Have you ever been so focused on a goal you thought was right for you that you missed opportunities that might have been better?
You just knew that this one direction was the path you needed to take. And you might have ignored that it wasn’t working or didn’t feel like the right fit. Adele Sypesteyn discusses adjustments she has made to her art business over the years.
Sarah Becktel reveals how she increased her self-sales income by 400% by focusing on 5 indoor art fairs per year—all juried or curated—with different price points, up front costs, and markets.
She talks about her strategy for selecting the work each one: one is for only originals, another for only reproductions and products, and the third is a mixture of the two. Sarah also shares wisdom for other artists.
The Art Biz ep. 157: Increasing Self-Sales by 400% with Sarah Becktel Read
Plenty of online galleries will happily take your money in exchange for “exposure.” UGallery has a different model. They are paid on commission, so they do whatever they can to see that art sells.
This isn’t a commercial for UGallery. Instead, I want you to be aware of people and companies who are working hard for artists and doing things the right way.
The Art Biz ep. 132: Not All Online Galleries are Created Equal with Alex Farkas Read
Artists crave validation by others. You want your work to be appreciated. This is perfectly normal. You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t.
All of that validation adds to your credibility and must begin in the studio. Ultimately, you need to understand that your work is valid by the mere fact it exists. Outside validation is more likely to come after you find self-validation.
The Art Biz ep. 129: Seeking Validation and Earning Credibility as an Artist Read
Maria Brito is an advocate for democratizing the art world for artists, and for collectors who might be interested in buying art but aren’t yet ready to spend tens of thousands of dollars.
We talk about how she works with artists, galleries, and collectors and why she thinks there has never been a better time to be an artist.
The Art Biz ep. 127: She’s the Link Between Artists, Galleries and Collectors with Maria Brito Read
Most people enjoy their visits to art centers and museums without much thought as to how the art got into those spaces in the first place.
Who decides on what to show and when to show it?
Who selects which works of art are next to one another and where to put the labels on the wall or a pedestal on the floor?
Who is the lucky dog who has the the ultimate say on the color to paint the walls?
All of these decisions, and more, fall under the purview of curators in those non-profit spaces.
What is something special you can do for your email subscribers and collectors when your shows and large events are canceled because of a pandemic?
Give them a private viewing experience, of course.
For years, Simonne Roy has been hosting 50 – 60 VIPs for a one-night party in her home, which she transforms into a gallery. The money and effort she invested in the event resulted in good sales and meaningful relationships. Each year’s success built on that of previous years.
[caption id="attachment_31426" align="aligncenter" width="650"]
©Simonne Roy, Sunflower Fields of Union County. Oil on canvas, 12 x 48 inches.[/caption]
When Covid struck last year, her hopes for a successful home gallery show were dashed, until, like many scrappy entrepreneurs, Simonne found a different way to make it happen.
She decided to hold the VIP appreciation without the party. In this episode of the Art Biz Podcast you’ll hear how Simonne gave people a private encounter with the art—something few people ever get to have. She calls it the Quiet Gallery Experience.
If she measured its success by the amount of sales only, she could have counted it a success. But sales were almost secondary because Simonne measured her success by the goodwill she created with her subscribers and collectors.
Listen closely to hear what she did to set the stage and make it special, what she would do differently next time, and how she netted the same amount of money from the participation of fewer people.
The Art Biz ep. 75: A Quiet Gallery Experience with Simonne Roy Read
Have you ever been so focused on a goal you thought was right for you that you missed opportunities that might have been better?
Chances are good that you can’t answer that question because you were so myopic. You just knew that this one direction was the path you needed to take. And you might have ignored that it wasn’t working or didn’t feel like the right fit.
This week’s podcast guest, Adele Sypesteyn, has been making a living from her art for 4 decades. But she never gets too comfortable with income coming from a particular source. She pays attention to changes in the marketplace and economy. And she educates herself.
The people who go into galleries are 1% of the population.
I wanted to reach the other 99%.
Listen to learn how Adele made the decision to pull out of her galleries and how she easily replaced that income.
The Art Biz ep. 36: Reaching the Other 99% for Your Art Business with Adele Sypesteyn Read
If you have exhibiting your art on your list of goals (as you should), you’re probably overwhelmed.
First, there’s the research into potential venues. As soon as you begin the process (and it is a process), you will uncover venues you never knew existed if you live in a metropolitan area. One leads to another which leads to another…
Which brings up the second phase of overwhelm. Once you have this list of possible spaces, how do you determine which ones might be good choices for you?
What makes a venue attractive for an exhibition of your art? Let’s look at the pluses and minuses of potential venues using the checklists below.
It’s surely too much to ask that one venue might meet all the criteria for being a desirable location. You will have to weigh the positive and negative of each space. What can you live with?
The favorable aspects of a particular venue might be that it:
Investigating Venues for Showing Your Art Read
Yeah, I know you’d rather be in the studio.
Yeah, I know it’s super cheap and easy to show your art online.
Yeah, I know it’s a slog to find a good exhibition space.
And, yeah, I know that if you’re physically and geographically able to show your art in public and you’re not doing so, you’re just making excuses. Not only that, you’re also:
Exhibiting your art in live venues should be one of your primary goals. Book a show now!
For our purposes, an exhibition is simply your art on public view. It could be any of the following:
Book Your Next Exhibition – Now Read
Get a transcript of episode 182 of The Art Biz (Rethinking Mailing Lists for Artists) followed by a 3-page worksheet to evaluate the overall health and usage of the 3 types of artist lists.
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