Tips for artists – How and where to start

First things first, unless you are extremely lucky, nothing in art really happens by chance. You need to be good in what you do and know the right people and then work hard to achieve what the popular artists have.

The most common methods that artists do is to send out their works and then wait for a reply. So the question really is could you be famous and make lots of money at the same time? The answer is yes. But you need help and a lot of this will do you more good than harm. You have got to be aware that galleries receive requests to be represented almost on a daily basis. The more established a gallery is, the more requests they will receive.

The most important thing you must have is a portfolio. You must know where your expertise is and how to capitalize on your niche. Where possible, try not to be too cliché. If your art scene are filled with acrylic artists, then you might want to venture into something else even through acrylic might be your specialisation. You do not want to flood the market and join the bandwagon. You can still work on acrylic but perhaps you can consider using jut or other types of medium.

You have to know who you want to represent your art. Never shoot for the skies at your first attempt. You never know when the lesser known galleries could be your ticket to stardom. Make a list of galleries whom you think might help you. Then approach them. Never send them a whole list of questions and inquiries. Set up a face-to-face meeting if possible. It helps if you know what type of exhibitions the galleries like to hold and then see if you can join their group shows.

Always remember that they do not know who you are and what you have done. Even if you have won awards and prizes previously. Be open to criticisms and you will be fine. Your initial approach is to talk to a few galleries and then shortlist them. Don’t make demands like wanting your own solo show or pricing your art too high and refusing to bulge.

When you are talking to the galleries, bear in mind that you are looking for to build a long term relationship. If any gallery wants exclusivity for your art, then you can start to talk about more terms and conditions. In this case, you can then ask the gallery what is in store for you. Unless the gallery is one of the top ones in the market, don’t tie yourself to a single gallery.
Always remember that the first step is very important. Once you have the first group show, then you must build on that. If your art was sold at the show then you know that there is actually demand for that type of work. Continue to produce a few more and send them to the gallery and then work yourself from there.

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