“Gallery Insider Talk” Revealed Key Information for Visual Artists

VSAMI’s Artist Career Forum event on June 18 at the Detroit Institute of Arts delivered on the organizers’ promise to provide the “inside scoop” on how galleries make decisions about what art to show, and how to show it. A panel discussion between owners from four Detroit-area galleries and artists in the audience revealed how concerns about art and commerce intersect—and about how difficult it can be for both galleries and artists to survive.

Rocco DePietro and Gloria Pritschet, owners of the non-profit Gallery Project in Ann Arbor, emphasized their challenges of showing the work of emerging artists and their “seldom-heard voices” and multiple perspectives. The gallery’s shows usually each center around a single theme on which 10-20 emerging artists comment on in the work they display. (The panel agreed that it’s difficult to define the term “emerging artist,” though Pritschet suggested, “If people don’t know or can’t spell your name, you’re probably an emerging artist!”)

Nicole Parker spoke about the non-profit 555 gallery, which began in Ann Arbor as an artists’ collective and is now based in Detroit. She stressed, as did the other galleries, the need for volunteers to keep galleries going. She also stressed the eclectic results of getting multiple artists of different abilities together in one location: “You never know what’s going to happen at 555 because of the diversity.” (For example, one recent show featured an artist who used rotting food as a medium.)

Tom Thewes of ©POP in Detroit discussed the rewards of showing work that has traditionally not been exhibited as “art.” For the work shown at his gallery, “the core of it is popular culture,” including artwork inspired by rock music, car culture, advertising, TV, and comics. Because of the influence of pop-culture, this work resonates with “the subconscious visual vocabulary we have,” he said.

Finally, Jane Linn of the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center stressed how the BBAC’s educational programs are important for bringing artists of all ages and abilities into a gallery setting. Linn also affirmed strongly how much she and most gallery owners believe that artists should indeed be paid fairly for the value they add to our society, despite the financial challenges of operating venues to show their work. Artists and galleries “are all in this together,” and should respect each other’s interests, she said.

Focusing on artists’ interest, the panel and attendees discussed several ways in which emerging artists can bring their art to the public. “Fifty percent of art is creating the work; fifty percent is getting it out there,” said VSAMI program coordinator and artist Shaqe Kalaj. The group came up with several suggestions for artists, most of which were concerned with treating art as a business, as well as a creative activity; some suggestions are:

• Have an overall vision for marketing your art as a product, and consider distributing your work in alternative forms (such as prints, t-shirts, posters, etc.)
• Don’t neglect studying contracts and legal agreements made with galleries—the terms should be clear when you show your work
• Reason out how to price your work justifiably, or consider listing it as “price on request”
• Write a short artist’s statement, and make it thoughtful and specific to your work
• If possible, have a collaborator help write your artist statement, press releases, or other promotional material
• Make sure your mattes, frames, and electronic images of your work look professional
• And get exposure: post your own website or MySpace page, enter juried exhibitions, provide demonstrations, participate in gallery talks, or donate your artwork (when it makes sense to do so)

The discussion also included questions about gallery access raised by VSAMI executive director Lora Frankel, who provided some guidance on this issue. Considering the positive comments about this event, Frankel said she’s also considering future workshops on copyright and other artists’ issues, and is interested in getting more artists with disabilities involved in these meetings.

–VSAMI volunteer writer Mike Tolinski

Gallery Insider Questions for the Moderator

Does your gallery have a specific focus?

Do you have juried shows?

Can an artist have a solo show?

Does your gallery represent any artist?

If so how do you promote them?

What are you looking for when art work is submitted?

What kind of format do you want for submitting art work?

Does presentation matter?

When artists submit websites do you look at them?

How many submissions do you get a year? How many do you take on?

Who judges the submitted work?

Do you have to work in series?

Can work be completely different within a show?

Do you look for a particular medium or style?

Is their a typical style of art that you show predominately?

Do you look for artists in-state or outside?

Do you approach artists for submissions?

Question on pricing?

Do you or the artist determine price?

What is the range of prices on the art work represented at your gallery?

Do you ever ask artists to altar their prices?

In what price range do art work normally sell at?

What percentage does the gallery take?

What are your suggestions on pricing?

What goes into preparing an exhibit?

What are the responsibilities of the artist?

What are the responsibilities of the gallery?

How do you promote a show?