wealthy friends.
If you have decided on a direction, have found your niche, try to enlist the support of at least five to ten artists who will work with your gallery. At the opening stage, two or three already well-known authors should be involved - in this way, initial interest in the gallery can be aroused. And in order to enter the market effectively, try to make your first project interesting and extraordinary.
Step two.
Choose a location for the gallery. In Western countries, there are certain areas where it is customary to open them: in New York, London and Paris there are entire neighborhoods in which art institutions have launched their activities. We are just developing gallery zones, but we already have the Winzavod Center for Contemporary Art, so it would be preferable to exhibit contemporary art there. Other galleries can be located outside the clusters, but preferably in the city center, because you need to take into account the state of traffic and respect the time of visitors.
An apartment-home format is also possible, and there are many such galleries. Its advantage is that you do not need to spend money on renting a room, which becomes the most burdensome expense item. Therefore, some galleries do not have a permanent address, but use new spaces each time. This format is interesting in that it expands the curator's opportunities to present the next exhibition project in a new, suitable environment for him. This way you can offer the concept of art moving beyond the usual walls of galleries and museums, as many new galleries do today.
Step three.
Project launch and subsequent marketing activities. Preparatory work before the opening will take a lot of time, but you can’t do without it. The development of a corporate identity and the launch of a website are simply necessary: otherwise, how will a potential buyer identify you? Naming, creating a logo, preparing and printing catalogs, booklets and invitation cards, writing announcements and releases - these are just a small part of advertising activities. Be prepared for the fact that you have to decorate the gallery space and carry out hanging.
You also need to come up with some branded "chip" that distinguishes you from competitors. For example, for the 73rd Street gallery, a special lamppost was made with a sign "Gallery here" and a logo, which is installed every time during the vernissage. This is done so that guests can easily find the entrance to the exhibition, since the gallery always carries out its projects at different venues in Moscow. Next, determine the circle of invitees to the opening of your gallery, whether it will be closed or available to everyone.
Inform guests about the date and time of the opening, think about the treat and program, write a press release. By the way, get ready for the fact that you will have to constantly monitor everything that happens on the art market, attend many events and communicate with people a lot, participate in the biennale of young art and international art fairs, that is, be in constant search and movement.
So, you opened up and a certain number of people became aware of your gallery. Among them, perhaps, there are your future customers. Now it is important to support their interest with new projects, to discover for them the names of young and promising artists, that is, to turn visitors into buyers, and possibly into real collectors. Whether your gallery will become an attractive place for investors and connoisseurs of art, for journalists and artists, now depends only on your professionalism, ability to communicate with people and, to a large extent, on luck. Good luck!
About the author: Elena Komarenko is a collector, art dealer, founder and manager of the 73rd Street gallery. Provides assistance in the formation of collections of contemporary art. The 73rd Street Gallery was founded in 2011 and presents well-known names of contemporary Russian art (since the 1960s), as well as talented emerging artists, including foreign ones.
There is hardly a more rewarding way on this planet to make a living than running an art gallery. Sitting in a quiet room full of beautiful things all day long, greeting visitors with a smile, giving them your attention and receiving attention in return.
What could be more beautiful than being surrounded by objects of art, which are perhaps the highest form of human self-expression, collecting these objects, preserving them, opening the way for them to the big world, and even earning a living from it? So, if you decide to become an art dealer and open your own gallery, consider a few important points for this profession.
First and most important, you must be imaginative. And everything that you exhibit or offer for sale should be the result of this vision. Imagine that every work and every artist that you exhibit in the gallery is a kind of brushstroke in painting, and the picture you created fully represents your unique view of art.
That's what your goal should be: to present and show the world a coherent, understandable, coherent collection of work that reflects your worldview and allows visitors to create an individual impression of your gallery.
random, not consistent exposure, lack of direction, lack of identity mean that your business will most likely not last.
Speaking of originality, I mean that you should create it yourself, and not entrust it to someone else. As soon as you start copying other galleries, you will immediately enhance their image and fail your own. From the very beginning, you need to establish yourself in your individuality, and if you are not ready for this yet, then you should simply postpone the opening of your gallery until better times.
Even if you choose to showcase art, you cannot do so facelessly or embarrassingly. Therefore, get ready for the fact that you will have to protect your identity and respond to unfriendly competitor comments. Being able to successfully defend what you're selling is at the heart of reputation building and is an Important part of the game. You understand that people who want to buy work from you, and not in a neighboring gallery, must have a good reason for this.
Collectors appreciate knowledgeable educated dealers, those who not only understand art, but can and can clearly argue their position on a particular direction, give an expert assessment of events taking place on the market, characterize a work in terms of its relevance, historical value, etc. .d.
Your next task (if you still decide to stay in this business) is to create a core client base, consisting of regular customers. No matter what type of painting you offer for sale, this base is made up of people who understand that a quality collection is built over a long period of time.
Their tastes and understanding develop gradually, and the more their demands rise, the more they gravitate towards respected reputable dealers and galleries with whom they are connected by a joint business. Examine the list of any large collection and you will see that only a few dealers play an important role in its construction. Be one of them.
However, knowing their advantages of their direction, do not stop on what has been achieved. Being the most knowledgeable about the art you represent, attract the best artists in the field. Continuously study the market, understand its trends and stay two steps ahead of the competition. And in exceptional cases, shape this market yourself.
That's what the most successful dealers do: they set the course for others to follow. Rumors about your clairvoyance and foresight will certainly spread among the participants of this market, writers and critics will take your words into service, more and more collectors will begin to look at a new direction, figures of the art communities will not fail to stir up a heap of discussions around you, and the rest is history, as they say.
But wait, that's not all. Successful dealers are always artist first. If you get recognition from artists, you get recognition from collectors. The willingness of a good artist to trust your gallery with their work and their creative career is the key to your success. If you can't get an interesting artist, you won't be able to offer interesting art products to the market. But here I am getting a little ahead of myself.
To achieve this highest recognition - and it will take years, trust me - be firm, focused and confident in the message you send to society.
Get known in the art scene as a gallery that deals with specific types of art in a certain price range, works with serious artists whose goals and worldview are in line with the given direction. Your level of trust must be in good standing and your reputation impeccable.
People want to know where they are going, they want to feel stable, and not jump with you from one direction to another, not understanding what else you will come up with next. Remember that most buyers are confused by frivolous experiments around art, so hold your course as firmly and steadily as possible.
Once again, success does not come instantly. It will take a long time to build a reputation. Show after show, show after show, convince people that you are not only committed to your vision, but that you have the necessary resources (talent, vision, intelligence, finances) to keep that helm.
This means that you'd better have enough funds and an interesting bright exhibition calendar for at least six months, and preferably a year, to stay in this business. Profits may not come as quickly as you expected. If you do not have such a pillow, think seriously before starting such a business, it may be worth postponing. From the very first day you will be under scrutiny, but interest in your activities can fade very quickly. Therefore, you must have confidence that what you are doing is capable of starting a fire and keeping it going.
As I said earlier, for the success of the gallery, it is very important to carefully and accurately create a base of regular customers, your real partners, those who remain committed to your choice for a long time. The gallery is not an interest club, not a hangout for friends, familiar artists and classmates, those who come to drink, talk about life and have no intention of buying anything.
A surprisingly large number of galleries from the very beginning seem to be specially created because of the desire of the owners to surround themselves with sycophants and satisfy some unrealized ambitions. This will almost inevitably lead to a sad end. In order to prevent such an outcome. You have to take care of the outside world, take into account its interests and convince the world that you have something to show and have something to say about it, that you protect your gallery from becoming a cheap local club and what you are ready to do her place for the elect.
You must be ready at some stage to outline a clear circle of your clients and weed out all those who speak a lot and beautifully about their love of art, but have no intention of supporting you financially or in any other way. It's the only one way to survive. In the end, you can transfer communication with some especially close to you footcloth friends from the gallery to your personal space.
Your next task is to attract the right people. But this does not mean - to ship. One of the best ways is to talk to everyone in a language they understand. Understand that not everyone wants and is able to understand the subtleties of the secrets of painting and delve into your creative ideas. With such buyers, one should be light and unobtrusive.
It is possible that over time, when you establish a strong connection, you will be able to deepen your intellectual communication. Of course, it would be nice for you to show off your erudition and flaunt your knowledge, and even at first it may seem that you give the impression, in the end, all this intricate terminology will scare off a not very educated guy. Few people are willing to pay for something they know nothing about.
As an art dealer, constantly expand your audience. Again and again, offer items for purchase, sooner or later your customers will start calling themselves and making repeated purchases. At the same time, it also happens that at some point your old clients fill up their collections or switch to new directions, be ready to replace them with those who have just entered the business.
As for the content of conversations, it is undoubtedly better not to use banal empty remarks such as: “Look how beautiful this picture is, how much expression it has, isn’t it?”
Talk about your gallery, your goals, why this and not another direction is worth attention. Discuss the creative credo of your artists, what their art is, the concepts, the ideals that it embodies. Why it is worth investing in them, dwell on the history of successful exhibitions and sales. You must understand yourself and convince anyone that you are selling much more than just beautiful things.
You will never sell anything if you just say, "I really like this, you should like it too."
Always be extremely careful with who you communicate with, try to show maximum care throughout your acquaintance. Instead of pitching in on what you want to sell over and over again, try to get as close as possible to your customer's needs and tastes, give him the information he wants to hear, and then leave him alone with his thoughts.
There is nothing more annoying than annoying gallery staff who are released to process a client, and they try to hook the client with all sorts of tricks, as if the client is a fool and does not understand what exactly they are doing to him. Of course, you may be interested in playing the maze, but first make sure that your hobbies are shared.
In addition, place all descriptive materials in an accessible place: all articles, essays by art historians and critics, press releases, announcements.
Write the description of the gallery itself and the statments of the artists in a simple, accessible language that everyone can understand. It gives people a certain level of trust, they feel in control of the situation, and most importantly, they decide for themselves if they want to know more. Pressure on the buyer at the very beginning hello to the fact that you will lose loyal customers and will not give you the opportunity to generate cash flows to stay in business.
If we're already talking about finances, let's look at another important aspect of your gallery's survival - the reasonableness of art prices. You must be able to explain your prices in layman's terms. Present the facts, operate with a consistent explanation.
If you have already decided to keep high prices, justify them like a professional: for example, all the works from the last exhibition have been sold, or there were acquisitions for the collection, or there was an auction sale. In the end, the price can also be argued by the fact that this is a painstaking and costly technique, expensive equipment and materials, etc. Those. there must be some specific rational reason for the high cost of the work.
To simply say that this is a fashionable trend, and the artist is a newly-minted genius, is to say nothing to sell a painting at a good price. You can't operate on value like a souvenir dealer or an expensive entertainment dealer. The buyer of serious art is in most cases a collector and investor, so he will not be satisfied with weak explanations.
Set only thoughtful agreed-upon prices. Don't do exhibitions where first you sell everything for $8000 - $12000, and next time $500 - $1000. The reaction of regular buyers will not be in favor of your gallery's authority. Even if it was reasonable prices and you can explain the fine line between different artists and works art, this line is not obvious to most buyers.
Moreover, we have already told you that you must maintain one direction in your gallery, one level of artists and attract regular customers, so take the temptation to change something in your pricing seriously. People already have certain expectations and you need to be careful with that. We are not talking about small fluctuations in price that are easy to explain, but large discrepancies that can only hurt you.
And finally, a few things to note:
Constantly grow your mailing list, but don't post too often: one or two announcements a month will be enough to maintain your status as a respected gallery.
Show up at local museums, cultural organizations, dealer associations and galleries, draw their attention to your events, ask for financial and other support if necessary, not always and all the time, of course, but when it is appropriate.
Invite also organizers of various charity events to your gallery, hold charity auctions yourself. And most importantly, get to know each other and get to know each other again. You want to be recognized in the art community, you want to know the main players and, ultimately, get the favor of influencers. You don't have to appear at all events indiscriminately, but with some level of regularity. People will notice you again and again and gradually the conversation will start.
Move away from pressure tactics. Do not constantly try to sell something to someone.
If someone is ripe for a purchase, they usually make it clear. Answer people's questions, be attentive to their needs, and let them take things step by step. At the very least, make sure the client is mature before grabbing them by the throat.
If a critic or reviewer expresses thoughts that do not delight you, let them do it. Never remove them from your mailing list, respond to criticism with counter-criticism, or close your gallery doors to them. It's just stupid. You can't try to change people or take away their right to their opinion.
And in any case, the press always has the last word, no matter how puffed up you are. If you're taking anything to the public court, be prepared to get different opinions. If this is any consolation, outside readers rarely remember which gallery was discussed in the last review, and your customers, on the contrary, will receive an additional incentive to look at you again and make sure that you are in good shape and in a great mood.
And remember - the worst thing that can be written about you is not to write anything.
And in conclusion. Be an honest dealer. Never distort and don't embellish overly information about artists and works which you are selling. The last thing the buyer would like to know, especially those who have just started their activities, trusting your professionalism, listening to your opinion, bought from you something completely different from what you described. This will not only badly affect your reputation, but also the business of all the galleries in the world, because now they have lost at least one collector, and even a couple of his friends.
Therefore, do your beautiful work honestly, have fun, enjoying all the benefits of a gallery owner, and this alone is enough to say that my business is quite successful.
Article from Artbusiness.com http://www.artbusiness.com/osoqcreatran.html
Translation of the article by Oksana Kozinskaya
There is hardly a more rewarding way on this planet to make a living than running an art gallery. Sitting in a quiet room full of beautiful things all day long, greeting visitors with a smile, giving them your attention and receiving attention in return.
What could be more beautiful than being surrounded by objects of art, which are perhaps the highest form of human self-expression, collecting these objects, preserving them, opening the way for them to the big world, and even earning a living from it? So, if you decide to become an art dealer and open your own gallery, consider a few important points for this profession.
First and most important, you must be imaginative. And everything that you exhibit or offer for sale should be the result of this vision. Imagine that every work and every artist that you exhibit in the gallery is a kind of brushstroke in painting, and the picture you created fully represents your unique view of art.
That's what your goal should be: to present and show the world a coherent, understandable, coherent collection of work that reflects your worldview and allows visitors to create an individual impression of your gallery.
random, not consistent exposure, lack of direction, lack of identity mean that your business will most likely not last.
Speaking of originality, I mean that you should create it yourself, and not entrust it to someone else. As soon as you start copying other galleries, you will immediately enhance their image and fail your own. From the very beginning, you need to establish yourself in your individuality, and if you are not ready for this yet, then you should simply postpone the opening of your gallery until better times.
Even if you choose to showcase art, you cannot do so facelessly or embarrassingly. Therefore, get ready for the fact that you will have to protect your identity and respond to unfriendly competitor comments. Being able to successfully defend what you're selling is at the heart of reputation building and is an Important part of the game. You understand that people who want to buy work from you, and not in a neighboring gallery, must have a good reason for this.
Collectors appreciate knowledgeable educated dealers, those who not only understand art, but can and can clearly argue their position on a particular direction, give an expert assessment of events taking place on the market, characterize a work in terms of its relevance, historical value, etc. .d.
Your next task (if you still decide to stay in this business) is to create a core client base, consisting of regular customers. No matter what type of painting you offer for sale, this base is made up of people who understand that a quality collection is built over a long period of time.
Their tastes and understanding develop gradually, and the more their demands rise, the more they gravitate towards respected reputable dealers and galleries with whom they are connected by a joint business. Examine the list of any large collection and you will see that only a few dealers play an important role in its construction. Be one of them.
However, knowing their advantages of their direction, do not stop on what has been achieved. Being the most knowledgeable about the art you represent, attract the best artists in the field. Continuously study the market, understand its trends and stay two steps ahead of the competition. And in exceptional cases, shape this market yourself.
That's what the most successful dealers do: they set the course for others to follow. Rumors about your clairvoyance and foresight will certainly spread among the participants of this market, writers and critics will take your words into service, more and more collectors will begin to look at a new direction, figures of the art communities will not fail to stir up a heap of discussions around you, and the rest is history, as they say.
But wait, that's not all. Successful dealers are always artist first. If you get recognition from artists, you get recognition from collectors. The willingness of a good artist to trust your gallery with their work and their creative career is the key to your success. If you can't get an interesting artist, you won't be able to offer interesting art products to the market. But here I am getting a little ahead of myself.
To achieve this highest recognition - and it will take years, trust me - be firm, focused and confident in the message you send to society.
Get known in the art scene as a gallery that deals with specific types of art in a certain price range, works with serious artists whose goals and worldview are in line with the given direction. Your level of trust must be in good standing and your reputation impeccable.
People want to know where they are going, they want to feel stable, and not jump with you from one direction to another, not understanding what else you will come up with next. Remember that most buyers are confused by frivolous experiments around art, so hold your course as firmly and steadily as possible.
Once again, success does not come instantly. It will take a long time to build a reputation. Show after show, show after show, convince people that you are not only committed to your vision, but that you have the necessary resources (talent, vision, intelligence, finances) to keep that helm.
This means that you'd better have enough funds and an interesting bright exhibition calendar for at least six months, and preferably a year, to stay in this business. Profits may not come as quickly as you expected. If you do not have such a pillow, think seriously before starting such a business, it may be worth postponing. From the very first day you will be under scrutiny, but interest in your activities can fade very quickly. Therefore, you must have confidence that what you are doing is capable of starting a fire and keeping it going.
As I said earlier, for the success of the gallery, it is very important to carefully and accurately create a base of regular customers, your real partners, those who remain committed to your choice for a long time. The gallery is not an interest club, not a hangout for friends, familiar artists and classmates, those who come to drink, talk about life and have no intention of buying anything.
A surprisingly large number of galleries from the very beginning seem to be specially created because of the desire of the owners to surround themselves with sycophants and satisfy some unrealized ambitions. This will almost inevitably lead to a sad end. In order to prevent such an outcome. You have to take care of the outside world, take into account its interests and convince the world that you have something to show and have something to say about it, that you protect your gallery from becoming a cheap local club and what you are ready to do her place for the elect.
You must be ready at some stage to outline a clear circle of your clients and weed out all those who speak a lot and beautifully about their love of art, but have no intention of supporting you financially or in any other way. It's the only one way to survive. In the end, you can transfer communication with some especially close to you footcloth friends from the gallery to your personal space.
Your next task is to attract the right people. But this does not mean - to ship. One of the best ways is to talk to everyone in a language they understand. Understand that not everyone wants and is able to understand the subtleties of the secrets of painting and delve into your creative ideas. With such buyers, one should be light and unobtrusive.
It is possible that over time, when you establish a strong connection, you will be able to deepen your intellectual communication. Of course, it would be nice for you to show off your erudition and flaunt your knowledge, and even at first it may seem that you give the impression, in the end, all this intricate terminology will scare off a not very educated guy. Few people are willing to pay for something they know nothing about.
As an art dealer, constantly expand your audience. Again and again, offer items for purchase, sooner or later your customers will start calling themselves and making repeated purchases. At the same time, it also happens that at some point your old clients fill up their collections or switch to new directions, be ready to replace them with those who have just entered the business.
As for the content of conversations, it is undoubtedly better not to use banal empty remarks such as: “Look how beautiful this picture is, how much expression it has, isn’t it?”
Talk about your gallery, your goals, why this and not another direction is worth attention. Discuss the creative credo of your artists, what their art is, the concepts, the ideals that it embodies. Why it is worth investing in them, dwell on the history of successful exhibitions and sales. You must understand yourself and convince anyone that you are selling much more than just beautiful things.
You will never sell anything if you just say, "I really like this, you should like it too."
Always be extremely careful with who you communicate with, try to show maximum care throughout your acquaintance. Instead of pitching in on what you want to sell over and over again, try to get as close as possible to your customer's needs and tastes, give him the information he wants to hear, and then leave him alone with his thoughts.
There is nothing more annoying than annoying gallery staff who are released to process a client, and they try to hook the client with all sorts of tricks, as if the client is a fool and does not understand what exactly they are doing to him. Of course, you may be interested in playing the maze, but first make sure that your hobbies are shared.
In addition, place all descriptive materials in an accessible place: all articles, essays by art historians and critics, press releases, announcements.
Write the description of the gallery itself and the statments of the artists in a simple, accessible language that everyone can understand. It gives people a certain level of trust, they feel in control of the situation, and most importantly, they decide for themselves if they want to know more. Pressure on the buyer at the very beginning hello to the fact that you will lose loyal customers and will not give you the opportunity to generate cash flows to stay in business.
If we're already talking about finances, let's look at another important aspect of your gallery's survival - the reasonableness of art prices. You must be able to explain your prices in layman's terms. Present the facts, operate with a consistent explanation.
If you have already decided to keep high prices, justify them like a professional: for example, all the works from the last exhibition have been sold, or there were acquisitions for the collection, or there was an auction sale. In the end, the price can also be argued by the fact that this is a painstaking and costly technique, expensive equipment and materials, etc. Those. there must be some specific rational reason for the high cost of the work.
To simply say that this is a fashionable trend, and the artist is a newly-minted genius, is to say nothing to sell a painting at a good price. You can't operate on value like a souvenir dealer or an expensive entertainment dealer. The buyer of serious art is in most cases a collector and investor, so he will not be satisfied with weak explanations.
Set only thoughtful agreed-upon prices. Don't do exhibitions where first you sell everything for $8000 - $12000, and next time $500 - $1000. The reaction of regular buyers will not be in favor of your gallery's authority. Even if it was reasonable prices and you can explain the fine line between different artists and works art, this line is not obvious to most buyers.
Moreover, we have already told you that you must maintain one direction in your gallery, one level of artists and attract regular customers, so take the temptation to change something in your pricing seriously. People already have certain expectations and you need to be careful with that. We are not talking about small fluctuations in price that are easy to explain, but large discrepancies that can only hurt you.
And finally, a few things to note:
Constantly grow your mailing list, but don't post too often: one or two announcements a month will be enough to maintain your status as a respected gallery.
Show up at local museums, cultural organizations, dealer associations and galleries, draw their attention to your events, ask for financial and other support if necessary, not always and all the time, of course, but when it is appropriate.
Invite also organizers of various charity events to your gallery, hold charity auctions yourself. And most importantly, get to know each other and get to know each other again. You want to be recognized in the art community, you want to know the main players and, ultimately, get the favor of influencers. You don't have to appear at all events indiscriminately, but with some level of regularity. People will notice you again and again and gradually the conversation will start.
Move away from pressure tactics. Do not constantly try to sell something to someone.
If someone is ripe for a purchase, they usually make it clear. Answer people's questions, be attentive to their needs, and let them take things step by step. At the very least, make sure the client is mature before grabbing them by the throat.
If a critic or reviewer expresses thoughts that do not delight you, let them do it. Never remove them from your mailing list, respond to criticism with counter-criticism, or close your gallery doors to them. It's just stupid. You can't try to change people or take away their right to their opinion.
And in any case, the press always has the last word, no matter how puffed up you are. If you're taking anything to the public court, be prepared to get different opinions. If this is any consolation, outside readers rarely remember which gallery was discussed in the last review, and your customers, on the contrary, will receive an additional incentive to look at you again and make sure that you are in good shape and in a great mood.
And remember - the worst thing that can be written about you is not to write anything.
And in conclusion. Be an honest dealer. Never distort and don't embellish overly information about artists and works which you are selling. The last thing the buyer would like to know, especially those who have just started their activities, trusting your professionalism, listening to your opinion, bought from you something completely different from what you described. This will not only badly affect your reputation, but also the business of all the galleries in the world, because now they have lost at least one collector, and even a couple of his friends.
Therefore, do your beautiful work honestly, have fun, enjoying all the benefits of a gallery owner, and this alone is enough to say that my business is quite successful.
Article from Artbusiness.com http://www.artbusiness.com/osoqcreatran.html
Translation of the article by Oksana Kozinskaya
Opening an art gallery is a challenging task that is meant for people who love art and its world. Most galleries are maintained by continuously selling quality art to loyal collectors and their friends, while also seeking new clients. The gallery keeps a portion of the proceeds from the sale and the remainder goes to the artist. Gallerists must build friendly relationships with investors, artists, collectors and the media. This career is suitable for a social, independent and business minded person who is ready to compete for a place in an already bustling art market. If you have all of these traits, then create a business plan and be prepared to work hard until your gallery becomes profitable. Read on to learn how to manage an art gallery.
Steps
Part 1
Gallery opening- You may decide to open a non-profit gallery and collect donations for charity. You can decide to form a collective gallery with other artists if you also work in this field. You can also decide to open a commercial art gallery that sells art at low, medium or high prices. This decision needs to be made before you start looking for artists or funding.
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Write a detailed business plan. The business plan is the basis for building a successful, profitable business in 1-5 years and should include detailed steps regarding the artists plan, marketing plan and financial plan.
Seek funding if it hasn't already been submitted. Your business plan, financial statements, and artist support will serve as a way to convince banks or business partners that you have a profitable plan. If you want to attract business partners, try to choose those who are also connected with the art world and can recommend your gallery to collectors.
Get support from artists. Look for artists by getting advice from other dealers or museum curators, or you can announce an open call for artworks for sale. Specify your percentage in writing, understanding that, in general, the newer the artist in the art world, the higher the percentage of the sale you will be able to receive.
Hire reliable employees. Gallery employees must have an art background, contacts in the art world, and experience in sales, business, or marketing. The ideal employee has a degree in art history or administration and is prepared to take on a variety of tasks, especially in the beginning.
Get good insurance and a security system for your gallery. It is very important that you are protected in case of theft or other damage. Artists often require proof of insurance before agreeing to give their work to the gallery for preservation.
Part 2
Content of a successful art gallery-
Don't quit your main job right away. Many gallery owners, especially in big cities, run a gallery while working elsewhere until the gallery becomes profitable. Assign a reliable, knowledgeable worker to look after the gallery when you can't be there, and work hard to comfortably transition to a full-time gallery job.
Create a web page. Modern galleries in order to be successful and acquire new clients must have a website, social media account, blogs and email list. Invest in a compelling website that lists artists, some of the art, your location, and a contact number.
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Make contacts in the world of art. These contacts should be among art collectors, artists and media in the city where your gallery will be opened and beyond. It can take years (5 to 15) to get through art school, make a career in the arts, and make connections in the museum and gallery environment.
Be fully committed to art and the desire to have an art gallery. In today's market conditions, many gallerists believe that it is necessary to love what you do in order to succeed. Art sales are sporadic, with some months producing little to no income, and some very lucrative.
Decide what type of art you want to sell and who your potential clients are. For example, contemporary, abstract, western art, sculptures, photographs, furniture, or a mixture of different types. Artwork in a gallery should be varied but have a core theme to attract people to become repeat customers.
