Comments on: Know when it’s time to move on to new exhibit venues

By: Embrace a Space and Get Your Art Out There — Art Biz Blog

Embrace a Space and Get Your Art Out There — Art Biz Blog — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:01:18 +0000

[...] said Yes because she is seeking fresh exhibit opportunities, and this was a new venue. She embraced the [...]

By: Spit Shine Your Image — Art Biz Blog

Spit Shine Your Image — Art Biz Blog — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:56:28 +0000

[...] Your Venues Will you forever be known as The Coffee Shop Artist because you found a safe place to show your art and never left? Or are your venues consistently [...]

By: Alyson Stanfield

Alyson Stanfield — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:30:51 +0000

Sari: Wow. I’m sorry to hear about the mess! I hope it gets straightened out soon.

By: Sari Grove

Sari Grove — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:12:35 +0000

Just to update the thread…Wow. Our artist union Carfac has had to intervene on our behalf. (husband is an artist too). The landlord claimed (falsely) that works on consignment were his property to seize. Also, wants a ‘writ of declaration’ that the works were really consigned & not sold to the owner? From a lawyer. I feel for the jewelry artist whose work is locked in too- all consignment too…
Anyways, word of advice to artists- make sure you get gallery to sign a piece of paper with a date saying the word consignment on it (when you deliver)…Not for you, or for the gallery, but for 3rd parties like a landlord . (we were on a verbal contract-which was fine just for us)…
I actually now have a voice recording of my gallery owner, online, which I taped from my voicemail onto my computer, superimposed on a Fine Art Registry (dot com) screenshot of my works which are registered online & all have security tags…(vouching that the works were not bought)…
Meow! (all today)

By: Sari Grove

Sari Grove — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 04:55:54 +0000

Even more disturbing is that there are 4 new paintings on the wall of that closed gallery, still…I left a message with the landlord, whose number I got from the business upstairs…It looks like the owner is so depressed over the lousy Xmas take that she is hiding & moping…I’m not worried yet though- this was a good person & I trust that things will work out…Worse comes to worse, Carfac(artist union here) will act on my behalf to tell the landlord the paintings were on consignment & aren’t part of bought inventory…But like, the neighbour says it has been closed all January- it’s a good thing I like to walk…(would have gone by sooner, but hate to be That person who always comes by to see if anything sold, or checks up, like a spy)…

By: Alyson Stanfield

Alyson Stanfield — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:23:31 +0000

Sari: That’s how you found out about your gallery closing? A note on the door? I find that disturbing. What if you hadn’t walked by?

Jan: Happy to be of help!

Michelle: Link has been fixed.

Julie: That’s an interesting statistic. I never heard that the average gallery-artist relationship was 3 years. Thanks for sharing that.

By: Julie Thompson

Julie Thompson — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:46:49 +0000

So very true! The same can be said for gallery venues. One gallery owner told me that she noticed the average “life span” of an artist in a particular gallery is usually about 3 years. If things have been stagnant at a venue for a long time, and changing out your pieces doesn’t stimulate sales, it might be time to change galleries. You could always come back to that one in a few years with fresh new work and their patrons haven’t seen you there for a while.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:15:04 +0000

A very thought-provoking post, Alyson.

And, fyi, your link, curating your own exhibit is broken. I was really interested in what you had to say on that.

By: Jan Blencowe

Jan Blencowe — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 13:52:18 +0000

This is just what I needed today!

You just described the last 10 years of my career!

Restaurants, coffee shop, banks, town hall, spa, been there done that.

Local juried shows, entered, got in, won prizes, CHECK.

Regional and National juriede shows… still doing that very selectively.

Gallery representation in the secondary market I’m there right now.

Next BIG step…way out of my comfort zone….approaching top tier galleries and I’m terriffied!

Secret ambition? A Museum show and a painting in their permanent collection.

Thanks for the reminder about the value in always presssing forward towards your goal. (I’m still scared though, LOL)

By: Sari Grove

Sari Grove — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:11:39 +0000

Well…When I read this, I thought “oh no” “I hope she’s not talking to me”…So, anyways…Today I went for a long walk & happened to walk by my gallery…As I peered into the window to see my work I noticed a typed letter at the front window…” Dear customers…” “closing” ” economy”…& so on…Anyways…It’s nice to know I am in the presence of a visionary…I was getting comfortable too…Funny how this time I feel set free…Like since I’m not the captain of that one I don’t have to go down with the ship…