Art Galleries: you don't need them - EVER

Couldn't agree more, I ran a successful historical reproduction pottery business for 15 years, (gave it up due to health reasons) and the best part was getting to know my wonderful customers as well as having their input. I LOVED the personal aspect of my business. Now I am exclusively doing photo-realistic oil paintings and drawings, and represent myself, and do quite well and still enjoy the personal interaction-wouldn't have it any other way. And I have never had awards, advertised nor do I list credentials, I too let my work speak for itself, LOL Enjoyed looking at your beautiful work as you speak. Cheers and Lots of Love from New Mexico USA, Julia

You are absolutely correct. My experience with my first art show was so condescending and unprofessional. Showing my work myself is challenging but rewarding.

Wow, thank you so much for this. It feels like if you don't have all of this, you can't call yourself an artist. Thanks for proving it's not true 😊

... says the marketing guru. What about us who know fudge all about how to properly market themselves? This works great if you can talk circles around folks. Terrible if you are like me and are anxiety ridden and low social skills. I've had a website for years but getting traffic to it is next to impossible unless you are some bullshit social media influencer

Big Nooo buzzer sound!!!! About 95 % of what this dude is saying is absolutely not true — or it doesn't need to/shouldn't be true! It's absolutely not true for the majority of Black "fine" artists in the US. If you are a commercial or hobbyist artist, then no, you don't need a fine art gallery.

What he's saying about gallerists nit revealing who's buying your art is sooooo not true. A reputable gallerist has a legal obligation to let the artist know who's buying/collecting their work as it's a part of the Bill of Sale (which the artist receives a copy of and may also have to sign). It's also crucial to "Provenance."

Yes galleries charge a commission because they're working their buttons off to rep, promote and feature you/your work. They often times are also mentoring you.

Thank You! This was good! 🙂

Very interesting, As someone who has been thinking about getting my art in a gallery, this has made me reconsider my options. VERY good point you made about not knowing who is buying your work, this requires thought about how i feel about that...

Brilliant advice. That’s a game changer. Thank you 🙏🏻

Awesome... great video and so relevant.

Thank you for your great advice. :) Normally I only make subscription for oil painting channels :)

Thanks for your Honesty and Sense! I have been believing in others rather than my Enterprise thoughts.

Are art fairs under the same consideration as galleries?

Your video was very informative for me. I'm new in the artist world. I'm a graphic artist, it's as been 7 years now that I'm retired and I have a collection of paintings/sculpting on canvas (all in one). Thank you for video, this give me a better view how the Galleries are taking advantage of the artists.

Hi, what do you mean when you say “ticket price”

"You can do this
with out any one elses help" well,,,? I'm an emerging "arTest" (lol) but I'm not young and we work full time Ha! Do it ourself geezer😂 u-what.
Assist us in pointing out a website maker, trend faker, A1 Motor Shaker, social media stapler and I'll be happy to share me profits wif-ya laddE. No joke I'm genuinely generous. Ta
Me use to live in London 💂

What advice would you give someone who makes art items (earrings) that are’nt traditional “art” and you want to be taken seriously as an artist

You hit the nail on the head there. Exactly! Besides you might carry your works into a gallery and walk out with them under your arms when an employee or the owner tells you your art is not up to standard and you later find out that he or she had never held a paintbrush ! 'Art Critics' they call themselves !
Secondly they inflate the price to such a degree that your works stay there unsold and we know the consequences of that I.e frustration and with no money.....!

You are right about All that what you said ...Thank you for sharing...

You have beautiful Art..

Just a few words about your art ~ Stimulating. Inspirational. Sensational. Awesome. Thanks for the tour of your gallery. It was an absolute retreat from this world. ❤️🙏🏽😊

I’m at a place right now where selling my art isn’t a priority. I’m just enjoying creating art. I would like to sell some in a low pressure way, that won’t rob me of all the enjoyment & fulfillment I’m experiencing. I have a friend who makes astronomical income thru her art. She travels the world & is in some of the finest galleries. Her stories of her experiences abroad & in all these fine galleries are so much fun & exciting to hear about. But when I think about it, that would be so overwhelming for me. I really don’t even want have my work in a gallery. I just want to paint, & maybe sell some of my work in a chill environment. That’s what attracted me to your video. I cringe at the thought of ever having to deal with a gallery. I’m far from wealthy. Painting is one of the few passions I have left, that I haven’t been robbed of over money.

Thank you for this video. You helped me a lot.

Selling art online through a website is not as easy as it seems. I struggle with getting visitors to my site.

Great advice.
Thanks

Apart from you do need them, otherwise nobody ever gets to see your work

Yes, easy to say for someone who has their own gallery. Where am I supposed to show? My bedroom?

Thanxs for that vidéo….but how to find People who like m’y work??

I love this thanks for sharing this to the world ❤️

Hi, 3 years later and this video pops up again.
If you still see notifications for this video i have a question. 😁
I have a new collection and they really need to be shown as a collection, its called Wye Inspired and is a collection of 17 of the churches(was 15 last week and may grow as over 40 to choose from) that adorn the banks of the river Wye from Chepstow up into the hills of wales out past Hay on Wye.
Would you consider pop up galleries in empty shops, art society buildings, town halls or the dreaded gallery for launching this type of show??
I would love to do several points along the river over a couple of months but then I think I'm crazy and too just stick it in a gallery in hereford 🤷 am I mad(dont answer that🤣)

What really pisses me off is gallery owners who think that just because someone saw your work in their gallery, and they come directly to you (after finding you on the internet), and commission something, the gallery owner thinks you owe them 20% - 50% of your fee. That's bullshit. It's something art dealers came up with and I don't play that. I pulled out of a gallery (Dragonfire, Cannon Beach, Oregon) because this greedy bitch tried to pull that like 5 years after the fact! I'm not that desperate. I turned down a commission just now because the client and a gallery owner (whome about to drop) being good friends, wouldn't budge on a 50/50 split. Fuck 'em both! I have other brick & mortars who deal fairly and respectfully with their artists. It's all going to the internet anyway, and I'm already there.

Your gallery is huge I wish I had such a space.
My background is in printed textiles and surface pattern design and I sold designs in the past when I freelanced.
However for the last 32 years I have had a picture Framing Gallery but I'm sick of it.
I want to sell my own art and give up the picture Framing.
I only have 30 Sq mtrs max but I can't decide whether or not to rent out my own place and be sure of some income every month, or to use the space myself as a fully fledged Art Gallery in conjunction of course with using all the marketing tools we now have at our disposal.
It's driving me nuts actually.
Would like your advice on the matter please.
Thankyou

Hi,
I just watched some of your videos today for the first time and agree with your arguments in this section. I am a self taught artist and started painting at the age of 69 and satisfied with the result though there is lot more to do. For example, I tried a painting today after seeing you painting a large canvas in enamel paints. I paint in acrylics and water colors besides color-pencil drawings mainly nature and birds and animals as realistic expressionist and wanted to diversify in abstract painting. This I am already doing in many of the backgrounds for my main subject. However, I tried one small painting today as it is a day of playing colors in India (called Holi), and it was liked by my friends and family when I sent my wishes for this festival with photo of this painting. Since I have no experience of enamel paints, I did this in my acrylics (though bit expensive) and was happy to paint it. Thanks for your videos that inspired me. What you said about the galleries, I had the same view but an opinion from an artist like you gives me courage. I have subscribed to you today. Best regards, Mahesh

Great video!!

I realize it's been 2 years since you put this video out, and I don't know if your feelings on this subject remains the same! That being said, I don't have a problem with what your saying in this video, but I have to respectfully disagree with most of what you said! Most of what you said is simply not true! I say this coming from both sides of the coin, I've sold work on my own, I've also worked with galleries, so I'm not talking out of the side of my neck on this subject! I think it's important for people to understand, especially young artists who may be reading this, there really is no right or wrong way, there is no one size fits all! It comes down to what your goals are! If all you care about is selling your work, and you don't mind selling and dealing with the business side of things, then yes you absolutely don't need galleries to do that! But for some artists, myself included, I care more about than just selling my work, I want historical relevancy and museum recognition! I want the big awards, major grants and residencies! Without the support of galleries and the so called gate keepers, you will not get those things! You need the help of others to get that kind of recognition! Does it suck for things to work like that, yes it does, but that's how that game is played! But I'll say again, if all you care about is sales, then all of that other stuff I mentioned doesn't matter, you really don't galleries for that! So again, it comes down to personal goals as an artists, there is no right or wrong way!

50% is fixed for all galleries in Athens, and they don’t even care!!

Thank you for this video. I'm currently going on two years of remission from cancer. B-Cell ALL Lukemia, to be exact! I really want to do what makes me happy. I love to draw and paint. I have only recently started printing and framing my drawings. Although chemo and radiation has caused me some long term health issues along with hand pains. I will go on and defeat this as well. I would love to get my art-work out there. Your video here gives me much needed hope.

An intelligent outlook ! I learned a lot .

Thank you! Your advice is greatly appreciated. I’ve started painting again after a stroke, and I’m working abstractly which I love. Previously I sold in the area I lived in my Art was in a cafe and I did well. Now I am finding it harder to find clients. I’m on Instagram and people do love my work, but I can’t seem to sell. I’m getting offers to promote me, and I’m overwhelmed, I don’t know how to get from people loving my work to selling it. Before it wasn’t a problem. I wish I knew if I should try toI sell through Etsy or my own website?

A bit late with my comment but here it goes. Galleries may seem like blood suckers to your right now. But, when AI starts reproducing your creative style and selling it at a fraction of your pricing, you'll wish that you had an opportunity for someone to stand in front of your pieces and take on the work the way you meant for it to be seen. The in-person experience matters, and it will matter far more as the technology you so eagerly embrace turns on you.

Thank you for speaking truth to power, and in the process distilling where exactly we need to focus our energies for outreach. Love your vibe (and your art), you're a great teacher.

Thank you for this. This is exactly what I needed to hear. I was getting bogged down in believing that I'll never be anybody if I don't get my artwork into a gallery.

Thanks for the encouragement!!

Amazing advice and you are absolutely right! With the internet, there is no gate keeper, we can have the control we need!

Hey dude this was brilliant. I have had so many galleries reaching out to me lately and they want me to pay up to 250 EUR exhibition fee, which means they make money either way if it sells or not. The more "established" galleries in my local area also refuse to exhibit artists that havent already done exhibitions so thats a bit of a Catch 22. You also need an arts education, but the ones I´ve seen with master degrees make the most boring art. There is so much snobbery in this business and you opened my mind that I dont really need em. In fact; fuck em all. I will sell the art myself! have a nice day

Gallery owners are almost always the most arrogant and ignorant people I've ever met in my entire life. These days they're just coming up with excuses to have a job and get rich off of hardworking artists.

Sell and show your own work when and where you can! This is the information age. Use it to your advantage!

I’m returning to this video after having been here before because it’s such a good video and you’re so right in everything you’re saying. I misted needed to be reminded of that. I’m a part time artist as I have a full time job but have the dream to do this for myself full time and have a plan of what I need to do. I’d love to pick your brains and maybe meet up with you one day when I’m closer to my goal. I’m only in Wiltshire. 🙏

i am the owner of MY GALLERY NYC. I am also an artist and I agree with you. i open this gallery for myself and for other artist. I rent the gallery to other artist or group of artist for three day, a week or a month. My prices are reasonable ,We are close to transportations, restaurants and bars. Right now a group of 16 artist are showing for a month sliptting the cost ($4000per month).

I think the hope about being in a gallery is that you enter the reviewer/collector/museum continuum. I would say that there are many art worlds… And I know that there are plenty of artists out there who are making wonderful work that are selling their work and have dedicated collectors. And I think they’re artists and would like to have their work have an impact on the culture somehow… If you’re looking for that I think the notion is that being with a gallery is the way to do it… The same way as getting a record deal and being on a major label is a way of getting reviews and awards and being part of all of that is the record Business… Of course that model is kind of outdated. Maybe the gallery model is out there as well.

Having said that… I think you have a lot of lovely work… I took a quick visit to your website. Clearly put a lot of work into it into framing (no pun intended) each piece with a nice description and story. I certainly appreciate your attitude about taking the business into your own hands and being proactive with your work and your life.

I have a a life of adventure, earning a BFA and 30+ years of creating monumental sculpture. Although I have had some dear friends own galleries NONE of my major commissions have come from them. Much of my work is directly commissioned from faith communities and that has made my work almost unsellable in conventional marketplaces. Take care of your patrons. Don't waste time playing social hierarchy games with other artists and organizations.

How many social media sites do we need to be involved with daily?